‘A death sentence’: DC reaction
For the past three years, anyone dialing the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was offered the option to “Press 3,” and be connected to counselors trained to work with LGBTQ+ youth and adults under 25.
As of July 17, that option will no longer be available.
‘A death sentence’: DC reaction as Trump administration ends specialized suicide prevention service for LGBTQ+ youth
For the past three years, anyone dialing the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was offered the option to “Press 3,” and be connected to counselors trained to work with LGBTQ+ youth and adults under 25.
As of July 17, that option will no longer be available.
The Trump administration, in a statement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said the move will “focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option.”
“This is devastating, to say the least,” said Jaymes Black, CEO of the Trevor Project. “Suicide prevention is about people, not politics.”
Local reaction: Lives will be lost
Cesar Toledo, executive director of the D.C.-based Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides shelter and supportive services for homeless or at-risk LGBTQ+ youth told WTOP: “The latest move by HHS (Department of Health and Human Services) is not just a policy, it’s a death sentence.”
“The Trevor Project has really been a pivotal resource for our young people,” Toledo said. “Losing that specific service is going to result in lives lost.”
Toledo said the Trump administration, and state lawmakers bringing anti-LGBTQ+ bills, is “nothing short of a large attempt to really legislate the LGBTQ+ community out of existence.”
With the U.S. Supreme Court upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors this week, “now, more than ever we need to step up and support the mental health needs of our LGBTQ+ youth,” Toledo said.
However, citing the AIDS epidemic and the “Lavender Scare” that led to the mass dismissal of LGBTQ+ people working within the U.S. government from the 1940s through the 1960s, Toledo said the community would “overcome.”
“We are living proof that we can live, and prosper, and seek the American dream,” Toledo said.
Read the WTOP article here.
Testimony On Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs
Wanda Alston Foundation Executive Director Cesar Toledo testifying at the Public Works and Operations Budget Oversight Hearing.
Cesar Toledo
Testifying before Public Works and Operations Budget Oversight Hearing
Good afternoon, Councilmember Brianne Nadeau and members of the DC Council,
My name is Cesar Toledo, newly appointed Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, one of a few queer-led organizations in DC that provides gender-affirming housing and support services to LGBTQ+ youth. I’m here today to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs and ask for your continued support.
The Foundation was founded in 2008 to honor the life and legacy of Wanda Renita Alston, a fierce LGBTQ+ activist, feminist, and organizer. Wanda dedicated her life to fighting for justice, never backing down. Thanks to her leadership, the LGBTQ+ community secured greater representation on DC’s local governing boards and launched the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs.
When the office was created under Mayor Williams, the mission and objectives of the office were to:
Serve as liaison between the Mayor, government agencies, City Council, and the LGBT community
Identify areas of need for the LGBT community
Advise the Mayor on policy issues affecting the LGBT community and the District government
Collect and disseminate research on the impact of public policies and legislation affecting the LGBT community and make recommendations to the Mayor regarding these policy and legislative issues
Two decades later, the office has lived up to the values it was established to uphold. The community has greatly benefited from this office’s services and leadership in the community.
Today, it serves as the:
Largest LGBTQ+ focused grantmaker solely focused on the District
Serves as the central hub for support and resources to the community.
Just this weekend, WorldPride was hosted in DC, where we witnessed an unprecedented turnout, generated more than half a billion dollars in economic impact, had a historic increase in metro ridership, and hosted hundreds of events. As the gayest city in the world, the queer community is a powerful economic engine.
DC has long served as a beacon of hope across the country, providing refuge for those facing anti-LGBTQ attacks. It’s because of this office and the critical resources it provides that organizations like the Wanda Alston Foundation can offer life-saving support to the community.
Thank you for your time and allyship.
Cesar Toledo
Executive Director
Wanda Alston Foundation
‘Slay and Sauté’ culinary program teaches LGBTQ+ youth cooking and life skills
The challenges for LGBTQ+ youth include finding acceptance, including within their own families.
Cesar Toledo, the executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation in D.C., said 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+.
He told WTOP, nationally, one out of four Americans who come out as young adults are forced out of their homes by family members.
Speaking with WTOP’s Kate Ryan
Currently, he said, “On any given night, more than 200 LGBTQ+ youth are unhoused and put in very dangerous life situations here in the District of Columbia alone.”
