Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLucie's Place in Little Rock, Ar
http://luciesplace.orgA study released in September by the Center for American Progress determined that as many as half of all homeless people under the age of 25 are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning their sexuality (LGBTQ), and that those numbers probably under-represent the scope of the problem obtaining accurate demographics on the homeless is quite a challenge.
These numbers are not surprising. Other studies have shown essentially the same thing, and that while LGBTQ adults may focus on issues like marriage equality, their younger counterparts are struggling to find the resources that will let them stay alive. We already know that school-age people perceived by their peers as homosexual are disproportionately targeted for bullying. The suicide rates among LGBTQ teenagers and young adults far outpaces the suicide rate among straight people of the same age.
Little Rock is no different. Currently, the only local shelter that will accept openly homosexual people is Our House, and beds there fill very quickly. Homeless young LGBT people desperately need resources that are less available to them than to any other segment of the Central Arkansas homeless population.
Lucies Place exists specifically to meet these needs in Central Arkansas. The mission of Lucies Place is to establish a shelter for homeless LGBTQ young adults, ages eighteen to twenty-five. The envisioned shelter will provide a safe home in which these young adults can get their basic needs met while developing skills necessary for independent living. We are a relatively new nonprofit organization, though, and not yet fully operational. We need your help.
We are currently raising funds with the hope of purchasing and maintaining a building that will house several clients as they get stable enough to go out on their own. In addition to the homeless shelter, these young people need meaningful assistance to ensure that they do not remain homeless, and do not become homeless again. This means counseling, employment services, educational and job training opportunities, and other services in addition to basic food, shelter and clothing.
Most of the funding weve received so far has come from grants awarded to Lucies Place, but fund raising efforts cannot be limited to grants. This is a community problem, and Lucies Place needs help from the community.
Lucies Place wants to reach out to churches, civic groups, clubs, and any other organization that may have members willing to help. A board member can present an overall vision of Lucies Place and explain the organizations needs. We need assistance in the form of donations, service providers, and volunteers who can contribute their expertise and resources to serve our mission.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
7 replies, 1726 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (19)
ReplyReply to this post
7 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Lucie's Place in Little Rock, Ar (Original Post)
LiberalArkie
Dec 2013
OP
Welcome to DU Penelope, and thanks for the great work your organization does!
bluesbassman
Dec 2013
#6
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)1. Kicked for visibility!
Snarkoleptic
(5,997 posts)2. kick
Heidi
(58,237 posts)3. Kick!!!!
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)4. Kick!!!
Keep up the great work. You are saving lives.
ppoppers
(1 post)5. Feel free to ask questions!
Hello there!
My name is Penelope and I'm the Executive Director/founder of Lucie's Place. I just came across this thread, a bit late, my apologies! I thought I would stop by and let folks know that if they have any questions about Lucie's Place, I'd be more than willing to answer them! We are about to send out our end of the year update, which will be a detailed description of what we have been up to, feel free to check on our website after 1st to read that! These forums are great, I'm glad I found them.
Love,
Penelope Poppers
www.LuciesPlace.org
bluesbassman
(19,372 posts)6. Welcome to DU Penelope, and thanks for the great work your organization does!
LiberalArkie
(15,715 posts)7. Glad you found DU, Penelope