Alston Foundation to celebrate 10 years — Blade
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides transitional housing and support services for homeless LGBT youth, is inviting members of the LGBT community and its allies to attend its 10th anniversary celebration and fundraiser scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 10.
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides transitional housing and support services for homeless LGBT youth, is inviting members of the LGBT community and its allies to attend its 10th anniversary celebration and fundraiser scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 10.
The event, called Health Housing Hope: An Evening of Cocktails and Dancing, will be held at Ajax D.C. nightclub at 1011 4th St., N.W. from 6:30-10 p.m.
Among those scheduled to attend is D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, a longtime supporter of the Alston Foundation. The foundation is named in honor of the late Wanda Alston, a vocal LGBT rights supporter who was appointed by Williams as the first cabinet-level Director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
“For the past 10 years, the Wanda Alston Foundation has provided housing, health, and hope to the most vulnerable LGBTQ homeless youth in the District of Columbia,” a statement released by the foundation says. “Join us to celebrate our legacy, history, and achievement of creating a safe and welcoming home for D.C.’s most at-risk population – its homeless children!”
Among other things, the Alston Foundation operates the Wanda Alston House, which provides temporary housing of up to 18 months to LGBT youth in need along with life skills development training, case management, and connections to medical and mental health care services.
Cherry Fund to donate more than $50,000 to local D.C. nonprofits
Cherry will present over $23,000 in checks from its Direct Grant Fund to organizations offering HIV services, including $10,000 to the Inova Juniper Program, which is the largest provider of HIV/AIDS care in Northern Virginia. $4,000 will go to the TransLatin@ Coalition, with smaller awards benefitting the Wanda Alston Foundation, Metro DC PFLAG, TransLAW, and Casa Ruby.
Cherry will present over $23,000 in checks from its Direct Grant Fund to organizations offering HIV services, including $10,000 to the Inova Juniper Program, which is the largest provider of HIV/AIDS care in Northern Virginia. $4,000 will go to the TransLatin@ Coalition, with smaller awards benefitting the Wanda Alston Foundation, Metro DC PFLAG, TransLAW, and Casa Ruby.
SPOTLIGHTING LGBT HOMELESSNESS: Alston House celebrates a decade in operation — Blade
The first LGBT youth-focused shelter in D.C. is continuing its legacy of serving one of the most vulnerable demographics.
The Wanda Alston House and Foundation, now in its 10th year of service, serves LGBT individuals ages 16-24. The residential home-turned-shelter currently houses eight people, and hundreds have been through its doors over the last decade. The house is named after the late Wanda Alston, a D.C.-based LGBT activist who was murdered near her home in 2005.
The first LGBT youth-focused shelter in D.C. is continuing its legacy of serving one of the most vulnerable demographics.
The Wanda Alston House and Foundation, now in its 10th year of service, serves LGBT individuals ages 16-24. The residential home-turned-shelter currently houses eight people, and hundreds have been through its doors over the last decade. The house is named after the late Wanda Alston, a D.C.-based LGBT activist who was murdered near her home in 2005.
Individuals enter the program based on their level of vulnerability and what kind of care the city’s homeless management providers think will best fit that person’s circumstances. The facility provides 24-hour support for residents through counseling, mental and medical health services. Tuition assistance and professional development is provided and other life skill services such as learning how to balance a checkbook, shop for groceries and manage a credit score are also offered. Residents receive three meals a day, clothing and toiletries as well as other necessities like Metro cards.
Full-time staff is trained, culturally competent and trauma-informed to ensure that all residents are supported. The operations manager and case manager work full-time at the house to make sure that everything runs smoothly and a clinical supervisor is also full-time to provide assessments and connect residents with the support they need.
The staff works together as an agency and as individuals to connect with the youths and help them cope, give support and help them navigate their lives. Sometimes that can be difficult and residents can respond by acting out.
“We are dealing with homeless youth that are isolated and rejected by the community,” says June Crenshaw, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation. “They’re forced to survive some unspeakable situations. Most, if not all, arrive having experienced some severe trauma. This can show up in less-than-positive ways like addiction, inability to cope with stress or not being able to navigate positive communication skills. But they’re human and they’ve had to endure circumstances that most of us couldn’t survive.”
Crenshaw, a self-identified “old-fashioned” lesbian and woman of color, says most youth in the program are women of color.
“When I started in this role two years ago, a resident came to me and said she never saw a person that looked like me in a leadership role. That stuck with me,” she says. “I’m proud to be a brown woman of the community that’s working hard to make things better.”
The program at the Wanda Alston House is slightly different from the programs at other LGBT shelters, she says. There are certain requirements that the residents must participate in that help them accomplish their personal goals within the 18-24 months they live there.
“We provide connections and care in all the ways that a person would need,” Crenshaw says.
After leaving the house, individuals stay connected to the care at the facility for 90 days-six months. Staff continues to support them however they need it — like buying groceries, clothes or Metro cards and finding housing and employment as well as providing case management to help them navigate other support and services available.
Crenshaw says there’s an “epidemic of LGBT homelessness.” Around 50 percent of the homeless youth in D.C. are LGBT-identifying. At the Wanda Alston House, residents “talk and share experiences around being treated differently, misgendered, disrespected, attacked and discriminated against.”
She says the city is committed to the youth but that in homeless centers that are not culturally sensitive to LGBT people, “grave mistreatments” can occur.
