The Inside Scoop
December 20222
Made possible by YOU!
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Thank you for reading Youth Pride, Inc.'s December edition of The Inside Scoop; the place for YPI updates in addition to local and national LGBTQ+ news! Within you will read about our upcoming Holigay Party, YPI's Wishlist, The Talk Study, and more!
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Thank you to everyone who contributed to our successful Harvest Dinner last month! Thanks to the time, effort, and support of our super volunteers, community members, and YPI supporters we were able to serve a full meal to 70 individuals, consisting of youth, their families, and community partners! We also provided families with gift cards to Stop&Shop to continue supporting them throughout the season.
We want to take a moment to especially thank the sponsor for this event, Stop&Shop. In addition to donating desserts and sides for the meal, several S&S employees attended the Harvest Dinner to assist with serving. We enjoyed sharing a meal with the group, and look forward to partnering with them in the future!
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Youth and their families are invited to celebrate the holidays with YPI at our annual Holigay Party! Join us for an evening of crafts, snacks, music, games, and gifts! Make a gingerbread house, check out our rainbow tree, play Dreidel, and more. This is an all ages event, so load your friends and family into the sleigh and get ready to build community and make memories!
Thanks to Hasbro, we will be able to provide a wrapped gift to all youth who stop by. There will be a variety of gifts for different ages.
The space will also be beautifully decorated by Hasbro employees during Hasbro Global Day of Joy on 12/7.
Our Holigay Party is happening Wednesday, December 21st from 3-7pm at our drop-in space located at 743 Westminster St. in Providence.
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The giving season is upon us and YPI's Basic Needs Pantry Wishlist is live! We're often asked around the holidays, "what does YPI needs the most right now?" or "how can I give back to YPI this holiday season?", so to make it easy we've set up a wishlist that highlights our biggest needs and requests.
During the colder months we're always looking to keep our pantry stocked with warm, winter clothes such as jackets, gloves, hats, and thick socks. In addition to these essential items, we like to keep the pantry stocked with other highly requested, rarely donated items such as; shelf stable milk (especially nondairy), hair care products for textured hair, chest binders, and plus size clothes (sizes 18+). Many of these items are listed on our wishlist in addition to the winter essentials.
Should you choose to order something off our wishlist, please note that Amazon does not provide us with donor contact information. If you would like to receive a donation acknowledgment/tax-deductible letter for your gift, shoot us an email at info@youthprideri.org!
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YPI will be closed for winter break from Monday, December 26th through Monday, January 1. We will reopen for drop-in and programming Tuesday, January 2.
We encourage regular pantry users to stock up the week before closing; we'll gladly give you enough to cover the week. The last day the pantry will be open will be Thursday, December 22.
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Monthly Spotlight
AIDS Project RI
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Each year on World AIDS Day, AIDS Project RI hosts Red Scarves Across the River at the PVD Pedestrian Bridge. As a visual reminder of Rhode Islanders lost to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and as a way for our community to come together in a show of support, red scarves were attached and adorned the bridge. Many of the scarfs were handmade and donated for the cause. The proceeds from the memorial benefit APRI programs and clients living with, and at risk of, HIV.
December 1 is annual World AIDS Day; a day dedicated to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, showing support for those living with HIV, and to mourn those who have died from AIDS-related illnesses. Today we would like to remind readers about the U=U concept. U=U stands for Undetectable = Untransmittable and means that if someone living with HIV is properly taking their prescribed medication (most likely antiretrovirals) and has an undetectable viral load, they have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV-negative partner. This information can help combat stigma and discrimination faced by HIV positive individuals.
*Photo taken from APRI's Facebook page.
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YPI is collaborating with Dr. Jack Rusley from Hasbro Children's Hospital to recruit youth for The Talk Study. The study is researching how youth and parents talk to each other about sexual health. Dr. Rusley is looking for young people who were assigned male at birth and are age 14-17. A single interview (in-person OR zoom) that lasts ~ 1 hour is required. Parent/guardian permission is not required. Gift cards will be given to youth upon completion of the study.
To learn more and see if you are eligible, click the link below or scan the QR code!
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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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