The Attic Youth Center

Apply by July 29th, 5pm EST

Drexel's Community Health Worker/Certified Peer Specialist Training Academy - The Attic Youth Center Pew Awards $8M to Address Maternal and Infant Health, LGBTQ+ Youth Wellness and Stability, and Teacher Shortage in Philadelphia Read More »

Jasper Liem, executive director of the Attic Youth Center, was given an embossed copy of the resolutions. He spoke about the negative mental health impact of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, even when that legislation doesn’t directly affect the rights of people in Pennsylvania or Philadelphia.

City council adopts resolutions to protect LGBTQ+ Philadelphians - The Attic Youth Center Jasper Liem, executive director of the Attic Youth Center, was given an embossed copy of the resolutions. He spoke about the negative mental health impact of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, even when that legislation doesn’t directly affect the rights of people in Pennsylvania or...

Executive Director, Jasper Liem, represented Attic Youth Center at the VPOTUS Pride Reception last night. Kamala Harris gave an enthusiastic speech reminding all that LGBTQ rights have been hard fought and our fight is not over! Billy Porter performed Audacity from his Mona Lisa album!

Great to see Admiral Rachel Levine, HRC’s Kelley Robinson, City Councilmember Rue Landau, IBA’s Zachary Wilcha, and long-time Attic supporter SpringPoint Partners Simran Sidhu.

Starting Annual Salary: $48,000 (plus Medical and Dental premiums fully covered by employer) Job Summary: The Counseling department of The Attic Youth Center seeks a Drop-In Counselor (Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred), to provide brief crisis and general behavioral health intervention counseling during drop-in hours as well as administer intake assessments for participants interested in individual, couples, family, or group therapy....

Drop-In Counselor (evenings required) - The Attic Youth Center Starting Annual Salary: $48,000 (plus Medical and Dental premiums fully covered by employer) Job Summary: The Counseling department of The Attic Youth Center seeks a Drop-In Counselor (Bilingual in English and […]

In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, Metro Philadelphia published its inaugural AAPI Power Players List, highlighting leaders shaping the future of Philadelphia....

Metro Philadelphia honors Attic Executive Director - The Attic Youth Center In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, Metro Philadelphia published its inaugural AAPI Power Players List, highlighting leaders shaping the future of Philadelphia.

Thank you to Sixers Youth Foundation & Sixers Strong for inviting The Attic to be honored and recognized at Sixers Pride Night last week! ❤️🏳️‍⚧️🤍🏳️‍🌈💙 Our youth and staff had such a fun time strutting across the court before the game! Go Sixers! 🏀7️⃣6️⃣

Statement

Statement - The Attic Youth Center Pew Awards $8M to Address Maternal and Infant Health, LGBTQ+ Youth Wellness and Stability, and Teacher Shortage in Philadelphia Read More »

Original Article: PHILADELPHIA—The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today that it has awarded more than $8 million to Philadelphia-area nonprofit organizations working to improve maternal and infant health for low-income families; increase the availability of health, housing, and social services for LGBTQ+ youth; and test new approaches to address the city’s K-12 teacher shortage, with a focus on attracting and retaining a diverse workforce....

Pew Awards $8M to Address Maternal and Infant Health, LGBTQ+ Youth Wellness and Stability, and Teacher Shortage in Philadelphia - The Attic Youth Center Original Article: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases-and-statements/2024/03/21/pew-awards-8m-to-address-maternal-and-infant-health-lgbtq-youth-wellness-and-stability PHILADELPHIA—The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today that it has awarded more than $8 million to Philadel...

Job Summary: The Housing Specialist is responsible for using a developmentally appropriate strengths-based approach to engage in partnership with youth to assess, plan, implement, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the options and services needed to meet their health and human service needs while helping to maintain a supportive and respectful environment for all youth that present for an intake, and/or participate in case management services....

Housing Specialist - The Attic Youth Center Job Summary: The Housing Specialist is responsible for using a developmentally appropriate strengths-based approach to engage in partnership with youth to assess, plan, implement, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the options […]

Job Summary: The Community Navigator is responsible for the use of a developmentally appropriate strengths-based approach to engage in partnership with youth to assess, plan, implement, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the options and services needed to meet their health and human service needs; while helping to maintain a supportive and respectful environment for all youth that present for an intake, and/or participate in case management services....

