Monday, November 2, 2009

Gift of the Week

NYC's Ali Forney Center, whose mission is to help homeless LGBT youth be safe and become independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood, received a $300,000 bequest last week from Bea Arthur, the late actress of "Golden Girls" fame.

The funds will support the new Bea Arthur Residence for LGBT Youth, which will house 12 youths for up to two years as part of the center's transitional housing programs. Funds will be supplemented by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

It's always moving to witness the generosity and compassion of people like Ms. Arthur, whose commitment to improving the lives of one of the most overlooked populations of adolescents was true both during her life and after her passing.

Here's hoping that her gift will generate more attention to the plight of LGBT youth who are without family and living on the streets and to the good work that groups like the Ali Forney Center are doing everyday to support them.

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