That’s where the Wanda Alston Foundation comes into play.
Toledo said each client they serve is between the ages of 18 and 24, and each is assigned a case manager.
“We also have an employment and housing specialists, so we really try to provide these wraparound services to meet our youth where they’re at, and help them through their period with us,” which can last up to 18 months, he said.
Toledo said the foundation got good news, followed by what he called “not so good news,” this year: “We were awarded a FEMA food and shelter grant. However, because of the federal funding freeze, we are unlikely to receive any of those resources.” The grant, he said, would have been up to $15,000.
But, the foundation turned to D.C.’s very supportive community. They partnered with the D.C. Front Runners organization and held the Pride 5K, which raised nearly $7,000 toward their goal. Toledo said he took part in the run.
“I am absolutely not a runner, but I did speed walk. I did try my best and was able to do a decent job,” he said with a laugh.
He noted the upbeat tone of the event, with a sense of playfulness as people ran — or walked. And he said, “There were dogs out there, folks had tutus. It was just a beautiful moment for community to come together and rally around a good cause.”
With the money they’ve raised so far, Toledo said the foundation can launch its “Slay and Sauté” culinary program, a series of classes and workshops that will allow the youth in the organization’s shelters to learn a life skill, and perhaps, provide a launchpad to a new career in food service.
“So now, we’re going to be looking for chefs,” Toledo said. “Anyone who wants to get involved, please reach out.”
Read more in WTOP here.
Preps under way for WorldPride
The foundation, which provides housing to homeless LGBTQ+ youth, has launched a campaign called Slay and Sauté in an effort to raise $15,000 to replace funds from a federal grant that was frozen earlier this year.
The money will be used to buy healthy cooking appliances and provide cooking lessons for the young people they house.
The biggest week of WorldPride in D.C. is underway with a whole host of events planned over the next several days, all leading up the parade Saturday.
This is the third and biggest week of WorldPride, with events for everyone. As Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos explains, this is prime time for pride in the District.
"Yes, Pride is about partying until two in the morning, but it's also important to support our community," Cesar Toledo, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, said.
The foundation, which provides housing to homeless LGBTQ+ youth, has launched a campaign called Slay and Sauté in an effort to raise $15,000 to replace funds from a federal grant that was frozen earlier this year.
The money will be used to buy healthy cooking appliances and provide cooking lessons for the young people they house.
"Any given night, there's over 200 unhoused LGBTQ youth, and because of that, that puts them in really dangerous situations," Toledo said. "And so that's why it's important for, as a community, we need to come together."
Coming together and showing support: two of the major themes of WorldPride.
Cesar Toledo Testifies for LGBTQ+ Youth
Cesar Toledo, the Executive Director for the Wanda Alston Foundation, testified before the Committee on Human Services in support of transitional housing for homeless LGBTQ+ youth.
DHS Budget Oversight Hearing
Today, Cesar Toledo, the Executive Director for the Wanda Alston Foundation, testified before the Committee on Human Services. His statement can be read below.
Good afternoon, Councilmember Frumin and members of the DC Council. My name is Cesar Toledo, and I was recently appointed Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, one of a few queer-led organizations in DC that provides gender-affirming housing and support services to LGBTQ+ youth.
Since 2008, the Foundation has provided housing, support services, and pathways to economic mobility to over a hundred LGBTQ+ youth. As the rise of attacks on our LGBTQ+ youth rages across the country, DC has long served as a beacon of safety, and that legacy must be preserved.
The facts are stark. According to the District’s most recent Point-in-Time snapshot, 40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ+. A national survey found that more than 2 out of 5 trans people in DC have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. Lastly, at the Foundation, 99% of the youth we have served are Black or Latino.
Thanks to the support of Mayor Bowser, DC Council, the community, DHS and the Community Partnership, we operate 20 beds that are never empty. However, like many nonprofit organizations in this space, we face significant challenges. Staffing mandates and bureaucratic invoicing processes create barriers to funding. These hurdles are painfully difficult for LGBTQ+ nonprofits like ours, which are being targeted by the federal government and face declining corporate support.
Councilmember Frumin and members of the Council, I’d love to sit down with your staff to share more about these operational hurdles and explore potential solutions.
