MCCNY Charities

Each night, Sylvia's Place (a project of MCCNY Charities, Inc.) provides a home for 14 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex youth. Many of these youth have been rejected by their families and face discrimination and violence at adult shelters. From HIV testing and medical referrals, to food, clothing, and showers, Sylvia's Place keeps our youth safe and healthy.  As one of the few emergency shelters serving this population, youth can come to their program straight from the street without a referral or lengthy intake process. Last year, Sylvia's Place served over 600 LGBTQI youth in need.

Our support will help Sylvia's Place to continue to make a safe space for LGBTQI youth:

$40 provides shelter and support services for a youth for a night;
$80 provides all the food and supplies needed for our weekly "Family Dinner" which creates community around a meal while the youth share cooking skills with one another; 
$100 helps us purchase a new cot for a youth to sleep on at night; and
$1,000 funds a whole month of shelter, food, clothing, and medical referrals/follow up for a homeless LGBTQI youth.

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LET's raise at least $3,600!
That is 90 nights worth of shelter and support services for a young person in our community!
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Thank you so much for your support!

Join us on Sunday, June 14, at 4:30pm in Bed Stuy for a special celebration and live music in our backyard in support of Sylvia's Place! Contact Sarah Lewis for more details.

Sylvia's Place is the starting point for New York City's LGBTQI youth in crisis. With as many as 10,000 LGBTQI homeless youth in New York City, there is a desperate need to provide safe haven for these young people, who in many cases have been turned out of their homes by their own families and who are at risk of discrimination, isolation and violent attack at other shelters. Integrating case management with mental health services while stressing the unique strengths and potential of each youth, MCCNY Homeless Youth Services has developed a proven method for serving LGBTQI youth in crisis.

But this precious community resource is in desperate need of support. The modest facility is in need of basic physical repairs, and in recent years, services have been cut back due to reductions in funding.

As part of an intensive leadership training program, the members of Leadership Journey 17 (LJ17) have committed to raising a minimum of $25,000 by February 15th. Your contribution will help us execute basic physical improvements and restore much needed services for this gravely at risk segment of our youth. Won't you please lend a hand?