our office will be closed for winter break Dec 24, 2020 – Jan 1, 2021

Dear OFC families, What a year! I’ve been blessed to be a part of our OFC community for the last five years navigating parenthood in the Bay Area. While my official capacity at OFC has been short, it’s also been one of the longest years of my life, due to the pandemic.  I’m writing to say I’ve made the decision to leave OFC–in an official capacity. I know I’ll remain in touch virtually and hopefully in-person, down the road, as a parent participant.  I’m in awe of the tremendous work our team has accomplished in this past, very difficult year. We didn’t skip a beat when the pandemic arrived, and pivoted quickly to provide all the virtual support we could. I’m excited for what the future holds at OFC as well as personally. I won’t be far, and hope our paths cross soon enough.  Meanwhile: please provide Dorrell Moncrease, our Interim Programs Director, a warm welcome and let him know what you'd like to see OFC offer you in 2021 at [email protected]! You'll hear more from and about him in next month's – and next year's! – edition of our e-news & events. In community, Cheryl

Our Family Coalition has authored a letter we're distributing among our colleagues and allies, calling for support and accountability for California's newly established Reparations Task Force. Because LGBTQ justice cannot move forward apart from racial justice. Help your child's school support LGBTQ-inclusive and anti-bias online learning environments using this fantastic resource developed by OFC in collaboration with our colleagues at ONE Archives: DIVERSITY PRACTICES FOR DISTANCE LEARNING 2020-2021. What is the school-to-prison pipeline and how does it affect our children and youth? Check out this concise, multipage infographic produced this fall by OFC Education interns Chanté Cottman and Elias Shaffer. 

Thanks to your ongoing support, we have been able to foster community virtually as continuously and thoughtfully as we have over the a generation of support in person. For more highlights of an exceptional year, see Mimi's post. Help ensure we continue to thrive in 2021 with a generous donation today!

[PLEASE RSVP FOR SECURE ZOOM TELEHEALTH PHONE & VIDEO ACCESS]

Baby & Me playgroup Sat • Dec 5 & 19 • 10-11am Parents and caregivers of infants 0-18 months: share, interact, support your child's psycho-social development and parent-child bonding, peer facilitated by Maggie Francisco. RSVP Toddle With Me playgroup Sun • Dec 6 & 13 • 10-11am Songs, dances, stories, & more: kids 18mo-5yrs and their adults shake the sillies out and sweep the boredom away! Facilitated by OFC staff Drew Lakhardt & Karlon Zee. RSVP

[PLEASE RSVP FOR SECURE ZOOM TELEHEALTH PHONE & VIDEO ACCESS]

Queer & Trans BIPOC Support Where: secure Zoom telehealth phone/video conference When: Wed, Dec 2 & 16, 6-8pm Professionally and peer facilitated support, by and for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Queer and Trans parents. RSVP

Community Drop-In Where: secure Zoom telehealth phone/video conference When: Mon, Dec 7, 8-9pm An open drop-in conversation for all LGBTQ+ parents & caregivers. What's on your mind tonight? RSVP

Trans/ GNC Parent Support Where: secure Zoom telehealth phone/video support group When: Sat, Dec 12, 12:30-2pm A group by and for trans and gender-nonconforming parents, prospective parents, and co-parents! RSVP

Prospective & Expectant Parent Support Where: secure Zoom telehealth phone/video conference When: Thurs, Dec 17, 6-7:30pm Trying to conceive? Pursuing surrogacy? Adopting or doing foster-to-adoption? Connect with other LGBTQ prospective parents. RSVP

ABOUT OUR VIRTUAL EVENTS & GROUPS: • To participate, you must pre-register for the event. • Our email reply provides event's phone & video access info. • All online workshops and group chats are held via secure Zoom telehealth phone and video conferences, and are HIPAA-compliant.

Our work is brought to you thanks to generous support from your donations, and to the major funding partners below (see our full funding partners list here):

OFC STAFF & interns

Mimi Demissew [she/her/they/them] Executive Director [email protected] Aliyah Bowman [she/her+they/them] Programs & Data Specialist [email protected] Anne Pinkney [she/her/hers] Development Intern [email protected] Dorrell Moncrease [he/him/his] Interim Family Programs Director [email protected]

Drew Lakhardt [they/them/theirs] Programs Coordinator (East Bay) [email protected] Elias Shaffer [they/them/theirs] Education Intern [email protected] Jenny Raviv [she/her/hers] Development Director [email protected] Karlon Zee [he/him/his] Programs Coordinator (SF) [email protected]

Lily Warden [they/them/theirs] Communications Intern [email protected] Pauly Pagenhart [they/them/theirs] Communications Director [email protected] Rick Oculto [he/him/his] Education Director [email protected] Shari D'Aguilar [she/her] Operations Manager [email protected]

• We give our respect the Ramaytush and Chochenyo Ohlone people, on whose traditional and unceded land we are grateful to live and work, and on which our San Francisco and East Bay events take place. • We strive to make our office and programs accessible to all families. Please let us know when you register what accommodations will help your family participate to the fullest. More Accessibility Statements here.