Trump order threatens D.C. charities — Blade
Other LGBT community organizations that receive various amounts of D.C. government funds and that could be impacted by the Trump executive order include Casa Ruby, a bilingual LGBT community services center that assists LGBT Latino immigrants among other LGBT clients; SMYAL, which provides services for LGBT youth; and the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing services for homeless LGBT youth.
LGBT community service organizations like Whitman-Walker Health, Casa Ruby, and SMYAL could face a sharp cutback or loss of D.C. government funds under an executive order issued on Jan. 25 by President Donald Trump aimed at so-called sanctuary cities.
Other LGBT community organizations that receive various amounts of D.C. government funds and that could be impacted by the Trump executive order include Casa Ruby, a bilingual LGBT community services center that assists LGBT Latino immigrants among other LGBT clients; SMYAL, which provides services for LGBT youth; and the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing services for homeless LGBT youth.
June Crenshaw: Dear President Trump — Metro Weekly
Dear President Trump,
Sixty nine days ago, you were elected to become our next president. Since then, I have experienced a lot of feelings, but the main one has been that of dismay. This election has changed the way I look at my neighbors, family and friends. I am suspicious of who would have voted against my very existence. I am scared and unsettled. I don’t know what to expect or what to do to ensure my safety or well-being.
Dear President Trump,
Sixty nine days ago, you were elected to become our next president. Since then, I have experienced a lot of feelings, but the main one has been that of dismay. This election has changed the way I look at my neighbors, family and friends. I am suspicious of who would have voted against my very existence. I am scared and unsettled. I don’t know what to expect or what to do to ensure my safety or well-being.
June Crenshaw — Photo: Todd Franson / File photo
My trust in the very process that I have participated with since I was 18 doesn’t feel reliable or trustworthy. The really horrible thing about my situation, Mr. President, is that I am probably one of the privileged ones. Yes, I am black and lesbian. Yes, your campaign rhetoric targeted me as a woman, as a person of color and as an LGBTQ person. Yes, your hateful and hurtful platform directly undermined the work around equality, diversity and inclusion that I have personally been dedicated to for many, years. Your cabinet selections have shown that you are committed to doing harm to a large portion of the American population.
Despite this, your presidency will probably have the least impact on my life and well-being. You see, sir, my fear is not for me. It is for our most vulnerable population. I am outraged and dismayed by the harm that will be caused to our LGBTQ youth, especially our LGBTQ homeless youth. I am afraid for our undocumented sisters and brothers — especially our undocumented LGBTQ sisters and brothers.
I am afraid for the many black and brown kids that have to live in a country that currently doesn’t honor or respect their existence. I have so many friends and family with little or no hope in the system, with little or no hope in their future. I am so worried about how to continue to make progress towards full equality for us all. It feels as though this election has taken away my ability to be effective in my community.
“This election has changed the way I look at my neighbors, family and friends. I am suspicious of who would have voted against my very existence.”
You know, Mr. President, I have to be honest. I am not being completely forthright. Although everything I have shared is true, it’s not the complete story. My fear is also for me. I have been sent into a tailspin and I don’t know what to do to stop the panic within me. I have been stunned and silenced for sixty nine days, and that scares me more than anything you can threw at me. My silence has shown me just how vulnerable I really am and it has been shocking to me. I am holding my breath and bracing for the worst. Fortunately, I can’t stay in the position for much longer. In fact, sixty nine days has been too long.
Mr. President, I don’t want to fight you for the next four years. I don’t want to be on heightened alert or scrutinize every word you say or every action you take. But, sir, that is exactly what I plan to do.
June Crenshaw
Interim Executive Director
The Wanda Alston Foundation
@junecrenshaw
LGBTQ Job Fair slated for Jan. 17 — Blade
According to the announcement, many employers will be available at the event to discuss job opportunities. Among them, it says, will be the Wanda Alston Foundation, SMYAL, Whitman-Walker Health, and St. John’s Community Services, a non-profit organization that provides services to people with disabilities.
