When the Center launched its bold F*ck W/out Fear campaign in 2017 to raise awareness for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a safe and effective tool to prevent HIV infection, it caught many people’s attention, including newCenter board member Amy Gordon Yanow.
“I spent some time in HIV clinics in South Africa in 2010and became more passionate about educating people about destigmatizing the disease—that’s why I was very intrigued by the Center’s PrEP campaign,” said Yanow, co-founder of Beer and Food Management, whose craft beer and food affiliations includedMohawk Bend in Echo Park, Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank, and Golden RoadBrewing. “I then started to pay more attention to the many wonderful things theCenter does for Los Angeles.”
The idea of becoming a board member was spurred by casual conversations over several years with her neighbor Tad Brown, who was already serving on the Center’s Board of Directors. She took a tour of the Center withTad and was blown away by the array of life-saving programs and services provided here.
“We had many discussions regarding the changing legal landscape that’s impacting the LGBT community and the many issues pertaining to seniors and youth,” said Yanow, a Los Feliz resident and mother of seven-year-old twins.
Charitable giving is built into every level of Yanow’s business strategies. For example, with Mohawk Bend, she partnered with 30 local nonprofits to fundraise and make nearby residents aware that community-based initiatives existed in their backyards.
In 2017 Yanow received a Woman of the Year accolade from U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff. During that time, she began seeking new ways and places to invest her time and continue giving back to communities. She made a contribution to the organization’s landmark Capital Campaign to help build the revolutionary Anita May Rosenstein Campus.
“It was around that time that I took Tad’s encouragement more seriously to get more involved with the Center because I’ve always had a passion for community. Twenty years ago, my cousin was the victim of a hate crime because of bigotry about his sexual orientation—and he nearly died,” said Yanow. “Today, I am so proud to be part of an organization that continues to be on the growing edge of LGBT issues and fighting discrimination and social inequity.”