“Our population is trending as the most affected by homelessness and mental health issues,” she says. “We have a responsibility to do better by our youth, make sure they stay safe and are allowed to thrive. Facilities like ours are needed as long as these circumstances exist.”
The facility costs slightly over half a million dollars to run each year and most comes from local government offices such as the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs. Grant dollars are used to run the shelter and pay staff, but that doesn’t cover all the expenses. They also rely on fundraising and the LGBT community and allies to support them. Donations amount to 25 percent of the budget.
Although D.C. has some of the most progressive laws in the nation and has been widely noted as one of the U.S. cities LGBT individuals can feel most open and supported, the competitive job market and high cost of living creates difficulties for LGBT people. LGBT people of color are more likely to be unemployed and represent a large portion of impoverished individuals and victims, Crenshaw says.
D.C. has the highest number per capita of LGBT individuals compared to other American cities. Crenshaw says not enough of the resources the city provides for homeless people are going to LGBT organizations and there is a lot of work yet to be done to resolve this epidemic.
The Wanda Alston House, however, has survived the turbulence of 10 years of operation and Crenshaw says they are ready and looking forward to at least another 10.
PHOTOS: Wanda Alston Gala — Blade
The Wanda Alston Foundation held its 10th anniversary celebration at a gala at AJAX on Wednesday. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser presented former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams with an award. The Wanda Alston Foundation supports the Wanda Alston House which provides housing and support for homeless LGBTQ youth. (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Wanda Alston Foundation held its 10th anniversary celebration at a gala at AJAX on Wednesday. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser presented former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams with an award. The Wanda Alston Foundation supports the Wanda Alston House which provides housing and support for homeless LGBTQ youth. (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Your one-stop spot for 2018 D.C. Pride events
D.C. Front Runners hosts its sixth annual D.C. Pride Run 5K at Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St., S.E.) on Friday, June 8 at 7 p.m. After the race, there will be a Finish Line Party with beer for race participants, a live DJ, entertainment and awards for the race’s top performers. This year’s race benefits the Team D.C. Student-Athlete Scholarship, the Wanda Alston Foundation, Casa Ruby LGBT Community Center and SMYAL. For registration details, visit dcfrpriderun.com.
Brother Help Thyself awards $75,000 in grants — Blade
In addition to awarding the grants, BHT issued four annual community service awards: The Anthony J. Bachrach Award for Outstanding Service to an individual to Baltimore activist Rik Newton-Treadway; the Billy Collison Award “to an underdog and grantee” to the D.C. Latino GLBT History Project; the George Dodson Business Award to a business supportive of the LGBT community to the Baltimore Eagle; and the Founders Award to a non-profit to the D.C. Wanda Alston Foundation.
The LGBT charitable group Brother Help Thyself on Jan. 20 presented grants totaling $75,000 to 34 non-profit organizations serving the LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore region.
In addition to awarding the grants, BHT issued four annual community service awards: The Anthony J. Bachrach Award for Outstanding Service to an individual to Baltimore activist Rik Newton-Treadway; the Billy Collison Award “to an underdog and grantee” to the D.C. Latino GLBT History Project; the George Dodson Business Award to a business supportive of the LGBT community to the Baltimore Eagle; and the Founders Award to a non-profit to the D.C. Wanda Alston Foundation.
Bowser announces 2018 LGBTQ grant awards — Blade
The LGBT groups receiving the grants are the Metro D.C. Center for the LGBT Community; the Wanda Alston Foundation; and Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced on Oct. 30 that the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs has awarded a combined $75,000 in grant funding to six community-based organizations for services to LGBT homeless youth and families in the District.
The LGBT groups receiving the grants are the Metro D.C. Center for the LGBT Community; the Wanda Alston Foundation; and Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc.
Get your Pride on — Blade
18th & U Duplex Diner (2004 18th St., N.W.) hosts its D.C. Pride kickoff party on Saturday, June 3 from 2-6 p.m. Brock Thompson, Jonathan Shields and Beaumont Brackeen will guest bartend for the night. All tips benefit the Wanda Alston Foundation.
D.C. gets into the spirit of Pride early with events occurring all over the city.
18th & U Duplex Diner (2004 18th St., N.W.) hosts its D.C. Pride kickoff party on Saturday, June 3 from 2-6 p.m. Brock Thompson, Jonathan Shields and Beaumont Brackeen will guest bartend for the night. All tips benefit the Wanda Alston Foundation.
Brother Help Thyself awards $75,000 in grants — Blade
Other D.C.-based LGBT or LGBT supportive groups receiving BHT grants included New Ways Ministry, Inc., PFLAG – Metro D.C., Rainbow History Project, SMYAL, Wanda Alston Foundation, and the Washington Renegades Rugby Football Club, Inc.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser joined more than 100 people who turned out on Jan. 28 at the D.C. Eagle for the LGBT charitable group Brother Help Thyself’s annual grant awards reception.
Brother Help Thyself officials presented checks totaling $75,170 in grants during the event to representatives of 30 nonprofit organizations serving the LGBT HIV/AIDS communities in the D.C. and Baltimore regions.
Other D.C.-based LGBT or LGBT supportive groups receiving BHT grants included New Ways Ministry, Inc., PFLAG – Metro D.C., Rainbow History Project, SMYAL, Wanda Alston Foundation, and the Washington Renegades Rugby Football Club, Inc.
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.