Help Akron AIDS Collaborative Move to Its New Home

The board of Akron AIDS Collaborative (AAC), an organization that serves Black LGBTQ+ youth in Summit County, Ohio, is relocating AAC to a new facility, in the city of Akron.

We need your help, though, since renovations cost $150,000. Once this is paid, AAC can continue to serve the community indefinitely.

Currently, we operate the Bayard Rustin LGBTQ+ Resource Center, a drop-in facility that offers case management services, which include housing, mental health, and substance use referrals, as well as help with navigating social services, like food stamps; free HIV and COVID-19 testing; a free food pantry; access to a shower, and personal care items; access to a washer and dryer; and finally, a free clothing bank, designed for people who identify as trans and have a hard time finding gender-affirming clothing in the proper size.

Finally, the Center also hosts a slew of regular events, such as the Community Outreach Dinner, held every Wednesday, featuring a hot, catered meal, as well as facilitated discussions about LGBTQ+ issues; and Family Black Pride, an event series hosted in the summer, which focuses on celebrating the Black LGBTQ+ experience, with fun, family-oriented activities, such as a poetry slam, a scholarship luncheon, and a drag competition.

With your support, we can continue to serve and uplift the community. Thank you — we appreciate you.