The Inside Scoop
February 2022
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Thank you for reading Youth Pride, Inc.'s February edition of The Inside Scoop! Within you will read about YPI's upcoming Benefit Night at Flatbread Company, job opening and board of director vacancies, our Fundraising 101 workshop, the next session of OUTspoken and the Anti-Violence Initiative YPI is partnering with!
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On Tuesday, February 15th your dinner could benefit YPI! Flatbread Company in Providence is hosting a benefit night at the restaurant to fundraise for our organization.
On the 15th, every large flatbread sold will contribute a $3.50 donation for YPI; every small flatbread will contribute a $1.75 donation. Flatbread Company will be open 4-9pm and this offer is applied for dine-in, take-out, and delivery!
The YPI staff favorite from Flatbread Company is The P.E, a flatbread toped with Kalamata olives, red onions, red peppers, rosemary, garlic oil, goat cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan!
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Students and individuals frequently reach out to YPI asking, "what is the best way I can support YPI?" Food drives for our Basic Needs Pantry are always our go-to recommendation, but we also have more creative and fun ideas for fundraising, like hosting a Virtual House Party!
If you're interested in learning some new fundraising tips and tricks, join us for "Fundraising 101 with YPI" on Friday, 2/18 from 6-7pm via Zoom. During the workshop, we will discuss: the logistics of setting up a food drive at your school or workplace; how to best organize your friends and acquaintances in support of YPI; provide new and creative ways to raise money; and chat a little about YPI's upcoming opportunities and events.
Please register for the event using the link below.
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The Anti-Violence Initiative |
The Anti-Violence Initiative (AVI) is a program that builds resilience among youth who have experienced threatened or actual gender/sexual violence or bullying. CenterLink, a national organization that supports, strengthens, and connects LGBTQ community centers, has developed this program and is partnering with Center on Halsted (Chicago, IL), Time Out Youth (Charlotte, NC), and Youth Pride Inc. (Providence, RI) to evaluate it. We are seeking youth to go through the program and provide feedback.
Learn more about this paid opportunity in the AVI section below!
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Join our Team or our Board! |
Youth Pride is looking to hire new staff and onboard new members to our board of directors!
If you're looking for opportunities to get more involved in the community, want to expand your network, or just do your part to make RI a better place for LGBTQ+ youth, consider joining YPI's Board of Directors! YPI has a 'working board', and each member is expected to commit 3-5 hours a month to board duties and obligations. The YPI Board Application is linked below. Completed applications can be emailed to info@youthprideri.org.
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Are you particularly interested in fundraising? Do you have professional experience working with donors? Have you applied for grants in the past? If this sounds like you, consider applying for our full time Development Associate position! We're looking to hire a new team member in March 2022 to help YPI meet our fundraising goals.
The job description is inked below. Interested candidates should email a cover letter and résumé to careers@youthprideri.org with the subject line: “[Your Name] Development Associate Position.”
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OUTspoken - YPI's Paid Leadership Program |
OUTspoken is a nine week leadership program designed to be a first step for youth on a pathway to becoming a community leader. Youth will learn about advocacy, community involvement, and cultural awareness and as a group take a deep-dive into the topics of leadership styles, identity & intersectionality, power structures, classism & capitalism, and the four "Is" of oppression.
OUTspoken runs from 4-6pm on Mondays, beginning 2/21 and concluding 5/16. Youth who attend all nine sessions will be awarded a $200 stipend. To sign up, use the registration form below!
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Are you really missing drop-in hours? Need someone to talk to? Are you experiencing crisis? Have concerns, fears or mental health needs that you need to express to someone? Here are a couple of resources for you that were compiled by YPI staff. |
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Essential Resources During COVID-19
Other Resources from YPI
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Monthly Spotlight
YPI's Board of Directors
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Youth Pride, Inc.'s Board of Directors is composed of a diverse group of talented individuals that consistently work towards supporting, and making space, for LGBTQ+ youth in our state. Over the past year our board has crafted a five year strategic plan for the organization and onboarded a new executive director, so you can certainly say they have been busy! We want to take a moment to thank the board for all of their hard work and dedication to Youth Pride, Inc. and our mission. |
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Guillaume Bagal – Chair
Monique Collins – Treasurer
Greg Tumolo – Secretary
At Large Members:
Lisa Carcieri, Alex Hartley, Jeffrey LaValley, Erin Pavane, Henry Walther
Below is a short piece by board member, Jeffrey LaValley, on his experience serving on the board.
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Jeffrey J. LaValley
He, Him, His
I have served as a member of the Board of Directors since 2016 having been first introduced to Youth Pride, Inc. by a former colleague who also previously had volunteered with YPI. I had
mentioned that having recently moved to the area from western Massachusetts I was unfamiliar with many of the region’s not for profit organizations, and, that I wanted to volunteer for an LGBTQ+ organization where I could combine my professional talents with my personal passions.