As you continue to debate the FY2026 Budget and Spending Plan, I strongly urge you to preserve funding for transitional youth housing and ensure that homeless LGBTQ+ youth have access to the life-saving, specialized care and support that the Wanda Alston Foundation provides.
Any cuts to this sector could result in a clinical disaster.
Thank you.
Cesar Toledo
Executive Director
Wanda Alston Foundation
Wanda Alston Foundation launches culinary program for LGBTQ youth
The Wanda Alston Foundation announced it has launched a campaign to raise $15,000 for a new culinary program to equip our LGBTQ+ youth with cooking skills and kitchen gadgets.
The Wanda Alston Foundation, the D.C. nonprofit organization that has provided housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth since its founding in 2008, announced it has launched a campaign to raise $15,000 for a new culinary program to “equip our LGBTQ+ youth with cooking skills, kitchen gadgets, and a taste for joy,” according to its executive director, Cesar Toledo.
In a May 14 statement, Toledo said the Alston Foundation had been selected to receive food and shelter funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, “but due to the federal freeze, it’s unlikely those critical resources will reach us.”
He said the new program being launched is in partnership with the DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K organization, an LGBTQ runners group. The funds will be used to provide 20 Alston House residents “with air fryers, rice cookers, smoothie blenders, healthy food, and condiments,” Toledo said.
Read more in the Washington Blade here.
Slay & Sauté for at risk LGBTQ+ youths
WUSA9’s Marcella Robertson interviews Cesar Toledo, Wanda Alston Foundation Executive Director, to learn more about the organization's Slay & Sauté campaign.
WUSA9’s Marcella Robertson interviews Cesar Toledo, Wanda Alston Foundation Executive Director, to learn more about the organization's Slay & Sauté campaign.
Campaign for LGBTQ+ youth culinary program in DC launches
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which helps young homeless and at-risk members of the LGBTQ+ community, said it is looking to provide some of those young people with cooking skills and “a taste for joy” through its “Slay & Sauté” campaign.
Washington (DC News Now) — The Wanda Alston Foundation, which helps young homeless and at-risk members of the LGBTQ+ community, said it is looking to provide some of those young people with cooking skills and “a taste for joy” through its “Slay & Sauté” campaign.
The effort, which is in partnership with DC Front Runners and the DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K, hopes to raise $15,000.
The goal is to provide LGBTQ+ youth whom the foundation supports with air fryers, rice cookers, smoothie blenders, healthy foods, and condiments. Additionally, the campaign is intended to help launch monthly cooking classes, teaching young people how to prepare fun and affordable meals.
Read more at DC News Now.
June Crenshaw Steps Down from WAF
“When I first joined the foundation, I was facing the real possibility of closing our shelters,” Crenshaw said in a statement. “But thanks to the unwavering support of the LGBTQ+ community and strong, steady leadership of our Board, nearly a decade later, we’ve not only kept our doors open — we’ve expanded our impact. As I pass the torch, I’m filled with pride in the organization’s next chapter.”
June Crenshaw, the executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, has stepped down from her position after nearly a decade.
The organization provides support services and operates transitional housing programs for LGBTQ young people experiencing homelessness.
“When I first joined the foundation, I was facing the real possibility of closing our shelters,” Crenshaw said in a statement. “But thanks to the unwavering support of the LGBTQ+ community and strong, steady leadership of our Board, nearly a decade later, we’ve not only kept our doors open — we’ve expanded our impact. As I pass the torch, I’m filled with pride in the organization’s next chapter.”
Crenshaw will continue serving the LGBTQ community as the interim deputy director of Capital Pride Alliance and DC WorldPride 2025.
“June’s nearly decade of service transformed the lives of hundreds of LGBTQ+ youth in the nation’s capital,” Darrin Glymph, the board chair of the Wanda Alston Foundation, said in a statement. “She led with heart, vision, and an unshakeable commitment to our most vulnerable youth. We are immensely grateful for her service and look forward to her continued leadership in the community.”
The Wanda Alston Foundation announced that Cesar Toledo will succeed Crenshaw as executive director as part of a planned transition process started in November 2024.