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs announced this week it will host a Fresh Start LGBTQ Job Fair on Tuesday, Jan. 17, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the city’s Reeves Center municipal building at 2000 14th St., N.W.
According to the announcement, many employers will be available at the event to discuss job opportunities. Among them, it says, will be the Wanda Alston Foundation, SMYAL, Whitman-Walker Health, and St. John’s Community Services, a non-profit organization that provides services to people with disabilities.
Glymph to chair Alston Foundation board — Blade
Congratulations to Darrin Glymph who has been named the chair of the board of directors at the Wanda Alston Foundation (WAF). Glymph succeeds Chris Hartmann, who remains a member of the board. The Wanda Alston Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that LGBTQ youth have access to services that improve their overall quality of life through advocacy and programming. The WAF advocates for increased resources for youth while providing programs including: housing, life skills training, linkages to other social services, and capacity building assistance for other community allies.
The Wanda Alston Foundation opened its doors in 2008 as the only housing program in Washington, D.C., solely dedicated to offering pre-independent transitional living and support services to homeless or at-risk LGBTQ youth ages 16 to 24 in all eight wards. Thanks to the Foundation’s donors and benefactors, scores of youths have passed through its doors before going on to find permanent housing.
Wanda Alston Foundation Executive Director June Crenshaw said, “Darrin is a mover and a shaker with a deep passion for LGBTQ homeless youth and the work of the Wanda Alston Foundation. We are excited to welcome him to the board. We know his vision, his phenomenal energy and his expertise in so many areas will be extremely valuable as the Wanda Alston Foundation continues to grow and expand both our organization and the work we do.”
A friend and associate of the late Wanda Alston, for whom the foundation is named, Glymph worked with her when she served as Mayor Anthony Williams’ Special Assistant for LGBT Affairs to build public support for a transitional housing residence for LGBTQ homeless youth.
Glymph said, “I am very proud to join the board and lead the important efforts of the Wanda Alston Foundation. Wanda always thought about our community and what she could do to help – to change it – to make it better, especially for our LGBTQ youth. I am honored to be a part of her legacy and continuing her work.”
Glymph has been active in the LGBT community for many years lending his legal expertise and leadership to a myriad of issues concerning the community. He has served as an officer of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club and has been honored by DC Black Pride. Glymph is partner and head of the Public Finance team in the D.C. office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Virginia Bars and attended Williams College and Tulane University School of Law. For more information on the WAF and how you can help, go to wandaalstonfoundation.org.
20 black LGBT leaders discuss the new African American history museum — Metro Weekly
On any given night in Washington, D.C., on the streets of the Nation's Capital, there are 200 to 300 LGBTQ homeless youth sleeping on sidewalks and weather grates and under bridges and overpasses. Despite the bone-chilling cold of winter and the suffocating summer nights, these young people are attempting to survive the overwhelming odds of the elements in a city that allocates only 75 beds to LGBTQ homeless youth. These youth are already facing heartbreaking marginalization, rejection and trauma solely because of their gender identity and sexual orientation. For over a decade, the Wanda Alston Foundation has been providing shelter and supporting LGBTQ youth ages 16 to 24 who are experiencing homelessness. In my four years of leading this organization, which provides life-saving and transformative services, I have never been more concerned about the future of our young people with the Trump-Pence administration proposing federal regulations to intentionally enable discrimination against LGBTQ youth in need and other vulnerable communities in federally funded programs.
“I love American history. When I visit a town, the first thing I do is find the local museum.”
For months, Earl J. Fowlkes drove past the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, watching as the building slowly took shape. And now, on the cusp of its official opening, Saturday, Sept. 24, he’s overjoyed.
“This is our museum,” he says. “It’s our history.”
That history — over 400 years of oppression, liberation, struggle, recognition, pain, joy, achievement, and one incredible dream — is compressed into the 400,000-square-foot museum, at the intersection of Constitution Ave. NW and 14th St. NW. It has taken more than a decade to complete, and if there is one sentiment nearly universal among members of D.C.’s black LGBT community, it’s that the museum’s launch is long overdue.
