LGBTQIA+ Equality United States Project #31064

LGBTQ Youth and Families across Connecticut

by True Colors, Inc. Sexual Minority Youth and Family Services of CT

LGBTQ Youth and Families across Connecticut

Summary

True Colors is now in its 25th anniversary year. In 2017 alone, we served more than 12,000 LGBTQ youth, and their teachers, social workers, clinicians, clergy, peers and family members. Imagine the difference donors have allowed us to make over the last quarter century. Training, mentoring, youth leadership, the largest LGBTQ youth conference in the country, these donor supported activities have changed kids lives - all in pursuit of our mission: making the world safe for LGBTQ youth

$25,000
total goal

$20,312
remaining

53
donors

0
monthly donors

5
years

Challenge

Sometimes a kid comes out and everything is fine - family, friends, school - all cool. Sometimes a kid comes out and their whole world implodes. Every kid in our mentoring program has been rejected by their family because of their identity. Transgender kids are coming out earlier and earlier - schools, parents, communities need education, training, advocacy. LGBTQ and ally youth need the skills to advocate for themselves and others. True Colors does all this and more - but only because of you

Solution

We have 7 programs and 5 staff. Much of the work we do is funded not by grants or foundations, but by people like you. For example, we offer support and referrals to more than 8,000 callers each year. We update and produce 2 annual resource guides, one for youth; one for adults. We train more than 6,500 people every year- about 1/3 of those are pro-bono. Our 6 week summer program (which transforms lives!) has no financial support but donors. We make a difference because of you

Long-Term Impact

Our mission is to create a world in which youth of all orientations and genders are welcomed, valued and affirmed. We believe that LGBTQ youth are a gift to their families, their communities and society as a whole. Our job is to help other people see that through education, advocacy, policy and programming at the state and local level. It once seemed that we were closer to meeting that mission. Under the current administration, we are needed more than ever.