Toledo, who most recently served as the National Deputy LGBTQ+ Engagement Director for the Harris for President campaign, brings with him a decade of experience leading political campaigns, shaping public policy, and promoting LGBTQ inclusion.
Toledo also served in multiple positions at the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, including as its political director from October 2021 to March 2023.
While calling Crenshaw’s leadership “transformative,” Glymph, the foundation’s board chair, said the organization was “excited for the energy and experience that Cesar brings to lead us into this next chapter.”
Wanda Alston Foundation Names New Executive Director
The Wanda Alston Foundation, the D.C.-based organization that has provided housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth since its founding in 2008, announced it has appointed longtime LGBTQ rights advocate Cesar Toledo as its new executive director.
The Wanda Alston Foundation, the D.C.-based organization that has provided housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth since its founding in 2008, announced it has appointed longtime LGBTQ rights advocate Cesar Toledo as its new executive director.
In an April 22 statement, the organization said that as part of a planned leadership transition launched in November 2024, Toledo will succeed June Crenshaw, who Alston Foundation officials and LGBTQ community activists say has led the organization with distinction in her role as executive director for the past nine years.
In a statement released last November, the foundation announced Crenshaw was stepping down from her role as executive director after deciding to “to step into her next chapter.”
“June’s leadership has been truly transformative,” said Alston Foundation Board Chair Darrin Glymph in the group’s April 22 statement. “We are immensely grateful for her dedication and equally excited for the energy and experience that Cesar brings to lead us into this next chapter,” Glymph said.
“A seasoned LGBTQ+ advocate, Cesar brings over a decade of experience leading national campaigns, shaping public policy, and building inclusive communities,” the statement released by the group says. “Most recently, he served as the National LGBTQ+ Engagement Director for the Harris for President Campaign and has built a career focused on advancing equality and equitable education,” it says.
Biographical information about Toledo shows that immediately prior to working for the Harris For President Campaign, he served since April 2023 as deputy director for Democrats for Education Reform DC (DFER DC), a political group that helps to elect candidates for public office committed to quality education for all students, including minorities, people of color and LGBTQ youth.
Before joining DFER DC, Toledo served as political director for the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, where he assisted in electing out LGBTQ candidates to all levels of public office across the U.S.
“I’m really excited about joining the Wanda Alston Foundation,” Toledo told the Washington Blade. “After a decade of working at the intersection of politics and policy and advancing political candidates and equitable education here in D.C., I wanted to shift my career to direct services to the most vulnerable folks in the LGBTQ+ family and our homeless youth,” he said.
Among other things, he said he would push for increasing the Alston Foundation’s visibility and mainlining its services for LGBTQ youth at a time when the national political climate has become less supportive.
A statement on its website says the Alston Foundation was founded in 2008 “in memory of Wanda Alston, a fierce LGBTQ+ activist, national advocate, and government official who was admired by District residents.”
The statement adds, “The foundation opened the first housing program in the nation’s capital in 2008 providing pre-independent transitional living and life-saving support services to LGBTQ+ youth.”
In a separate statement, the Alston Foundation announced it would hold a “thank you” celebration of appreciation for June Crenshaw from 6-8 p.m. on May 20 at Crush Dance Bar located at 2007 14th Street, N.W. in D.C.
“Let’s come together to celebrate her dedication and commitment for everything she has done for the LGBTQIA homeless youth population,” the statement says.
New DC LGBTQ Center to Celebrate Grand Opening
The new DC LGBTQ Center will also house office space for nine local LGBTQ organizations. Groups like SMYAL, which supports and uplifts LGBTQ youth, and the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides transitional housing and support services for homeless or at-risk LGBTQ youth, are central to the center’s mission: to educate, empower, uplift, celebrate, elevate and connect Washington’s LGBTQ community. The center will also become the new home of the Capital Pride Alliance, the organization behind Capital Pride and this year’s WorldPride celebration.
After more than 20 months of demolition, construction, and development, Washington finally has a brand new LGBTQ Center. On Saturday, April 26, the doors will officially open at the DC LGBTQ Center for the first time following the groundbreaking in June 2023.