JUNE CRENSHAW (55, Executive Director of Wanda Alston Foundation): I am really looking forward to experiencing it with my 7-year-old granddaughter. She and I spend a lot of time at the National Museum of the American Indian, Air and Space, and Natural History. I can’t wait to see her reaction to touring the museum and being surrounded by history and people that look like her.
CRENSHAW: It’s very important. When I first started in my position as Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, I had an African American lesbian resident of the Wanda Alston House come to me to say she had never seen or known a lesbian like me before, and that she wanted to be just like me. I am not special, but what that experience emphasized for me is that we don’t have enough LGBTQ role models that our youth can connect with. We don’t have a place to learn our LGBTQ history. Covering LGBTQ issues and history will fill a gap in our community.
DC shelters frustrated by lack of funding for LGBT homeless youth — Metro Weekly
The proposed rules help fulfill legislated mandates from 2014 when the council passed the Homeless LGBTQ Youth Reform Amendment Act. In line with the law, the District’s Department of Human Services (DHS) has funded beds exclusively for LGBTQ youth at two organizations: eight at the Wanda Alston Foundation and 17 at Casa Ruby. The agency funded a further 15 temporary hypothermia beds at Casa Ruby last winter. There are also a handful of privately-funded LGBTQ youth beds at the Latin American Youth Center.
“What happens to the youth now?” Ruby Corado asks. “Where do they go? They cannot come to Casa Ruby because we only have 17 beds. They can’t go to Wanda Alston because they only have eight beds.”
The proposed rules help fulfill legislated mandates from 2014 when the council passed the Homeless LGBTQ Youth Reform Amendment Act. In line with the law, the District’s Department of Human Services (DHS) has funded beds exclusively for LGBTQ youth at two organizations: eight at the Wanda Alston Foundation and 17 at Casa Ruby. The agency funded a further 15 temporary hypothermia beds at Casa Ruby last winter. There are also a handful of privately-funded LGBTQ youth beds at the Latin American Youth Center.
Incremental Activism: GLAA celebrates 45 years — Metro Weekly
JUNE CRENSHAW (55, Executive Director of Wanda Alston Foundation): I am really looking forward to experiencing it with my 7-year-old granddaughter. She and I spend a lot of time at the National Museum of the American Indian, Air and Space, and Natural History. I can’t wait to see her reaction to touring the museum and being surrounded by history and people that look like her.
As it does every year, GLAA will mark its anniversary celebration by bestowing Distinguished Service Awards on individuals and groups who have helped advance LGBT rights and served the wider LGBT community in the D.C. area. This year’s honorees include Mónica Palacio, director of the D.C. Office of Human Rights (OHR); June Crenshaw, the chair of the Board of the Rainbow Response Coalition, which combats LGBT intimate partner violence, and the recently named interim director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing and support for LGBT homeless youth; and Sterling Washington, the former director of the Office of GLBT Affairs under the administration of Mayor Vincent Gray.
June Crenshaw named interim head of Alston Foundation — Blade
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing-related services for homeless LGBT youth in D.C., announced on Wednesday that it has named veteran LGBT rights advocate June Crenshaw as its interim executive director.
June Crenshaw is new interim executive director of Alston Foundation. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing-related services for homeless LGBT youth in D.C., announced on Wednesday that it has named veteran LGBT rights advocate June Crenshaw as its interim executive director.
The announcement says Crenshaw will replace Kenneth Pettigrew, the foundation’s executive director for the past two years, following Pettigrew’s decision to take a new job with the D.C. Department of Health’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Administration, known as HAHSTA.
The announcement says the foundation has begun a search for a permanent executive director. Crenshaw is scheduled to begin as interim director on April 1.
The Alston Foundation, among other things, operates the Wanda Alston House for homeless LGBT youth. The foundation and house were named in honor of the late lesbian and women’s rights activist and mayoral aide Wanda Alston.