Community Navigator - The Attic Youth Center Job Summary: The Community Navigator is responsible for the use of a developmentally appropriate strengths-based approach to engage in partnership with youth to assess, plan, implement, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate […]

🩷💕🩷This year for Valentine’s Day, The Attic is counteracting the mainstream’s prioritization of cishet love by using Valentine’s Day as a time for restorative justice and affirming community care, reminding LGBTQ+ youth that as well as within them! Love exists within our friendships, chosen families, school/work life, as well as our wider communities and we want our youth to know that! 💞🫂🎀

❤️The LGBTQ+ community AND young people are often overlooked when it comes to the messaging, marketing, and celebration of the commercial Valentine’s Day. In the mainstream, daily but especially this time of year, so much advice is given to cishet people on how to give and receive romantic love. This can lead to youth being unable to recognize where healthy, reciprocal love shows up in their lives.

❤️Loneliness and insecurity can easily come up at this time if a youth does not have romance, we want to combat that with recognition and gratitude for the love they are currently experiencing!

❤️“When we see love as the will to nurture one’s own or another’s spiritual growth, revealed through acts of care, respect, knowledge, and assuming responsibility, the foundation of all love in our life is the same.”
- bell hooks, All About Love: New Visions

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️As we reach the end of 2023, we want to thank you all for not only an amazing year, but for an amazing 3️⃣0️⃣ YEARS here at The Attic!

From Pride Month fundraisers, to artist workshops, to in-kind donation drives all the way to our WE SAY GAY-LA 30-year Anniversary Celebration, YOU — our wonderful collaborators, supporters, friends, and family have made 2023 one of The Attic’s most exciting and fun years yet!🌈✨

In the last few days of this year, we would love to meet our end-of-year goal of fundraising $30,000 to celebrate and honor 30 years of The Attic Youth Center’s mission towards LGBTQ+ empowerment! And we’re almost there, just $8k more to go! We can do it!

Please follow this link: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/attic-youth-center/30k-for-30-years to support The Attic and share with your community. And cheers to an even brighter 2024! 🥳

Happy everyone! As always, we thank you for your continued support of our youth and for your dedication to our mission at The Attic Youth Center!

Today, our youth are facing monumental oppressors. With obstacles ranging from anti-trans legislation to healthcare and housing insecurity to trouble finding work, in 2023, LGBTQ+ youth need our endless support, guidance, and empowerment.

The Attic provides a safe space for our youth to be themselves, where they can build community and know that it's . Our staff works to assist youth throughout the many arenas of their lives: academics, healthcare, housing, resume building and job searching, relationships and safe s*x counseling, among others.

All this work is made possible by support from donors like you! Help us to continue building a safer, more inclusive community for LGBTQ+ youth by donating to The Attic this Giving Tuesday!

Thank you so much to all of our sponsors, donors, friends and family for selling out tickets to our WE SAY GAY-LA celebration! This event will truly be one to remember!

We are looking forward to celebrating with all of you on Saturday, November 18th at the Crystal Tea Room. VIP Reception at 6pm, General Admission at 7pm.

Although tickets are sold out, The Attic is still welcoming donations which can be made here: ticketstripe.com/Attic-Gala-2023

See you on Saturday! Black tie optional, Pride required!

MEET THE HONOREES!

This year's Attic Youth Center 30th anniversary award recipients include Dow Inc., Dr. Carrie Jacobs, O'Shae Sibley, and Ts Madison!

🏆 The Legacy Award recognizes and celebrates Carrie Jacobs for her decades of service and advocacy for LGBTQ+ youth and the steadfast leadership that built The Attic Youth Center into a nationally renowned multi-service organization. During her tenure, The Attic served over 20,000 youth, many of whom have become leaders and advocates themselves.

🏆 Dow Inc. has been a decade-long partner and supporter of Attic Youth, sponsoring monthly dinners, sitting on the Board, celebrating our annual Harvest Dinner, and more. The Outstanding Volunteer Award is named after Attic Youth’s former Board President, Shawn Leavitt who died suddenly in 2020. Leavitt was a leader in health care benefits programs and worked as an executive in that capacity for several Fortune 500 companies for over 20 years, including Knight-Ridder, Safeway, The Coca-Cola Company, and Comcast.

🏆 O'Shae Sibley was an Attic Youth member since age 17 often bringing his skills to The Attic’s Dance, Art, and Vogue groups, supporting other youth in exploring their identities through performing arts. This year’s Outstanding Alumni Award serves as a tribute to O’Shae's life, his unyielding commitment to equality and inclusion, and an enduring reminder that the fight for justice and acceptance must persist. The posthumous award will be received by O’Shae Sibley’s family and friends.

🏆The OK2BU Role Model Award commemorates Ts Madison’s story of growing up trans and sharing her life on social media platforms. Ts Madison’s work as a reality TV personality, actress, host, and producer has undoubtedly reshaped the way the public conceptualizes transgender and gender-nonconforming identities and experiences.

