Today we're highlighting one of the incredible grantees the IAC Foundation supports: The Ali Forney Center (AFC). IAC recently awarded AFC with a grant to fund essential roles in their Unity Works Education Services lab - an initiative that was launched 10 years ago with a previous IAC grant! Check out the Q&A below with President and Executive Director Alexander Roque to learn more👇
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➡️ Q: Can you share with us the story behind the founding of the Ali Forney Center and how its mission has evolved over the years?
➡️ A: The Ali Forney Center was founded in 2002 in memory of Ali Forney, a homeless gender-nonconforming youth who was forced to live on the streets, where they were tragically murdered. AFC was founded with six cots in the basement of a church with the focus to provide a safe place for unhoused LGBTQ+ youth to sleep at night - to keep them from facing the same fate that Ali was forced to face. Committed to saving the lives of LGBTQ+ young people, our mission is to protect them from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently.
➡️ Q: What innovative approaches or programs has the Ali Forney Center implemented to better serve the needs of LGBTQ+ homeless youth?
➡️ A: AFC provides a wide range of programs to continuously meet the evolving needs of our clients including: mental and medical health services, meals, emergency housing, transitional housing, transgender services, and educational and vocational training to name a few. In recent years, we’ve introduced creative arts therapy and movement therapy as alternatives to traditional talk therapy.
➡️ Q: What are some of the biggest challenges the Ali Forney Center faces in its efforts to support homeless LGBTQ+ youth, and what is the center doing to address them?
➡️ A: The biggest challenge that our clients face is family rejection because of homophobia and transphobia. AFC is actively petitioning the New York State Office of Child and Family Services (NYSOCFS) and New York City Administration for Child Services (NYCACS) to recognize homophobia and transphobia as forms of child abuse. For more information on this effort, please visit our website.
➡️ Q: How can individuals and communities get involved in supporting the Ali Forney Center and its mission? Can you share how volunteers and donors have made a significant impact on the center and the lives of the youth you serve?
➡️ A: Our work is made possible because of hundreds of thousands of supporters, community leaders, advocates, staff, volunteers, and donors - all who come together over the past 22 years to demonstrate that LGBTQ+ youth are deserving of care and of a chance at an affirming and dignified life. Our website has the most up-to-date information on how to make a gift, get involved, and learn more about our work - aliforneycenter.org. Your support makes our work possible, we thank you for your interest and generosity.