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The Welcome Home Campaign: Our New Home And A Dream Come True!

Now, the Center has entered into a long escrow (12 months) to purchase the 18,000 SF property with 52 parking spots at 1919 Apple Street, Oceanside, CA 92054 for a total cost of $4.5 million. This long escrow affords us the time to gather the financial support needed for the down payment by end of 2024. 

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Creating A North San Diego County Region Where LGBTQI+ People Can Thrive.

The North County LGBTQ Resource Center (the Center) serves as a visible symbol of North San Diego County LGBTQI+ communities, including their many intersections with race, ethnicity, age, health, neurodivergences, and economic circumstances. People that seek our services come Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Fallbrook, Bonsall, Camp Pendleton, and other outlying and unincorporated areas. 

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Since becoming a 501c3 in 2008 the Center has worked to serve, empower, and advocate for the diverse LGBTQI+ community and has become the only LGBTQI+ agency in North San Diego County that provides direct services for the wellbeing of individuals, families and allies. Now, the center is fundraising for a new permanent 

space in the community it serves. 

How Much Do We Need To Raise?

The Center’s Phase I goal is to raise $1.3 million for the down payment in the next 8 months to assure the 30% required down payment is met. 40% of the funds were already raised through private foundations, government institutions and small grants. 

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This investment hastens the day when philanthropic support can be primarily focused on advancing our mission - a bold strategic step into the Center’s future. This Campaign will require the support of the entire LGBTQI+ community and our allies, as well as other philanthropists, corporations and foundations, to propel us to the place we need to be. â€‹We envision a community where everyone lives in equality, feeling accepted, valued, safe and free from social stigma. 

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Donate Today

Show your community support and help us reach our campaign goal of securing the future growth and prosperity of the Center for generations to come.  All Major Gift inquiries should be directed to our campaign development office.​​​​​​

You May Have Heard The News:  Here's What Our Community Is Saying.​

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In addition to our on site services, for over 17 years the Center has produced the largest LGBTQI+ annual event called “Pride by The Beach”. Our June pride celebrations bring together over 20,000 people and are an opportunity to center the voices of our community, many who are vulnerable and continue to fight for survival.

Did You Know?

Hate crimes against LGBTQI+people are at the highest level in ten years. In the past year alone more than 700 anti LGBTQI+ bills have been introduced. In many states, gender affirming care has been banned and LGBTQI+ books and drag performances have been targeted or outlawed.

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  • LGBTQI+ seniors are more likely to live alone and in poverty, experiencing isolation, and loneliness 

  • LGBTQI+ adults are more likely to experience mental health challenges, economic struggles, and difficulty in accessing healthcare. 

  • One out of three LGBTQI+ students report not feeling safe at school and 34 percent report physical violence at home. 

  • 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQI+ and more than a half are youth of color.

A Transformational Journey.

In 2019, the organizational budget of the Center was $400K. Today it has increased to $1.5 million. During those same four years, staff at the Center has grown from two to 28! The Center was ready to meet the demand spurred by the pandemic with the experience and the credentials to start winning government grants that address hate crimes, victim services, mental health, housing, training and more.

 

With this rapid growth in programming comes rapid growth in infrastructure, and the need for space to conduct comprehensive, integrated case management, hold therapy sessions, set up safe, drop-in space for youth, and ensure privacy and confidentiality for all services. 

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Renting is not an option for many reasons, including the potential for price hikes and the lack of available facilities to meet our needs. The costly properties that are available for rent tend to be poorly accessible by public transportation, lack sufficient parking and need even more money for improvements. We need space where our volunteers and employees and constituents feel safe to work, volunteer, and receive services. 

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What Does The Center Do?

The Center addresses disparities (health, economic, educational, and social) through a housing-first model and a harm reduction approach. The Center promotes the dignity of those we serve and their inclusiveness through the delivery of many unique programs, including:

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  • FREE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: More than 85 people are served each week.

  • UNICORN HOMES SERVICESAddressing the housing crisis and preventing homelessness.

  • UNICORN VILLAGES A shelter cottage model for collaborative transitional housing for ages 18-29.

  • PROJECT YOUTHProviding support and advocacy for youth aged 8-29.

  • GENDER ADVOCACY: Supporting the journey of our trans and non-binary individuals.

  • FOODIES & GOODIESAddressing food insecurity for families and seniors.

  • CASE MANAGEMENT: Addressing economic marginalization while empowering people to thrive.

  • HIV SERVICES AND PREVENTION Connecting individuals to testing, screenings, and healthcare.

  • REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICEConnecting people to health services, education, and autonomy choices.

  • IMMIGRATION SERVICESSupporting migrants and LGBTQI+ people through their path of citizenship.

  • MEDICAL ASSISTED TREATMENT: Supporting those with substance use disorder.

  • STOP THE HATEA program funded by the State of CA to prevent hate in our communities.

  • CULTURAL AWARENESS TRAININGWorkshops to educate, inform and empower our allies.

Why 1919 Apple Street?

This ideal space was once the location of a seasonal shelter. It is located close to public transportation and on the same street as other nonprofit organizations that we work with.

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Our vision for the new space is for the Center to become a cultural hub and gathering place for our community that is both collaborative and open. A secret to the success of the Center is its colorful, warm, and inviting environment, which is more like a home than an office space.

 

Entertainment and cultural events, health fares, and other events will be held in the spacious parking lot. In addition, the Center is in an area where the City of Oceanside is building 100% affordable units. Our goal, after the purchase, is to partner with local non-profits builders to explore the possibility of building affordable units above our space to offer temporary and long-term housing to those in need.

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Exclusive space will be dedicated to safe and supervised youth gatherings. This will be a space where youth can drop in after school and be engaged in volunteerism and other activities and where school folks can visit to learn about LGBTQI+ people and services with a goal of increased safety, familiarity, comfort, and competency. 

 

An additional exclusive space will be dedicated to behavioral health services. At the same time, behavioral health services will be safe and secure on site and within easy reach of collaboration with case managers, advocates, and other services. This is the only behavioral health department in the San Diego region that provides gender affirming care and services for transgender and non-binary community members. 

 

Finally, space will be dedicated to senior services, case management, food distribution, service delivery, and community gatheringand networking.

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