First-year students at SUNY Purchase College donated their time and talent to help The LOFT LGBT Center in White Plains, NY, put on their annual Hudson Valley Trans Forum, a two-day conference centered on education, advocacy & empowerment for TGNCNB communities and allies.
This semester students from Dr. Kerry Manzo’s First Year Learning Community, “Exploring LGBT+ Community and Resources at Purchase and Beyond,” have been meeting with local LGBTQ+ community leaders to find out just what it takes to create inclusive communities that center equity and justice. On November 11-2, the students got hands on experience in community building and advocacy as they attended and volunteered at the Trans Forum. Students assisted with the event setup, organizing the clothing exchange project, served as room attendants introducing guest speakers, participated in community forum discussions, and shared their talents at the Trans Night of Resilience Open Mic. Students we also joined at the event by Lizz Elvira of Purchase’s Multicultural Center.
In addition to volunteering at the Trans Forum, students have also been fundraising as part of the Ali Forney Center’s “We Are Family” Dance-a-Thon. The Ali Forney Center provides meals, housing support, and other services to homeless LGBTQ+ youth in New York City. So far, students have raised $3,169, enough to provide 7,922 meals to homeless LGBTQ+ youth.