Professionally, having spent my career working for institutions of higher education, grassroots/civil rights organizations, in housing, and in healthcare I had honed my skills in marketing, public relations, event planning, and fundraising—skills of vital importance to any not-for-profit organization.
Personally, I have always lived by the words of the author, Richard Bach, who in his book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, wrote, “Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself.” YPI’s mission aligns nicely in this regard.
When I first joined the Board, YPI was an organization in transition. It had experienced a shift in senior leadership; the make-up and membership of its Board of Directors were in transition; and, operationally, there was room for improvement when it came to systems of operation, policies and procedures.
Though change is often difficult, each of these needed to change and improve, and were paramount for YPI’s future. It has been exciting, challenging, and immensely rewarding being
part of this era in the organization’s history.
Today, with a recently implemented strategic plan, a new executive director, and an invigorated Board of Directors, YPI’s future remains as promising as ever. I would encourage anyone seeking an opportunity to join the Board to join us at a pivotal moment in the life of the organization. Today, more than ever, LGBTQ+ youth need us to ensure they are able to live their own truth—that they do not grow up invisible.
Members of our Board of Directors bring many strengths and talents—from finance to fundraising, from marketing to legal expertise, from human resources to event planning. In my estimation, serving as a board member really only requires two things: first, a belief in the mission of the organization; second, an ability to tell a story to anyone who will listen. Any talents beyond that, are of course appreciated. All else, can be learned along the way.
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One Youth Made Soccer More Accessible in Washington State |
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Thanks to unwavering efforts of Bobby Jones, his family, and his community trans athletes have more inclusive access to soccer in the state of Washington. Jones has played soccer his entire life, and now as a first year high school student he plays the goalkeeper position for a local youth team, Titans FC Bellevue. Last year, Jones came out as trans and requested to switch to the male Titans team. Jones' teammates, coaches, and family were supportive of the change but ran into an unexpected external roadblock.
The Titans are a part of the greater soccer league, the Puget Sound Premiere League (PSPL), which has a policy around biological sex that states: “In the PSPL, players must play on teams of their same sex.” In contrast, the United States Soccer Federation, the national governing body of USA soccer, has a more inclusive policy: “A player may register with the gender team with which the player identifies, and confirmation sufficient for guaranteeing access shall be satisfied by documentation or evidence that shows the stated gender is sincerely held, and part of a person’s core identity.” Jones, his family, and his community rallied for change and never let up. After several news stations picking up the story and support from Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders, PSPL changed their policy on November 2, 2021. The new policy will allow trans identifying individuals to compete on a team that matches their gender identity, provided they produce “documentation or evidence that the stated gender is sincerely held.”
Although there is still some controversy over the policy requiring evidence, or proof, to back up an individual's gender identity, this policy has had a large and positive impact on trans youth in Washington state. Ultimately, the policy change allows all youth to play in their desired leagues.
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Mission:
Youth Pride, Inc. is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of youth and young adults impacted by sexual orientation and gender identity/expression while working to end the homophobic and transphobic environments in which they live, work and play.
Values:
LEADERSHIP: YPI is committed to creating the leaders of today. Youth voices drive our process, and we seek to develop the leadership skills necessary both within the organization and outside of it.
AFFIRMATION: YPI believes all youth must be affirmed for who they are and how they express themselves. We are committed to making that a reality in all of the environments in which young people live.
COMMUNITY: YPI believes building strong connections is essential to youth success and empowerment. We strive to create a caring, respectful and diverse community of young people and adults.
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Your tax-deductible donation helps YPI continue to do the important work we do in accordance to our mission. Your gift would be directly investing in our state's LGBTQ youth so that they may have a chance to share their gifts and light with the world. |
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Our Programs and Services |
Youth Pride, Inc. serves over 700 Rhode Island LGBTQ youth and their straight allies a year through a variety of programs and services. All YPI Center services and activities are free to youth and include a leadership development program, several support groups, a Spanish speaking group, and various social groups such as virtual Dungeons & Dragons.
Our center is home to a Basic Needs Pantry, open to youth in need of food, clothing, toiletries, and school supplies. To pick up a premade bag of items, click the Pantry button below.
In addition to free one on one counseling with licensed clinicians. we also provide case management services for youth facing challenging times. For more information on either of these services, email Andy@youthprideri.org
YPI also offers support to those who work with youth through policy and advocacy, and by providing professional development workshops and technical assistance to service providers and educators. Below is a button to our training request form.
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If you have a story you feel should be included in an upcoming newsletter, email Info@youthprideri.org |
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