Preparations are well underway for Capital Pride 2011, and its going to be the most exciting and dynamic Pride ever!! The headliner for Sunday’s Pride Festival is *almost* secured, and boy- its very exciting!! Stay tuned in the coming days for the announcement of this year’s line up!!

Does your company want an ad in the quintessential Pride Guide?? THE DEADLINE IS NOW!! Call the Pride Center TODAY and reserve your ad space, and get in the ONLY and OFFICIAL guide to Capital Pride 2011!!

Is your group or business planning on marching? Are you hoping to have a table at the Festival?? Download the Pride packet from our website and send in your paperwork!

The Pride Center is excited to announce an all new event during Pride Festival 2011 for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally youth ages 13-19! The Youth March will take place on Sunday, June 12^th before the Pride Parade in Washington Park. Every year the Pride Festival attracts thousands of people from all over the Capital Region to celebrate our community! There will be a series of youth led planning committees in April and May to help organize and plan the Youth March. If you are an LGBTQA youth who wants to meet new friends, gain invaluable leadership skills, and get involved in the biggest and best event that the queer community in the Capital Region sees each year, the Youth March is for you! Please contact the Pride Center at 462-6138 or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/youth for more information about Youth March planning committee dates!

Your voice can make a difference!! Spend five minutes writing out a letter about the impact of the Pride Center in YOUR life, and drop it in the mail (those blue boxes on street corners that say US Post Office) to US at the Pride Center- we’ll deliver to your legislator!!

CALL TO ACTION!!

This year, while the NY state budget is being cut and cut, and the Pride Center is being asked to provide even more services with less funding and the number of people seeking out services has only continued to increase.

The Pride Center makes sure that every dollar is stretched to the max so that we can continue to provide programs and services to the community, but we need your help to restore critical funding!

TWO EASY STEPS TO SAVE

PRIDE CENTER FUNDING!!

THANK YOU for all your efforts to help restore the Pride Center’s funding, and helping us continue to empower the LGBT community in the Capital Region!

PRIDE CENTER FUNDING SAMPLE LETTER

March 15, 2011

Dear Legislator,

As the NYS Legislature makes funding decisions in a very tough year, it’s more important than ever that the Pride Center of the Capital Region, as part of the NYS LGBT Health and Human Services Network, receive ongoing funding for critical programs and services to the community, like the Center Youth [OR WHICHEVER PROGRAM YOU WANT] program.

I believe in the Pride Center because [INSERT TWO LINES ABOUT WHY THE CENTER IS IMPORTANT TO YOU HERE]

As your constituent, I’m asking that you do everything in your power to please restore this vital funding.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

YOUR ADDRESS (very important to include your address so we know who to deliver your letter to)

The Joshua Dunning Powell Scholarship for LGBT graduating high school seniors has been expanded! Due to generous donations from community members, we now have over $16,000 to award to youth. Please help spread the word! We want to ensure that all eligible youth are aware of this scholarship opportunity, and submit their applications by the April 15^th deadline. We are holding an online information session for youth on March 30^th from 2:30 – 4 PM, accessible through the Pride Center’s facebook page, as well as the Pride Center Youth facebook page. The scholarship application is available on our website or can be mailed upon request. For more information, please contact Program Director Curran Saile at csaile@capitalpridecenter.org or 462-6138.

From Perry Junjulas, Executive Director of the Albany Damien Center:

An issue regarding the Santa Speedo Sprint and the Albany Damien Center has erupted at the Albany City Council.  One of the Albany City Council members  crossed a line during a Housing Committee meeting on Wednesday night.  While I am still working to confirm the entire contents of the meeting, there was apparently a disparaging reference to the Sprint and Damien Center in connection to funding for the Lark Street Bid (for CDBG funds).

I need your help in joining me in support of the Lark Street Bid, ASAP, and the Albany Damien Center on Monday at 5:30 (room below).  I need a strong showing of support to reaffirm the value of the Sprint and the work we do at the Albany Damien Center because of the funds that are raised.

Furthermore, I am looking to ensure that our community knows it is absolutely intolerable to use people living with AIDS in a negative way to further a political agenda.  It sets us back many years as we have fought hard to ensure people living with AIDS are treated with the compassion and dignity WE DESERVE.

Sincerely – Perry

DATE: Monday, March 21, 2011

PLACE: City Court Room 209 – City Hall

TIME: 5:30 PM (Prior to Council Caucus)

Perry Junjulas, Executive Director & PLWA

The Albany Damien Center

The Capital Region’s HIV/AIDS Community Center

12 South Lake Avenue, Albany, NY 12203

Phone: 518/449-7119 x10 Fax: 518/449-7881

CALL TO ACTION!!

This year, while the NY state budget is being cut and cut, and the Pride Center is being asked to provide even more services with less funding and the number of people seeking out services has only continued to increase.

The Pride Center makes sure that every dollar is stretched to the max so that we can continue to provide programs and services to the community, but we need your help to restore critical funding!

TWO EASY STEPS TO SAVE PRIDE CENTER FUNDING!!

THANK YOU for all your efforts to help restore the Pride Center’s funding, and helping us continue to empower the LGBT community in the Capital Region!