The new DC LGBTQ Center will also house office space for nine local LGBTQ organizations. Groups like SMYAL, which supports and uplifts LGBTQ youth, and the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides transitional housing and support services for homeless or at-risk LGBTQ youth, are central to the center’s mission: to educate, empower, uplift, celebrate, elevate and connect Washington’s LGBTQ community. The center will also become the new home of the Capital Pride Alliance, the organization behind Capital Pride and this year’s WorldPride celebration.
Wanda Alston Foundation Appoints New Executive Director
Washington, DC - The Wanda Alston Foundation proudly announces the appointment of Cesar Toledo as its new Executive Director, following a planned leadership transition launched in November 2024.
For Immediate Release: April 22, 2025
Contact: Cesar Toledo, ctoledo@wandaalstonfoundation.org
Washington, DC - The Wanda Alston Foundation proudly announces the appointment of Cesar Toledo as its new Executive Director, following a planned leadership transition launched in November 2024.
A seasoned LGBTQ+ advocate, Cesar brings over a decade of experience leading national campaigns, shaping public policy, and building inclusive communities. Most recently, he served as the National Deputy LGBTQ+ Engagement Director for the Harris for President campaign and has built a career focused on advancing equality and equitable education.
Cesar succeeds June Crenshaw, who will be stepping down after nearly a decade of visionary leadership. In honor of June’s legacy, the Foundation will host a celebration on May 20, 2025.
Board Chair Glymph, Esq. shared:
“June’s leadership has been truly transformative. We are immensely grateful for her dedication and equally excited for the energy and experience that Cesar brings to lead us into this next chapter.”
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About
The Wanda Alston Foundation was established in 2008 in memory of Wanda Alston, a fierce LGBTQ+ activist, national advocate, and government official who was admired by District residents. The foundation opened the first housing program in the nation’s capital in 2008, providing pre-independent transitional living and life-saving support services to LGBTQ+ youth. Through its two transitional housing programs — Wanda’s House and Alston’s Place — and its Capacity Building Assistance Program, the Foundation provides safe housing, life skills training, and access to essential support services across all eight wards of DC.
Honoring a Legacy of LGBTQ+ Advocacy
Washington, DC - On May 20, 2025, the Wanda Alston Foundation will celebrate June Crenshaw’s nearly decade of service to LGBTQ+ homeless youth in the District of Columbia. While stepping down from her role as Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, June will continue serving the community as the interim Deputy Director of Capital Pride Alliance, DC World Pride 2025.
Longtime DC LGBTQ+ rights advocate June Crenshaw will be honored on May 20th at Crush Dance Bar for her nearly decade of service as the Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation.
For Immediate Release: April 21, 2025
Contact: Cesar Toledo, ctoledo@wandaalstonfoundation.org
Washington, DC - On May 20, 2025, the Wanda Alston Foundation will celebrate June Crenshaw’s nearly decade of service to LGBTQ+ homeless youth in the District of Columbia. While stepping down from her role as Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, June will continue serving the community as the interim Deputy Director of Capital Pride Alliance, DC World Pride 2025.
“When I first joined the foundation, I was facing the real possibility of closing our shelters,” said June Crenshaw. “But thanks to the unwavering support of the LGBTQ+ community and strong, steady leadership of our Board, nearly a decade later, we’ve not only kept our doors open - we’ve expanded our impact. As I pass the torch, I’m filled with pride in the organization's next chapter.”
“June’s nearly decade of service transformed the lives of hundreds of LGBTQ+ youth in the nation’s capital,” said Darrin Glymph, Esq., Board Chair. “She led with heart, vision, and an unshakeable commitment to our most vulnerable youth. We are immensely grateful for her service and look forward to her continued leadership in the community.”
###
About
The Wanda Alston Foundation was established in 2008 in memory of Wanda Alston, a fierce LGBTQ+ activist, national advocate, and government official who was admired by District residents. The foundation opened the first housing program in the nation’s capital in 2008, providing pre-independent transitional living and life-saving support services to LGBTQ+ youth. Through its two transitional housing programs — Wanda’s House and Alston’s Place — and its Capacity Building Assistance Program, the Foundation provides safe housing, life skills training, and access to essential support services across all eight wards of DC.
Bowser calls for ‘extraordinary’ response to reduction in D.C. budget
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on April 15 issued an executive order calling for “extraordinary actions,” including “significant cuts in District Government services,” to address a decision by Congress to cut the city’s current budget by $1.1 billion.
