Homeless Gay and Transgender Youths Find a New Home in Greenwich Village

[stevenleser]

Last edited Tue Nov 20, 2012, 01:00 PM - Edit history (1)

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/20/homeless-gay-and-transgender-youths-find-a-new-home-in-greenwich-village/

Disasters can make for strange alliances. They can also squeeze groups together that have a natural affinity, like the Ali Forney Center and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center.

The Ali Forney Center provides 77 beds a night in eight buildings in Brooklyn and Queens for homeless youths who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender. For nearly eight years, it has also run a weekday drop-in center at Flemister House, 527 West 22nd Street. There, homeless youths could apply for housing, get a free meal, take a shower, find a clean T-shirt, pick up a toothbrush, see a doctor or nurse or counselor, and just be themselves for a few hours without fear of attack or harassment.

Flemister House, a residence for those with H.I.V. and AIDS, was flooded during Hurricane Sandy, as it had been during Tropical Storm Irene. Its 50 residents, evacuated before the storm, had to be housed elsewhere. The boilers, electrical switchgear and telephone system were destroyed. Mold began to grow. There is no saying exactly when needed repairs will be finished, said the Rev. James O. Stallings, president of the board at Flemister House and regional minister of the American Baptist Churches of Metro New York, which sponsors the residence.
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Among the first outsiders to learn about the drop-in center’s plight was Glennda Testone, executive director of the gay community center at 208 West 13th Street. She and her partner, Jama Shelton, a part-time coordinator at Ali Forney, started receiving text messages about the crisis and saw the growing discussion on Facebook. Ms. Testone reached out to Mr. Siciliano.
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On edit: Arg, forgot to include link. Link added

[William769]

1. It's great when Groups like this come together.