Hello there,

The dawn of a new year is upon us, and I remain hopeful for what this next decade will bring … in part, because of organizations like Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI), which supports the well-being of LGBTQ youth. One of the reasons I advocate for HMI is young people must have access to education and employment.

This past summer they launched a “peer mentoring” pilot program that prepares neglected and marginalized LGBTQ youth for college in partnership with CUNY schools in NYC. They plan to expand upon this successful program in the Spring – working closely with students from the enrollment process through the first semester of college, when acclimating and thriving in a new educational environment is most difficult. Their hope is to address the absence of an office within the school system that supports LGBTQ young people, particularly youth of color, throughout their academic careers.

As a parent myself now, I cannot begin to imagine the hardships these young people undergo simply to gain an education or employment. However, together, we can help change that by supporting HMI in this new initiative.

Please consider closing out 2019 with a gift that gives promise to the future of LGBTQ youth. If you have already made a donation, thank you on behalf of HMI.

Now I must get ready for NYE! Hope you can hang out with Anderson and me tomorrow night to bring in 2020!

Happy New Year,
Andy