Also receiving city funding are the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing services for LGBTQ people; and the LGBTQ youth advocacy and services organization SMYAL.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on April 15 issued an executive order calling for “extraordinary actions,” including “significant cuts in District Government services,” to address a decision by Congress to cut the city’s current budget by $1.1 billion.
Also receiving city funding are the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing services for LGBTQ people; and the LGBTQ youth advocacy and services organization SMYAL.
House vote to cut $1 billion from D.C. budget threatens LGBTQ services
Among the D.C. organizations providing services to the LGBTQ community that could lose funding if the D.C. budget cut is approved by the Senate are the Wanda Alston Foundation and SMYAL, which provide housing and other services for LGBTQ youth.
The U.S. House on March 11 voted to approve a Republican proposed budget reconciliation bill to prevent a federal government shutdown that breaks from past practices by declaring D.C. a federal agency and calling for a $1.1 billion cut in the city’s current budget.
Among the D.C. organizations providing services to the LGBTQ community that could lose funding if the D.C. budget cut is approved by the Senate are the Wanda Alston Foundation and SMYAL, which provide housing and other services for LGBTQ youth.
DC LGBTQ youth groups face funding ‘crisis’ from Trump anti-trans policies
The D.C. based LGBTQ youth advocacy and support groups SMYAL and the Wanda Alston Foundation, which among other things provide housing for homeless LGBTQ youth, have stated in recent messages to supporters that they face a potential funding “crisis” from Trump administration policies.
In fundraising messages sent to supporters by email, the two groups say Trump’s executive orders threatening to cut off all federal funding for organizations that provide services to transgender people, especially trans youth, could prevent them from providing what they call life-saving services to trans youth as well as all LGBTQ youth in D.C
The D.C. based LGBTQ youth advocacy and support groups SMYAL and the Wanda Alston Foundation, which among other things provide housing for homeless LGBTQ youth, have stated in recent messages to supporters that they face a potential funding “crisis” from Trump administration policies.
In fundraising messages sent to supporters by email, the two groups say Trump’s executive orders threatening to cut off all federal funding for organizations that provide services to transgender people, especially trans youth, could prevent them from providing what they call life-saving services to trans youth as well as all LGBTQ youth in D.C.
“Right now, the Wanda Alston Foundation’s youth and staff are facing unprecedented attacks, and we are grappling with one of the most challenging funding crises in our history,” the group states in a Feb. 6 email message to supporters.
The message notes that the Trump administration policies threatening to cut off funding for trans related youth programs were occurring at the same time that D.C. government agencies have “severely delayed payments” to groups like the Alston Foundation that rely on D.C. grants.
“This bureaucratic chaos is happening while LGBTQ+ youth—already disproportionately affected by homelessness and mental health crises—face increasing hostility in the political and social climate,” the Alston Foundation message says.
Kurt Vorndran, a member of Alston Foundation’s board of directors, told the Blade the group also was initially concerned that Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) programs “would compromise, eliminate, or reduce our grants that we receive.” He said the Alston Foundation was relieved that the court orders halting the funding cuts at least temporarily have not resulted in the group losing any of its grant funds so far.
“We still feel that this administration has the potential for threatening our grants,” Vondran said. But he added that the fundraising appeal in its earlier email message drew a generous response from the community.
“It was the largest response ever that the Wanda Alston Foundation has received on an email appeal,” Vorndran said. “It was a great response from our community.”
Two D.C. LGBTQ rights advocates stepping down from jobs
Longtime D.C. LGBTQ rights advocate June Crenshaw announced she is stepping down from her position for the past nine years as executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, the local organization that provides housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth.
Longtime D.C. LGBTQ rights advocate June Crenshaw announced she is stepping down from her position for the past nine years as executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, the local organization that provides housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth.
Crenshaw currently serves as co-chair of the committee organizing D.C. World Pride 2025, the international LGBTQ Pride celebration expected to draw a million or more visitors to the city for a wide range of World Pride events in late May and early June 2025.
“After over nine years of unwavering dedication and visionary leadership, our beloved Executive Director, June Crenshaw, has decided to step into her next chapter,” a statement released by the Wanda Alston Foundation board of directors says. “While we will miss June’s daily presence, we are grateful that she will stay on through the transition to ensure a warm, seamless handover as we actively search for our next executive director,” the statement says.