 PRIDE CENTER FUNDING SAMPLE LETTER

March 15, 2011

Dear Legislator,

As the NYS Legislature makes funding decisions in a very tough year, it’s more important than ever that the Pride Center of the Capital Region, as part of the NYS LGBT Health and Human Services Network, receive ongoing funding for critical programs and services to the community, like the Center Youth [OR WHICHEVER PROGRAM YOU WANT] program.

I believe in the Pride Center because [INSERT TWO LINES ABOUT WHY THE CENTER IS IMPORTANT TO YOU HERE]

As your constituent, I’m asking that you do everything in your power to please restore this vital funding.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

YOUR ADDRESS (very important to include your address so we know who to deliver your letter to)

Keep an eye out in your mailbox for a *Special* CommUNITY Newsletter Xtra edition! With critical tax time information, and the March calendar, this supplemental publication keeps you updated on everything going on in the LGBT community! (The March CommUNITY newsletter accidentally included the February community calendar and not March! Oops!)

Don’t get the CommUNITY newsletter mailed to you? Click CONTACT and sign up to get this ten-times a year publication!

The financial workshop presented by Key Investment Services previously scheduled for Sunday March 13th has been canceled. In lieu of rescheduling this event, Key Investment Services has donated 5 hours of their time to provide free personalized financial planning sessions. These will be given out as prizes at various Capital Pride 2011 events- so stay tuned! The Pride Center is gearing up for the celebration this year, and is excited to offer this generous service to the community. For more information on Key Investment Services, visit their website at https://www.key.com/html/ira-investments-retirement.html.

Sure, there’s still a lot of snow on the ground. And ice. And it’s still pretty cold outside. But that doesn’t mean that the Pride Center isn’t already planning for this summer’s most exciting celebration. Capital Pride 2011 is well into the planning stages. The Pride Planning Committee is meeting and the Pride events taking shape. The Pride Planning Committee is made up of community volunteers who share the work of organizing, planning and implementing the many aspects that make-up Capital Pride. If you’d like to be volunteer, feel free to come to our next meeting on Thursday, March 17th at 6pm at the Pride Center, 332 Hudson Ave. To find out more and see the complete meeting schedule, click here.

If you’d like to volunteer at one of the many events during the Capital Pride celebration, then be sure to attend our Volunteer Recruitment Party of Thursday, April 28th, 2011 at 6pm, also at the Pride Center. This year’s 12 day celebration will be loaded with fun events and we need volunteers to help set up and run them. It’s a great way to get in on the fun and give back to the Pride Center.

We’re also working on this year’s Pride Guide right now, the magazine-style printed publication that is the “go-to” guide for all things Capital Pride! If you are interested in advertising, download the packet [here]. The deadline is rapidly approaching, since we hope to get it into peoples’ homes by May 15!!

Finally, are you a business owner, or know of a business that wants to be a part of Capital Pride 2011? Find out how you can reach the LGBT community in a variety of ways by checking out the Capital Pride 2011 Parade and Festival packet by clicking here! From having a tent or table at our festival in the park, marching in the parade, or placing and in our 2011 Pride Guide, there are lots of opportunities to show your support for the LGBT Community and taking part in the celebration.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Pride Center Administrative Coordinator Aaron Holbritter at aholbritter@capitalpridecenter.org or give him a call at 518-462-6138.

The administrative offices of the Pride Center of the Capital Region are closed today, Monday, March 7, 2011, due to severe weather and travel conditions. Please check back for updates on the status of this evenings meetings and programs.

A new weekly support group, self!PRIDE will have it’s first meeting tomorrow, Saturday, March 5th from 6:30-8:30PM at the Pride Center. This peer support group is for LGBTQA and straight allies to discuss eating disorders and body image issues. Join us for a supportive and safe meeting to learn how to live a healthier life and gain self pride! All friends and family members of those struggling with an eating disorder also welcome. Stop into the Rainbow Cafe before or after-now open Saturdays from 6-9pm. The self!PRIDE meeting will occur on the 3rd floor at the Pride Center every Saturday of the month. Contact Kiera at kg365354@gmail.com for more information.

The Pride Center is proud to cosponsor an event with Key Investment Services on retirement planning March 13th at 1 PM! As you head toward retirement, its important to make sure your financial plan keeps pace with your changing needs. Join us as we discuss the importance of weighing your options and finding the right balance for your long term goals. You will gain valuable knowledge about: estimating your retirement income requirements, balancing short-term expenses and retirement savings and what steps to take from here. Lunch will be provided. To reserve your space at this free event, please register on our website by March 7th. See you there!

Yesterday, the Pride Center of the Capital Region was proud to join with the New York State LGBT Health and Human Services Network, and the Empire State Pride Agenda, in advocating for restored funding for LGBT organizations, like the Pride Center. With the elimination of legislative funding last year, the Pride Center and other LGBT community-based organizations lost vital funding for services such as youth and senior programs. Without this restoration, these organizations will have to cut services at a time when more and more people are turning to us.

If you believe in what the Pride Center does, and the impact we have on the community, leave us a Testimonial via our Contact Form

We’ll forward all of your comments to our legislators to let them know how important LGBT organizations to our community!