“As a result of Ken’s leadership, the Wanda Alston foundation is in a great position to expand and grow,” said Chris Hartmann, president of the foundation’s board. “Obviously, we are sad to lose Ken, but excited for him as he pursues his new position.”
Hartman said the foundation is also pleased that Crenshaw has agreed to serve as interim executive director.
“We are honored to have June join us as we go through a period of transition,” he said. “Her experience and record of accomplishment in our community make her an excellent choice to continue the work of our organization,” he said.
The statement released by the foundation on Wednesday notes that Crenshaw has a long history of volunteer leadership in the D.C.-area LGBT community, including her role as a member of the Advisory Board of the D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
She has also served as a member and as chair of the board of Whitman-Walker Health; as chair of the board of Rainbow Response Coalition, which advocates on behalf of LGBT domestic violence victims; and currently served on the Board of Governors of the Human Rights Campaign.
Wanda Alston Foundation gains charitable organization status — Metro Weekly
Former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams will co-host a benefit in memory of the late Wanda Alston, who once served as his first appointee to head the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs, to raise money for LGBT homeless youth served by the foundation that bears her name.
The Wanda Alston Foundation, the local organization that provides services and programs to serve LGBTQ youth and operates the Wanda Alston House, the city’s only housing program solely dedicated to homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth, announced Tuesday it had received a formal designation from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) organization.
The foundation has long sought after achieving this status, which classifies the foundation as a charitable organization, ensures donations received by the foundation are tax-exempt and allows corporations to deduct any contributions they may make. Christopher Dyer, a member of the foundation’s board, said that this also means anyone who made a donation in the 18 months leading up to June – when the status was granted – can receive a deduction for donating to the Wanda Alston Foundation.
Prior to that time, those wishing to receive a deduction for donating to the foundation had to list Casa Ruby, a community center specifically catering to the LGBT and immigrant communities, which served as the fiscal agent and case manager tasked with monitoring and directing the Wanda Alston Foundation’s financial activities, and providing administrative support. Dyer told Metro Weekly that Casa Ruby would remain as the foundation’s fiscal agent for the next few months until the foundation transitions into the role of taking care of its own finances.
According to the IRS, to qualify for 501(c)(3) status, an organization must prove it meets certain criteria: it cannot be an issue or advocacy organization that regularly attempts to influence legislation or support political candidates, and it must be organized and operated for specific charitable causes, and not for the private benefit of an individual or shareholders. As a result of their new tax status, the foundation will also be eligible for certain grants that are only made available to 501(c)(3) organizations.
The designation comes as good news to the foundation, which had encountered a possible hindrance to its achieving 501(c)(3) status after it publicly announced in April that it was putting in place additional controls to prevent misuse of funds after the former executive director allegedly used funds for personal use. At the time, the foundation asked an external accountant to conduct a review of all accounts, with the accountant eventually determining that no government funds had been misused. The foundation’s board members also apologized for the misuse of funds and quickly sought to assuage past and potential donors’ worries and concerns about money management.
The foundation also announced on Tuesday that Ken Pettigrew, who had been serving as its interim executive director since March, has been formally named executive director. Pettigrew previously served as director of programs at the foundation. Prior to working at the foundation, he served as chief of programs at Metro Teen AIDS and director of programs at Us Helping Us/People into Living.
“This is an exciting time of growth for the organization and we are very pleased that Ken will serve as the Executive Director of the foundation,” read a statement from the foundation’s board. “As Interim Executive Director, Ken has provided outstanding leadership as the foundation continues to grow. Ken has a demonstrated track record of administering programs and working on behalf of the LGBT community and the organization has continued its growth as a result of his expertise.”
Alston Foundation receives IRS tax-exempt status — Blade
The Wanda Alston Foundation, the D.C.-based nonprofit organization that provides housing and other services to homeless LGBT youth, received formal approval last month from the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization, the organization announced on Tuesday.
