Community leaders turn out for Wanda Alston Foundation Fall Reception
At the Fall Reception, the room overflowed with love and LGBTQ+ power as we launched the next chapter of the Foundation,” Cesar Toledo told the Blade.
Annual event serves as fundraiser in support of homeless LGBTQ youth
D.C. Council members Robert White (D-At-Large) and Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5), the Council’s only openly gay member, and former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams were among the more than 130 people who turned out Sept. 19 for the Wanda Alston Foundation’s annual Fall Reception.
The event serves as a fundraiser for the D.C.-based organization, founded in 2008, which provides transitional housing and support services for homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth.
“The Foundation operates a transitional housing program offering up to 18 months of support, including case management, life skills, and connections to health services, helping hundreds of youths toward independence and stability,” the Foundation has said on its website.
D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) and Council member Matt Frumin (D-Ward 3), who did not attend the event, joined Williams, Parker and “many others” as Honorary Hosts, according to a statement released by the Alston Foundation.
The statement says the theme of this year’s Fall Reception was “celebrating queer resilience and building a bold future together.” It says it also marked the beginning of an “exciting new chapter” under the leadership of Cesar Toledo, who became the Alston Foundation’s executive director earlier this year following the retirement of longtime executive director June Crenshaw.
“As the Foundation enters a transformative new chapter, we’re scaling and deepening our impact to meet the urgent needs of at-risk and homeless LGBTQ + youth,” the statement adds.
Toledo told the Washington Blade this year’s Fall Reception raised over $55,000.
He said the location of the upscale space where the reception was held, a Penthouse Rooftop reception area overlooking the city’s Southwest Waterfront and Wharf at 800 Maine Ave., S.W., was provided free of charge by Cornerstone Government Affairs, a local consulting firm that supports the work of the Alston Foundation.
Williams, who served as D.C. mayor for two terms, from 1999 to 2007, told the gathering he was honored to have hired Wanda Alston, an acclaimed feminist leader and LGBTQ rights advocate, as the first director of his newly created Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs.
Alston served in that position from 2004 until her death on March 16, 2005, when she was murdered in her home by a neighbor who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Williams joined others who spoke at the Fall Reception in saying Alston’s dedication to the rights of minorities, including LGBTQ people, inspired them to become lifelong LGBTQ allies and committed supporters of the Wanda Alston Foundation.
D.C. attorney Darrin Glymph, the longtime chair of the Alston Foundation’s Board of Directors and the principal partner in a law firm that has provided financial support for the Foundation, was honored at the reception as a recipient of the Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Others who were honored with awards at the reception included Lamont Atkins, Director of Government & External Affairs at PEPCO, who received the Community Impact Award; D.C. Front Runners, the LGBTQ sports group, received the Partner of the Year Award; and Alston Foundation staff member JoElla Goodwine received the Icon of the Year Award.
“At the Fall Reception, the room overflowed with love and LGBTQ+ power as we launched the next chapter of the Foundation,” Toledo told the Blade.
“With leaders like Council members Robert White and Zachary Parker, allies like Pepco, and friends by our side, we didn’t just meet our fundraising goal – we smashed it,” he said.” Every dollar raised will directly support the LGBTQ+ youth at our housing facility who need us now more than ever.”
Read more here in the Washington Blade.
Fall Reception: Celebrating Queer Resilience
The Wanda Alston Foundation is excited to host its annual Fall Reception on September 19th! This special event will celebrate queer resilience and mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter under the inspiring leadership of Cesar Toledo, a Harris-Walz alum and a national LGBTQ+ trailblazer.
For Immediate Release: September 5, 2025
Contact: Cesar Toledo, ctoledo@wandaalstonfoundation.org
Washington, DC - The Wanda Alston Foundation is excited to host its annual Fall Reception on September 19th! This special event will celebrate queer resilience and mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter under the inspiring leadership of Cesar Toledo, a Harris-Walz alum and a national LGBTQ+ trailblazer.
Honorary Hosts include Chairman Phil Mendelson, Councilmembers Matt Frumin & Zachary Parker, former Mayor Anthony Williams, and many more. This event is possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, Darrin Glymph, Esq., and Goulston & Storrs.
Date: Friday, September 19th
Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Location: Penthouse Rooftop at The Wharf, 800 Maine Avenue SW
This is an open press event with reporters to RSVP with Cesar Toledo at Ctoledo@wandaalstonfoundation.org.
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About
Since 2008, the Wanda Alston Foundation has been providing housing, support services, and pathways to economic mobility for at-risk & homeless LGBTQ+ youth in the Nation’s Capital.