Posted by ACC on Dec 17, 2012 in Featured, Uncategorized | 0 comments
LGBPTI2Q, or Lesbian, Gay, Bi/Pansexual, Trans, Intersex, 2 Spirit, & Questioning (Queer), people are affected by suicide, substance abuse, mental health issues and other health and social issues at rates 3-5 times that of their heterosexual peers as a direct result of feelings associated with isolation due to bullying, homo/bi/transphobia and discrimination.
The ACC runs a number of groups and programs out of our drop-in centre that often provide a gateway for queer people to be ?out? for the first time, in a situation where they get a positive sense of support and community. Your special, tax-deductible monetary gift to the program category of your choice will enable the ACC to provide honorariums for facilitators?something?we?ve?found to be the single biggest block to establishing and maintaining needed?programming? Also, because most of our funding provides for a very shoe-string budget, food, craft supplies, and extra funds to help program participants with special activity costs can be challenging to come by. With enough funding, we could even provide retreat opportunities for participants. As a bonus, a complimentary membership will be given for every donation of $10 or more. This membership allows you to borrow from our extensive library of 2000+ books, as well as vote in our AGM.
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Help us make ACC programming the best it can be!
Your financial contribution today, towards our $20,000 goal, will help members of our community find acceptance and support, making life better for them, their families, and the whole community- now.
There are many ways to support the Avenue Community Centre. One is by making a cash donation; you can call, drop by our office or make your donation online in one of two ways.
You can make a direct donation through Canada Helps, or Affinity Credit Union members can?use?ChangeIt? ? ?Turning Virtual Change? into Real Change? to?donate small change with every debit transaction!
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Choose where your money goes!?
Youth- Funds allocated towards youth would be used for honorariums for guest speakers and workshop leaders, craft supplies and occasional transportation or outing related costs, as well as healthy snacks (when donations aren?t readily available)
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Family- Gifts given to family programming would help to offset space rental for gatherings, honorariums for guest speakers and workshop leaders, as well as craft/ party supplies for children.
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2 Spirit- Gifts given to 2 Spirit programming would be allocated to providing an honorarium so that a respected 2Spirited community member could facilitate the programming. Any additional funds would be used towards supplies and materials for the programming, including sacred herbs, gifts for elders, and supplies for crafts, soup, and bannock.
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Support Groups- Some of our more sensitive groups, such as the Coming Out group, require facilitators with special skill sets that don?t come free. Gifts given to support groups would go toward honorariums for qualified facilitators. Other groups, such as the Bi-group, Gender Revolution, Women?s Group, etc could use a reserve fund for cooking nights or for activity supplements for group members who are less able to afford evenings out, or for guest workshop leaders. If you would like to specify a specific group, you may.
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Education- Our education funding covers Saskatoon and area, but we never say no when a request for a speak comes from rural Saskatchewan, even if an honorarium is unavailable. Gifts given to Education will be used to offset the costs of travel and lodging for when we are needed.
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ACC Drop in Beautification- This has been a year of things wearing out in our drop-in centre, which is last place we tend to spend on. Three of our dinner tables, 2 coffee tables, the oven, a desk,and our large area rug have all given out on us recently, and the walls could use a coat of paint. Any gifts given to beautify the centre will be used to find quality, attractive, and whenever possible, used items to replace those that have been lost?so that our space can continue to be a comfortable and welcoming environment.
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Men?s Sexual Health- HIV/AIDS, and other STIs continue to be a problem issue for gay men, who have a shorter life expectancy that can be attributed in part to homonegativity in the medical system and lack of proper education around sexual health . Gifts given in this category will be used to help raise public awareness around men?s sexual health and to support the ACC?s Thursday evening sexual health clinic for men.
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What can your donations do??
A little goes far?Over the summer The ACC had a respected 2 Spirit practicum student who made major in-roads with the 2 Spirit community. She took youth to their first sweat and taught them about sacred herbs- traditions that urban youth miss out on. She prepared traditional meals and hosted sharing circles that entire families attended. With an honorarium and supply funding, we could continue progress with this doubly stigmatized segment of the queer community.
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A Safe Place?
A young person came to us after a suicide attempt and came out as Trans. She is not ready yet to be out with her conservative family, but has found the ACC and the Gender Revolution group to be places where she can use her preferred pronoun, and has since? made connections in order to begin her transition. She continues to become more comfortable with herself, but it still fragile.
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Our work makes a difference!
A lonely, depressed veteran came to Coming Out group and had never been ?out? with friends, family, or community. He later joined a number of the groups and is now a vocal and confidant member of the local community
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