I don’t think I realized how freeing it would feel to be in a workplace where being LGBT was not just accepted, but was the norm. Having been the token queer person at previous jobs, or even having been too afraid to come out at work, it’s hard to imagine going back to a place like that.
I’ve worked with nonprofits for a while, most recently at a homeless shelter on Skid Row. When it came time to move on to a new career opportunity, I knew I still wanted to work with an organization that was working to alleviate homelessness in Los Angeles. After finding out that 40% of unhoused youth in L.A. identify as LGBTQ+, I thought the Center would be a wonderful place for me to contribute what I can to tackle this issue for our community, which is disproportionately affected.
We have hundreds and thousands of supporters who have donated to the Center or signed up for our newsletters and my job is to make sure that our information is accurate and well organized in our database. This helps us reach as many people as possible and makes our fundraising and marketing campaigns more successful.
But, I have appreciated just how creative our Development department has been in replacing in-person events during the pandemic with things like with our telethon that aired on KTLA last August. It felt really nice to connect with our supporters, and it became clear just how much the Center means to people.
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Hometown: Queens, NY
Year Started Working at Center: July 2021
Staff Position: CRM Database Supervisor
Pronouns: He/Him/His
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