Love speaks louder through these LGBTQIA+ organizations!
Share
Happy Pride! For the third year in a row, we're proud to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community with a meaningful initiative that amplifies our year-round commitment to supporting oral care for all — a $50,000 donation among three incredible organizations: The Ali Forney Center, Encircle, and We Are Family.
Read on to learn more about each organization’s unique approach to advocacy and community healing!
New York, New York
The Ali Forney Center started in a church basement, where six beds were set up as emergency housing for homeless LGBTQIA+ youth. The center was officially established in 2002 to honor 22 year old Ali Forney, who was tragically killed while living on the streets. They were beloved by their queer community and recognized as a passionate advocate for HIV prevention.
Today, the 24-hour center is committed to protecting individuals from the dangers of homelessness and connecting them with the resources needed to achieve independent living, such as warm meals, medical support, job-readiness training, and a transitional housing program. AFC is the largest agency dedicated to LGBTQIA+ homeless youths in the country!
80% of AFC’s clients are kicked out of their homes for their affiliation with the LGBTQIA+ community, and over 50% of them have considered or attempted suicide. Serving 2,000+ people and over 70,000 meals per year, the center truly embodies the phrase, “actions speak louder than words” — and there’s no doubt that their actions have saved many lives!
Get involved
Salt Lake City, Utah
Encircle is a nonprofit that runs four (beautiful!) safe homes for LGBTQIA+ youth and families throughout the state of Utah. Safe homes are places where individuals can gather and explore who they are and what makes them happy. In 2017, the first Encircle home opened in Provo, and new locations have followed every few years, with the latest grand opening in Heber in 2023.
Each home offers weekly friendship circles, age-based activity groups, and affordable, affirmative therapy — a valuable resource for the state’s queer youth, 58% of whom reported not being able to receive any clinical mental health support in the last year.
At the heart of the organization is the desire to foster a safe and loving home environment for all, with the belief that it’s the foundation for a life of health and service. Founder Stephenie Larsen says, “The youth who meet at Encircle are kind, loving, courageous, artistic, brilliant, and sadly at risk. If we love and support them in their homes and communities, they will grow up to be leaders, and we will all be better for it.”
Since 2017, over 12,000 people have been serviced at an Encircle home, earning the organization a 98% success rate with visitors. 53% of them have been back 20+ times! Safe spaces where folks can speak their mind, open their hearts, and find support really are a staple of the LGBTQIA+ community — and we’re so happy to do what we can to help establish even more of them.
Get involved
Charleston, South Carolina
Founded in 1995 by Tom Myers, the loving father of a gay son, We Are Family is South Carolina's oldest LGBTQIA+ allied and affirmative nonprofit serving children, teens, young adults, and families, with a focus on BIPOC and/or low-income folks.
With values like celebration and imagination leading the way, WAF has established initiatives around leadership development, health and wellness, and social education, such as LGBTeach, an evidence-based cultural competency training program. In their words, “southern queer magic” and centering “the power of euphoria” help to encourage an environment supportive of diverse expressions of identity and love. They also run Closet Case, a gender-inclusive and affirming thrift store!
By connecting participants with a wide range of involvement opportunities, WAF brings its vision of a world where LGBTQIA+ young people and allies find where they belong closer to reality. In 2023 alone, WAF served over 1,550 young people in the Lowcountry, a historically conservative region of the United States. We’re so proud to support their powerful mission for the second year in a row!
Get involved
Thank you to The Ali Forney Center, Encircle, and We Are Family for their partnership and — most importantly — their tireless dedication to the LGBTQIA+ community. We invite you to join us in supporting these remarkable organizations this month, and all year round!
Together, we can ensure that love always speaks louder than hate speech, fear, and misinformation, and commit to taking action that makes a lasting difference.