LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER OF NEW ORLEANS CELEBRATES LGBT CENTER AWARENESS DAY
Submitted by administrator on Tue, 09/08/2009 - 2:37am
New Orleans – The LGBT Community Center of New Orleans is joining with CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, to celebrate the first annual LGBT Center Awareness Day. On Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 6:30 P.M., the LGBT Community Center of New Orleans will host a evening of socializing, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
"We're hard at work to coordinate the first ever nationwide day of action focused on LGBT community centers," said Terry Stone, CenterLink's Executive Director. "Over 40,000 people visit the over 180 community centers each week and centers have more direct access to the LGBT community than any other organization. Centers are the real backbone of the LGBT movement, and we are excited to highlight that work through Center Awareness Day."
The theme of this year's LGBT Center Awareness Day is "My Community Center Changed My Life," showcasing the vital role that community centers play in the health, empowerment, and unity of all LGBT communities. At the first annual LGBT Center Awareness Day, the LGBT Community Center of New Orleans will open its doors as an opportunity for all members of the LGBT community and its allies to become better acquainted with directors of the board, the center’s members and volunteers, and the various groups that meet at the center. Also during this social event, the community can learn about all the exciting changes the new committees of the LGBT Community Center envision for the future of the center, and learn how to be a part of the center’s growth by volunteering, becoming a member, and/or joining one of the center’s various committees. The committees to be represented at the event are: Volunteer, Membership, Fundraising and Events, Public Relations and Marketing, Programs and Grants, and Library and Archives.
LGBT Center Awareness Day also has a civil rights equality push on a national scope, with an organized effort for municipal, county, and state proclamations honoring the day and the work that LGBT centers do, as well as efforts to get individuals everywhere engaged in "personal awareness actions," ranging from wearing a button to visiting a center.
“Currently, the New Orleans LGBT Community Center is a meeting place for several gay men’s and transgender groups. It also has a library and resource lists for doctors, lawyers, therapists, dentists and other professionals that serve the community.. The vision of the Board of Directors is to expand greatly upon these services with the community’s support,” said Darrin Duplissey, Co-Chair, LGBT Community Center of New Orleans.
Co-Chair Crystal Little states, “It is the Center’s objective to become the “Center” of the LGBT community in New Orleans.”
The Center will have directors of the board, members and volunteers available to give tours of the center and answer any questions about the New Orleans center. Representatives of the center will also be available to answer any questions about the mission and purpose of LGBT centers and what the center can offer. The LGBT Community Center of New Orleans will also be accepting new memberships and volunteers during the social mixer.
Details about LGBT Center Awareness Day are available at http://www.mycenterlink.org/ and more information about the LGBT Community Center of New Orleans and this event can be accessed at http://www.lgbtccno.org/CAD.
