Pridelines Youth Services

Mission: Pridelines Youth Services is dedicated to supporting, educating and empowering South Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth in a safe and diverse environment. History: Pridelines Youth Services is a grassroots 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created by gay youth for LGBTQ youth and their allies in the wake of Anita Bryant’s “Save Our Children” campaign. Rooted in a peer-led/adult-facilitated youth group model, and with the help of Dr Marilyn Volker, Peter Meyer and other concerned adults, the group began meeting at Miami-Dade College in 1982 and was known as the Gay and Lesbian Youth Group of Miami. In 1996, under the leadership of group member Dale Ayres, the group incorporated. The group moved into its own space and formally changed names to Pridelines Youth Services. Fundraising efforts increased, Health Department contracts soon followed and programs grew. Pridelines was one of the first community-based HIV testing sites in Miami-Dade County. 2012 marked the 230th year of service in which Pridelines has provided safe space, social support, skills building, leadership development and referrals to mental health, health care and support services for LGBTQ youth and their straight allies. Guiding Principles: •	All the decisions made focus, as their ultimate goal, on the improvement of the lives of GLBTQ youth in South Florida. •	Pridelines’ focus is on identifying resources for GLBTQ youth to create the most comprehensive system of services for them. •	Pridelines’ works together in building relationships based on equality and respect. •	Pridelines’ programs are flexible and respond to the emerging needs and issues of the youth and community. •	Pridelines is committed to creating a nurturing and inspiring environment that encourages self-expression and personal growth. •	Pridelines has a demonstrated commitment to providing leadership opportunities to empower GLBTQ youth as full participants in the governance of their own services. Services: Pridelines Youth Services provides the only Drop-In Center in South Florida, located at 9526 NE 2 Avenue, #104 in Miami Shores, that is open on Mondays through Fridays from 11:00am to 8:00pm. The center is a safe and nurturing environment that offers: •	A David Bohnett Cybercenter with 6 state of the art computers, a scanner and a printer for all our youth to use at NO CHARGE. Free WiFi. •	A program room and LGBTQ library. •	A conference room/study hall. •	A small community kitchen where snacks are served throughout the day and one meal is prepared for program participants each night.Sorry parents, the space is only open to youth between the ages of 14 and 24, staff members and trained volunteers. •	HIV Testing on a weekly basis through a collaboration with Care Resource. Pridelines Youth Servicesprovides Referral Services for At-Risk Youth. Prideilnes is dedicated to the safety of ALL LGBTQ youth between the ages of 14 and 24. As a member of The Alliance for LGBTQ Youth and as one of South Florida’s oldest LGBTQ youth organizations, Pridelines has relationships within the community to refer at-risk youth to agencies that can help them overcome the obstacles they may be facing, such as: •	Homelessness •	Suicidal Ideation •	Substance Abuse •	Physical or Mental Abuse •	Health Related Issues •	Legal Issues No youth should never feel helpless or alone! Pridelines Youth Services also provide Programs for LGBTQA Youth. All of Pridelines programs are designed to enrich the lives of LGBTQ youth and their straight allies. Programs are hosted regularly as: Weekly Programs that are hosted on Monday through Friday at the Drop-In center or at one of their various satellite locations throughout Miami Dade and Broward Counties from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. These programs vary in subject matter and group format. For more information on their weekly programs or schedule, visit www.pridelines.org. Times and locations are listed on the Calendar of events. Weekly programs are FREE for all youth between the ages of 14 and 24. Monthly Youth Enrichment Activities are event or fieldtrip styled events. These are safe and nurturing social environments where youth can interact with each other in a comfortable venue. YEA! events range from our annual LGBTQ youth Prom, to beach parties and boat trips, to leadership camps or conferences out of the county or state. YEA! events are usually FREE for youth between the ages of 14 and 24. For more information on our YEA! events visit their calendar of events, the featured section at the top of www.prideline.org, Twitter (@pridelines), or Facebook.