By Nancy Baker | Development Director
Dear Friends:
Since our last update, we are pleased to report the first phases of our LGBTQ+ Center renovation have begun. For the next couple of months, the building will be empty, but we are continuing our support groups, events and other activities at ARE’s clinical office nearby. It’s a tight squeeze, but the response from the community has been extremely positive.
Phase I, now completed, was a major window replacement project, involving the removal of several broken floor-to-ceiling windows and crumbling frames and sills.
Phase II kicked off on October 15 with a Demo Day Celebration at the center. Staff, supporters and volunteers gathered to take a whack at the interior walls with a ceremonial sledge hammer and celebrate with cake and sparkling cider. The following day, ARE’s contractor began knocking down the interior walls in earnest to create a safer and more welcoming space for members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families.
Phase III will involve the installation of an ADA-approved wheelchair lift to make ARE’s LGBTQ+ inclusive and equitable for all. We have created a separate project on GlobalGiving to raise funds specifically for the wheelchair lift. If you are interested in supporting that project as well, please visit https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/are-lgbtq-center-needs-a-wheelchair-lift/.
Wiith deepest gratitude,
The ARE Staff and Volunteers
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