Fundraiser Meetup January 2025

Hi New Gay Friends,

We hope you have enjoyed the holiday season and are having a great 2025 so far!

We had to postpone our Holiday Fundraiser event that was originally scheduled last month. We are excited to announce the event’s rescheduling! Our 3rd annual Fundraiser Meetup will be on Wednesday, January 29th, starting at 7pm. The venue will be the East Village gay bar, Phoenix (447 E 13th St, New York, NY). We have had many meetups at this classic NYC gay bar in the past and are excited to welcome you here again to socialize with us, as well as help give back to the LGBTQ+ community in New York City!

Holiday Fundraiser
We are requesting a $5 donation in order to attend this event, since it is for charity unlike our usual meetups. More details:

• Donations will accepted in cash (there is an ATM at Phoenix) or via Venmo at the event.
• If you cannot make the event but would still like to donate, please do! You can send any donations on Venmo here: @Joe-Grivers
• You are welcome to donate as much as you’d like.
• The donation is optional.
• You may be asked for the donation when you RSVP to the event; if so, you can ignore it as all donations from event attendees will be made in person upon arrival.

All proceeds from this event will be donated to two local organizations:

1. The Ali Forney Center: an organization that helps shelter local unhoused LGBTQ+ youth (https://www.aliforneycenter.org/)
2. SAGE: an organization which supports the LGBTQ+ elder community in NYC (https://sagenyc.org/).

We’ve included more information about both of these charities below.

We look forward to seeing you on the 29th for a night of good company, connection, and philanthropy! Please reach out to us with any questions.

Your Organizers,

- James, Joe, & Juan

From The Ali Forney Center’s website:
The Ali Forney Center was founded in 2002 in memory of Ali Forney, a homeless gender-nonconforming youth who was forced to live on the streets, where they were tragically murdered. Committed to saving the lives of LGBTQ+ young people, our mission is to protect them from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently. A 24-hour program, The Ali Forney Center never closes its doors. We provide more than just a bed and food for those in need — from initial intake at our drop-in center to transitional housing and job readiness training, we provide homeless LGBTQ+ youth a safe, warm, supportive environment to escape the streets.

From SAGE’s website:
SAGE is the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) older people. Our mission is to lead in addressing issues related to LGBTQ+ aging. SAGE offers innovative services and programs to LGBTQ+ older people throughout New York City and nationwide with partners across the country. From arts and culture, to health and wellness, and much more, SAGE’s innovative services and programs support thousands of LGBTQ+ older people in communities around the country.