Hetrick-Martin Institute: New Jersey has received the Open Society Foundation’s Communities Against Hate grant to increase and expand support and resources for LGBT youth who have been victims of hate crimes in Northern New Jersey.
The grant will help HMI: NJ to provide LGBT youth victims of hate crimes with wraparound supports. These supports will include, crisis intervention, counseling, referrals and connections to legal assistance. HMI: NJ staff said this will help LGBT youth to be better equipped to understand, respond to, and mobilize around the increased violence that they may be experiencing.
On Thursday, HMI: New Jersey will hold a springtime fundraising event to celebrate the work of the last year and to look ahead to the future of services for LGBT youth in the state.
Honorees are:
- Gary Paul Wright, Executive Director, African American Office of Gay Concerns
- Spectrum LGBT Affinity Group of Horizon Blue Cross & Blue Shield of New Jersey
Sponsors of Spring Soiree include:
- The Asbury Hotel
- BASF
- Dr. Ashawnda Fleming
- Horizon
- Dr. Gerald Iacullo
- Bari Mattes
- Jeff Spelman & Ivan Lo
- Dennis & Isabella Speigel
- Doug Stroup & Steve Porter
- PNC
- Verizon
- Dan Zanella & Steven Horn
- Andrew Lark
For tickets visit: https://hmi.org/events/springsoiree/
The Open Society grant money, just announced, will help expand services. HMI: NJ staff expect they will be able to provide more supports to transgender identified young people, and expand its educational and capacity building programs and trainings. Working with local public schools in Newark, the State of NJ Department of Children and Families, and other regional community based organizations, HMI: NJ is conducting new programs and services and interactive educational trainings.
The grant will provide additional funds to take more proactive steps towards creating safe spaces in the Newark and Essex County area of New Jersey they say. Professional development through the HMI: NJ Training Center will also strengthen the infrastructure and capacity of other youth service agencies so that they can better serve this marginalized population with HMI: NJ training.