The Wanda Alston Foundation, the D.C.-based nonprofit organization that provides housing and other services to homeless LGBT youth, received formal approval last month from the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization, the organization announced on Tuesday.
The action by the IRS, known as a 501 (c) (3) designation, ensures that individuals or businesses that contribute money to the foundation can write off the contributions as a tax deduction. That designation “expands opportunities for support from a variety of organizations,” said Christopher Dyer, president of the Alston Foundation board.
The Alston Foundation, among other things, administers the Wanda Alston House, which opened in 2008 as the only housing program in D.C. dedicated solely to offering “pre-independent, transitional living to homeless or at-risk LGBTQ youth ages 16 to 24 in all eight wards,” Dyer said in a statement.
Dyer also announced that Kenneth Pettigrew, who had been serving as the Alston Foundation’s interim executive director and director of programs, has been formally named by the board as executive director.
“This is an exciting time of growth for the organization and we are very pleased that Ken will serve as the executive director of the foundation,” Dyer said. “Ken has a demonstrated track record of administering programs and working on behalf of the LGBT community and the organization has continued its growth as a result of his expertise.”
Dyer said the foundation’s current annual budget is $350,000. He said $310,000 comes from city grants, with the remaining funds coming from private donations. The foundation, including the Alston House, currently has three full-time and six part-time employees.
Opinions: Alston House, Code for Progress help trans woman thrive — Blade
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which operates the Wanda Alston House, is one of those programs. (Full disclosure: I serve on the board of the Wanda Alston Foundation.) The Wanda Alston House provides transitional housing to homeless LGBTQ youth. Casidy became homeless after being put out of her Southwest Virginia Christian boarding school due to her sexual orientation. At the time, Casidy was still living as a young man. Due to her mannerisms, she was perceived to be gay and was harassed by the other students.
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which operates the Wanda Alston House, is one of those programs. (Full disclosure: I serve on the board of the Wanda Alston Foundation.) The Wanda Alston House provides transitional housing to homeless LGBTQ youth. Casidy became homeless after being put out of her Southwest Virginia Christian boarding school due to her sexual orientation. At the time, Casidy was still living as a young man. Due to her mannerisms, she was perceived to be gay and was harassed by the other students.
“Kids would pee on my pillowcase. They would beat me up in the back of the school. People would put bleach in my drinks and call me derogatory names,” Cassidy said. “This happened every day because I ate, slept, went to school and went to church with them. I couldn’t reach out to staff at school because I was gay. They would turn a blind eye when the boys beat me up or dragged me down the staircase.” Cassidy says she was eventually asked to leave the school because her Facebook status said that she was gay.
“I had to explain the situation to my family of why I was kicked out and that I was gay. It was obvious because I was effeminate, but it was the first time I said it,” she said. Her family had never been supportive of her sexual orientation and, throughout her childhood, some of her relatives were verbally and physically abusive. The boarding school gave Casidy a one-way bus ticket to D.C., where she stayed with her uncle for four months. After he put her out, she stayed with friends for a few more months. She found out about the Wanda Alston House from a Transgender Health Empowerment employee who was handing out fliers and condoms outside of the Safeway on Benning Road, N.E.
“I found out about the Wanda Alston House, filled out an application, and moved in three days later,” Casidy said. She stayed at the Wanda Alston House for 18 months. The house operates as a home with a curfew, rules and chores. “I was free to be myself. I had other peers who were trans. The whole LGBT community was in the house. It’s really not a shelter. It’s a three-story house with a deck. We had a therapist who came in once a week. We would discuss issues and problems. We were a team. That really helped me. It nurtured me spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally. Being in the house was a place for me to heal myself. Being in that safe place was everything for me. I never before had issues that could be addressed and had a whole team work on it.”
While in the house, Cassidy received her GED and scored 200 points shy of a perfect score. After leaving the house, she found an apartment and, simultaneously, worked as a housekeeper in a hotel and as an intern with the Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (CYITC) summer initiative.
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.
