Pettigrew To Lead Wanda Alston Foundation
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which operates the Wanda Alston House providing housing for homeless and at-risk LGBT youth in the District, announced Tuesday that Ken Pettigrew, formerly the director of programs for the foundation, has been appointed interim executive director following the departure of former Executive Director Brian Watson, who left to pursue other opportunities.
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which operates the Wanda Alston House providing housing for homeless and at-risk LGBT youth in the District, announced Tuesday that Ken Pettigrew, formerly the director of programs for the foundation, has been appointed interim executive director following the departure of former Executive Director Brian Watson, who left to pursue other opportunities.
Prior to joining the Wanda Alston Foundation, Pettigrew served as chief of programs at Metro TeenAIDS and as senior program director of Us Helping Us/People Into Living. In addition, Lisa Dupree, the director of operations for the foundation, has been promoted to director of programs and operations.
”The Board is pleased to have Ken and Lisa in their current leadership positions,” Christopher Dyer, president of the foundation’s board of directors, said in a statement. ”Both Ken and Lisa have expressed their passion for the House and making a difference in the lives of the young people it exists to serve.”
Alston Foundation names new director — Blade
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which operates the city’s Wanda Alston House for homeless LGBT youth, announced on Tuesday that its board has named Ken Pettigrew as the foundation’s interim executive director.
The Wanda Alston House is located at 804 46th St., N.E. (Washington Blade file photo by Henry Lisner)
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which operates the city’s Wanda Alston House for homeless LGBT youth, announced on Tuesday that its board has named Ken Pettigrew as the foundation’s interim executive director.
“Ken recently served as the director of programs for the Wanda Alston Foundation and has extensive experience in program management, fundraising and advocacy for the LGBTQ community,” said Christopher Dyer, chair of the foundation’s board, in a March 11 statement.
Dyer said that prior to joining the Alston Foundation, Pettigrew served as Chief of Programs at the local D.C. group Metro Teen AIDS and as Senior Program Director of the local HIV/AIDS services group Us Helping Us-People Into Living.
In a separate action, the board promoted Lisa Dupree, who had been serving as the Alston Foundation’s director of operations to become director of programs and operations, according to Dyer.
“Brian Watson, previous executive director, has resigned to pursue other opportunities,” Dyer’s statement says. “The board thanks him for his service and wishes him success in his future endeavors.”
Dyer said the Alston House is operating at full capacity with eight residents and has a waiting list for youth seeking to move into the facility.
BHT Offers Cash and Kudos
Among the nonprofits benefiting from the grants are: AIDS Action Baltimore, The DC Center’s HIV Working Group, the Equality Maryland Foundation, Helping Our Brothers and Sisters (HOBS), Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS), HIV support group HOPE DC, the Latino GLBT History Project, PFLAG chapters from Howard and Carroll counties, the Rainbow History Project, youth organization SMYAL and the Wanda Alston Foundation. Grants were also given to various social groups such as D.C.’s Different Drummers, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, the Washington Renegades Rugby Football Club and the Washington Scandals Rugby Football Club.
Among the nonprofits benefiting from the grants are: AIDS Action Baltimore, The DC Center’s HIV Working Group, the Equality Maryland Foundation, Helping Our Brothers and Sisters (HOBS), Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS), HIV support group HOPE DC, the Latino GLBT History Project, PFLAG chapters from Howard and Carroll counties, the Rainbow History Project, youth organization SMYAL and the Wanda Alston Foundation. Grants were also given to various social groups such as D.C.’s Different Drummers, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, the Washington Renegades Rugby Football Club and the Washington Scandals Rugby Football Club.
BHT awards $75,000 in grants — Blade
Among the grant recipients were: AIDS Action Baltimore, the DC Center’s HIV Working Group, DC Rape Crisis Center, Equality Maryland Foundation, Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, Helping Our Brothers and Sisters, HIPS, Latino GLBT History Project, Rainbow History Project, SMYAL and the Wanda Alston Foundation.
Brother, Help Thyself, a local organization that supports LGBT and HIV/AIDS work, awarded about $75,000 in grants to 31 area nonprofits last weekend at a reception held at Ziegfeld’s/Secrets nightclub.
Among the grant recipients were: AIDS Action Baltimore, the DC Center’s HIV Working Group, DC Rape Crisis Center, Equality Maryland Foundation, Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, Helping Our Brothers and Sisters, HIPS, Latino GLBT History Project, Rainbow History Project, SMYAL and the Wanda Alston Foundation.
Wanda Alston House Marks Five Years
Advocates for at-risk LGBT youth will host a reception Oct. 8 to celebrate the formation of the Wanda Alston Foundation and the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Wanda Alston House, the District’s sole housing program specifically geared to providing support services to homeless or at-risk LGBT or questioning youth. The namesake Wanda Alston, first director of the Mayor’s Office of GLBT Affairs, was killed in 2005.
Since opening, the Wanda Alston House has helped more than 40 youths find permanent housing. The facility houses eight beds, which, advocates note, are the only eight in the entire city dedicated to LGBT youth. This lack of dedicated accommodation for homeless LGBT youth led The DC Center, Washington’s LGBT community center, to circulate a petition calling on the D.C. Council to allot more beds for LGBT homeless youth.
The Wanda Alston Foundation was founded this year to help shore up the financial stability of the Wanda Alston House. While the foundation’s tax-status application is under review, its fiscal agent is the LGBT community and services center Casa Ruby, and it receives some D.C. government funding.
The foundation has recently formed a nine-person board of directors and elected officers, with Christopher Dyer, director of the Mayor’s Office of GLBT Affairs during the Adrian Fenty administration, serving as president. Kevin Brunell, a local LGBT business owner, will serve as vice president; Xion Lopez, a former Wanda Alston House resident, will serve as secretary; and Kurt Vonderan, a local LGBT activist, will serve as treasurer. Brian Watson, formerly of Transgender Health Empowerment, which opened the Wanda Alston House, will serve as Wanda Alston House executive director.
David Mariner, director of The DC Center, which is hosting the celebratory happy hour for the house and the foundation, congratulated all involved.
”They are having an exciting new beginning, and we are happy to do whatever we can to support them,” he said.
PHOTOS: Wanda Alston House fundraiser — Blade
The Wanda Alston Foundation, the group that runs a facility for LGBT homeless youth, held a fundraiser at the Playbill on Sunday, Feb. 13.
The Wanda Alston Foundation, the group that runs a facility for LGBT homeless youth, held a fundraiser at the Playbill on Sunday, Feb. 13.
