Uplift Outreach Center

Hey everyone & Happy PRIDE !!!! Just a reminder we are closed today. Come join us at Upstate Pride !!!! We are Booth 16 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️❤️

Happy Halloween!

We’re still riding the wave of winning the People’s Choice Award at Pride in Business Gayla.

What the youth have been able to accomplish in the past year is truly incredible.
They make life worth living. They make life worth fighting for.

🌶️🔥 Get ready for the Chili Cook-Off & Drag Show on Saturday, November 16th, at Ciclop Cyderi & Brewery from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM! 🔥🌶️

We already have 8 amazing chilis signed up, but there’s still time to enter your recipe—submissions are open until November 1st. 🏆 Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwDRu44ghVFPnftAtaYbSTh03iESMKysLP7C_w-eic-o9Fnw/viewform

Stay tuned because our entertainment lineup will be announced soon! You won’t want to miss this night of delicious chili, fun competitions, and fabulous drag performances, all while supporting LGBTQ+ youth. 🌈

Breakfast for dinner & jewelry making with

A huge thank you to our community and the for such a wonderful evening. We do it for the kids!
***ryouth

🌈✨ SAVE THE DATE! ✨🌈
The Uplift Outreach Center invites you to our 5th Annual Rainbow Ball: LEGACY on May 3, 2025! Our largest fundraiser of the year.

Join us for an unforgettable evening of celebration, unity, and community as we honor the LEGACY of LGBTQ+ youth in Upstate South Carolina & Uplift Outreach Center as we are well into our 5th year of being open. 🏳️‍🌈✨

Stay tuned for more details on ticket sales, sponsorship opportunities, and ways you can support the event! Let’s make this year’s Rainbow Ball the best one yet! 🎉🌟

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Help Us Support Western North Carolina After Hurricane Helene

Our staff and volunteers are gathering donations to assist communities affected by the devastation of Hurricane Helene. We need YOUR help!

📅 Drop Off: Tuesday, Oct. 8th, 5:00-7:00 PM�
📍 Location: Uplift Outreach Center

We’re accepting the following items:�
🔹 Food (Bulk snacks preferred for easy distribution)�
🔹 Bottled Water�🔹 Body Wipes/Baby Wipes�🔹 Blankets�🔹 Warm Clothes

Let’s come together to support those who need it most. Every donation makes a difference! ❤️

As things start to go back to “normal” let us continue to keep Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and our neighbors in WNC in your thoughts, vibes, manifestations, prayers, chants, etc. The devastation is gut wrenching and heartbreaking.
I’m not quite sure where there are places to donate or drop off, so please list them here, so we can be informed.
I know BeLoved Asheville has some updates and current information. Sending so much love to y’all.

Let’s do what we can. Helene was catastrophic for so many and our hearts go out to all who’ve been affected.

We are such a strong community

❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🖤🤎🩷🩵+

Uplift Outreach Center will be closed today due to unsafe conditions. This was a difficult decision, but safety is our top priority. We hope to reopen on Saturday and will keep you updated as we assess the situation. Stay safe, and take care!

We will be closed at Uplift tomorrow due to the current unsafe conditions. This was a hard decision, but we want to prioritize safety and be preemptive. We hope everyone is safe and well! 💙

Life skills, or the ability to navigate the demands and challenges of life effectively are more important than ever.
Ada assists a lot in the character building realm of Uplift and we’re so thankful. Many of the adults learn right along with the youth and that’s the way we want it to be.
We will definitely be doing this oil changing workshop again.

🌈 Happy Bisexual Pride Day! 🌈

Today, we celebrate and honor the incredible strength, diversity, and visibility of the bisexual community! 💖💜💙 Bisexual individuals face unique challenges, including erasure, discrimination, and a lack of representation, but today we remind the world: You are seen. You are valid. You are proud.

At Uplift Outreach Center, we stand with our bisexual youth and community members, fostering a safe and inclusive space where everyone’s identity is embraced and respected. Whether you’re out, questioning, or exploring, we are here for you.

Let’s work together to shatter stereotypes, uplift bisexual voices, and celebrate the beauty of living authentically!

🌶️✨ Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser Alert! ✨🌶️
Get ready to spice things up! Join us for our Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser on Saturday, November 16th at Ciclops Cyderi & Brewery from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Sign up for a chance to win the coveted chili champion title! 🏆❤️

What to Expect:
Tasty chili samples by donating to receive samples and help support the youth served by Uplift! Exciting entertainment featuring fabulous drag performers and to vote for your favorite chili!
More details to come….

Sign up for a chance to win the coveted Uplift Chili Champion Title! 🏆❤️ Click the link or see the link in the bio. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwDRu44ghVFPnftAtaYbSTh03iESMKysLP7C_w-eic-o9Fnw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Hatcher Garden 🪴
We’re taking over the bricks on this section of the trail!
We still have Deb with us but as most of you know, we lost Eric 2 years ago. Pastor Matt and his family are moving to Texas. We’ll miss them dearly but will never forget all that they have done for Uplift & the youth we serve.

Deb Foreman

Eric Nolley

Pastor Matt (Fernwood)

We will be there and we really hope to see YOU, too.

We’ve enjoyed the boundaries chats with El over the last couple of months.
The youth have been working on their own core values & that values of Uplift as a whole.
Really great conversations have been sparked as we learn and evolve together.
💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

We’re so saddened by the news that our friend, Julie Novak has passed away after her battle with breast cancer. Many of the youth became close with her while she was visiting during the spring for the, “I’m Feeling Q***r Today” podcast. Our thoughts, love, hugs, and light go out to Julie’s friends and family.

A quick THANK YOU to everyone that’s sent donations to the youth! 💜💜

Please message us your address so that we can send a thank you card ! 

Wow, Summer went by fast! The Uplift youth stayed busy doing all sorts of things.
Our Summer Newsletter highlights just a few of those awesome things.
They are truly amazing!
Now we’re ready for Spooky Season 🎃 👻

***r

🎉 Happy 5th Birthday, Uplift Outreach Center! 🎉

Today marks a special milestone for us as we celebrate 5 incredible years of serving and empowering LGBTQ+ youth in Upstate South Carolina! 🌈

This journey began with the vision and dedication of our extraordinary founders, Deb Foreman, and the late Eric Nolley. Their unwavering commitment to creating a safe, inclusive space for LGBTQ+ youth has shaped Uplift into the vibrant community it is today. Although Eric is no longer with us, his legacy lives on in every life touched by Uplift. We honor and remember his incredible contributions with deep gratitude. 💜

Over the past half-decade, we’ve built a strong, supportive community where young people can be themselves, find resources, and connect with others who understand their journey. From offering mental health services and support groups to hosting community events and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, our mission has always been to uplift and inspire.

This milestone wouldn’t be possible without our amazing team, volunteers, and all of you who have supported us along the way. 💖

Want to help us continue our work? Consider making a donation to support our programs and services. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a huge difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ youth. 🌟

🔗 https://linktr.ee/upliftyouthoutreachcenter (or see link in bio)

Here’s to many more years of growth, love, and advocacy! 🥳

Today we had a fruitful debrief of our Summer Shakedown camps with our community partners.
Thank you and Out-of-School-Time! Excited to collaborate this Fall!

Field Day was soooooo much fun!