The number of homeless youths far surpass available beds, even for one night. And for homeless youth, seeking refuge in adult shelters is as unsettling as living on the streets. Service organizations like the Ali Forney Center (AFC) in New York City were established to provide shelter, health assistance and transitional housing for LGBT youth.
With a $200,000 gift from the Episcopal Community Services of Long Island, under the umbrella of Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, AFC was able to create an additional 16-bed shelter at the Church of St. Andrew's in Astoria, Queens.
In October, the late Bea Arthur also gifted $300,000 to AFC. Both contributions came just as the organization experienced a $450,000 budget shortfall due to the economic dip.
A 2007 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and National Coalition for the Homeless study estimated that nearly 40 percent of the 1.6 million homeless American youth identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. More at NYTimes.com
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