It adds, “Her unwavering commitment to our mission, clients, and team has helped build a foundation of compassion, resilience, and excellence. This transition reflects her readiness to explore new paths and her belief in the bright future of the Wanda Alston Foundation.”
In D.C., 28% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+
SMYAL began its housing program for LGBTQ youth in 2017. It was preceded by D.C.’s Wanda Alston Foundation, which opened the city’s first transitional housing program solely dedicated to LGBTQ youth facing homelessness between the ages of 18 and 24 in 2008. As of 2022, the Alston Foundation had opened two more LGBTQ youth homeless facilities.
The LGBTQ operated and LGBTQ supportive homeless shelters and transitional housing facilities in D.C. are operating at full capacity this year as the number of homeless city residents, including LGBTQ homeless residents, continues to increase, according to the latest information available.
The annual 2024 Point-In-Time (PIT) count of homeless people in the District of Columbia conducted in January, shows that 12 percent of the homeless adults and 28 percent of homeless youth between the age of 18 and 24 identify as LGBTQ.
SMYAL began its housing program for LGBTQ youth in 2017. It was preceded by D.C.’s Wanda Alston Foundation, which opened the city’s first transitional housing program solely dedicated to LGBTQ youth facing homelessness between the ages of 18 and 24 in 2008. As of 2022, the Alston Foundation had opened two more LGBTQ youth homeless facilities.
Both SMYAL and the Alston Foundation provide a wide range of services for their LGBTQ youth residents in addition to a safe and stable shelter, including food and nutrition services, case management services, mental health counseling, crisis intervention, and employment related skills development and education services.
The two groups also have designated at least one of their housing facilities to offer their LGBTQ residents extended transitional housing for up to six years.
Jaramillo, of SMYAL, and Hancie Stokes, SMYAL’s communications director, told the Blade this week that SMYAL and other local LGBTQ organizations continue to advocate for LGBTQ cultural competency training for the staff at non-LGBTQ organizations or private companies that provide LGBTQ-related homeless services.
“We work closely with our community partners to make sure that when a queer young person is matched into their program or placed into their program that they are equipped with basic cultural competency to be able to provide those supportive services to folks,” Stokes said.
“But there is a great need for increased funding for programs like SMYAL and Wanda Alston, which is why we partner with the LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition to advocate for more funding on behalf of all LGBTQ+ housing programs,” she told the Blade.
12% of D.C. homeless adults identify as LGBTQ+
This year’s report also says that for LGBTQ+ youth in the District, there are at least 53 transitional housing units and a rehousing program that serves 20 individuals at a time. Although the report doesn’t identify the LGBTQ youth housing facilities by name, they most likely are operated by the local LGBTQ youth services organization SMYAL and the Wanda Alston Foundation, which also provides housing services for LGBTQ homeless youth.
In a development not widely reported, the 2024 annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Count of homeless people in the District of Columbia conducted in January shows that 527 or 12 percent of the homeless adults counted identified as “part of the of the LGBTQ+ community based on their responses to questions about their sexual orientation and gender identity,” according to a report released on May 13 by the D.C. Department of Human Services.
This year’s report also says that for LGBTQ+ youth in the District, there are at least 53 transitional housing units and a rehousing program that serves 20 individuals at a time. Although the report doesn’t identify the LGBTQ youth housing facilities by name, they most likely are operated by the local LGBTQ youth services organization SMYAL and the Wanda Alston Foundation, which also provides housing services for LGBTQ homeless youth.
Pride Run 5K nearly sold out
Sign up now to join the annual Front Runners Pride Run 5K. The event is 85 percent sold out. The event is Friday, June 7 at Historic Congressional Cemetery.
Join more than 1,000 runners and walkers as they kick off Pride weekend 2024. When registering please consider donating to one of the event’s charity partners. This year’s race proceeds benefit local LGBTQ and disenfranchised youth organizations, including the Team DC Student-Athlete Scholarship, Wanda Alston Foundation, Blade Foundation, Ainsley’s Angels of America (National Capital Region), Pride365 and SMYAL. Visit DCPriderun.com to register or to donate.