The Attic is excited to honor these awardees at our 30th Anniversary WE SAY GAY-LA celebration on Saturday, November 18th at The Crystal Tea Room! Get tickets here: https://atticyouthcenter.org/gala/

🎉 CALLING ALL ATTIC FAMILY! 🎉

Are you a current or former Attic youth or staff member? Do you run a store, business, or service that you’d like to promote?

The Attic wants to showcase your skills and expertise at our 30th Anniversary WE SAY GAY-LA celebration! 🎈🎊

At this year’s event, we want to extend the opportunity for our Attic family to be able to promote themselves, their creativity, their services, and the varying ways they give back to the community of Philadelphia and beyond!🤝💞

We are seeking Attic current and former members to advertise their services or products in our event program book, provide samples or gift certificates for our party bags, or even participate in our live auction!🛍️🎁

Compensation is available! Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in participating in this year’s gala and highlighting your q***r excellence!

The Attic Youth Center marks its 30-year Anniversary, honoring individuals and organizations advocating for the acceptance and empowerment of the LGBTQ+ community.

With more than 520 anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed across the country and youth recovering from the impacts of the pandemic, the anniversary's 2023 theme of the “WE SAY GAY-LA” promises to be an extraordinary celebration of LGBTQ+ joy and a tribute to the organization’s past, present, and future. The gala will take place at The Crystal Tea Room on November 18, 2023, featuring fine dining, delicious drinks, entertainment, and surprises galore.

“Our 30-year anniversary is not just a celebration of our past but a bold declaration of our dedication to creating a future where every young person can flourish and grow, free from discrimination and prejudice. Together, we are paving the way for a brighter tomorrow." - Jasper Liem, Executive Director

Ticket available now: ticketstripe.com/Attic-Gala-2023

O’Shae Sibley was an accomplished dancer and an Attic Youth member since he was 17 years old. A talented and dedicated dancer, he was very involved at Philadanco! O’Shae brought his skills to The Attic’s Dance, Art, and Vogue groups, often supporting other youth in exploring their identities through performing arts. O’Shae was known by staff and peers as a peaceful, understanding, and empathetic person who brought Q***r Joy energy into every space.
O’Shae often represented The Attic Youth Center at Philadelphia Pride and Outfest events, as well as being involved with the LGBTQ Kwanzaa Collective. He stood out as someone who always worked to talk through difficult situations, gave time for understanding, and wanted to share his love for dance with others. He was that rare kind of individual who spoke truth to power, but always with kindness in his heart.
O’Shae was stolen from this world while embodying the Q***r Joy we loved in him. We are living in a time when we must stand strong against senseless hate and ignorance. We demand Justice, not only for O’Shae but for all of us who refuse to live in fear or die in hate.

Rest in Power, O’Shae. May you dance on every rainbow.

Please help support O’Shae’s family during this incomprehensibly difficult time: https://www.gofundme.com/f/oshae-sibley

Until it is safe for us all to be visible. Everywhere. It's always OK2BU at The Attic.

NEW GROUP ALERT

Programing is back to normal schedule (see website calendar in bio!). Meals and Snacks served inside, Maks Optional!

Due to Covid exposure The Attic Vouge Night Cancelled. But WE ARE CELBRATING LUNAR NEW YEAR!

Schedule:
-Strict Masking Indoors
-Drop-in & Lunar New Year Celebration 3pm-4pm
-GAY-ME Group 4pm-5pm
-Lunar New Year Meal
-Close at 6pm

Due to a Covid exposure the Attic is adjusting programing TODAY Thursday 1/19/2023. There will be Strict indoor masking. Drop-In will run from 3pm-4pm. SPECTRUM Group will run from 4pm-5pm. ALL meals will be to go, not eaten inside the Attic building. Please email [email protected] with questions. Stay Healthy!

All gifts made by December 30th will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000! Help us get our match! Support LGBTQ+ youth!

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/attic-youth-center/2022-ok2bu

For please consider supporting Philadelphia's only LGBTQIA+ Youth Center. Our youth are facing monumental oppressors, from anti-trans legislation to high levels of housing insecurity. The Attic provides a safe space for our youth to be themselves, where they can build community and it's . Help us build a safer, more inclusive community for LGBTQIA+ youth by donating today.

Donate at: https://bit.ly/attic-giving-tuesday

Menu for today's Harvest Dinner! Prepare your bellies....

Turkey
Veggie Lasagna
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Gravy
Mac and Cheese
Kale and Quinoa Salad
Bread Stuffing
Green Beans
Creamed Spinach
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls
Plus Various Desserts!

Harvest Dinner is this Wednesday! We'll be having delicious BBQ 😋
Friends, Family (bio or chosen), and Alumni are welcome!