Out Youth Announces StandOUT Partners Giving Circle

In August, Out Youth announced our new donor appreciation program – the Out Youth StandOUT Partners giving circle.  

Out Youth is fortunate to have the support of so many community members, and we would not be able to provide the life-saving services we offer our youth without our generous donors.  As a way to recognize donors who give $1,000 or more in a calendar year, we have established this new initiative to keep donors more connected to the organization, and make sure we stay more connected to our donors.

StandOUT Partners will gather a few times a year at special events to hear directly from the staff, our youth and our board of directors.  We will share the latest news about Out Youth, as well to listen to donors to make sure we’re addressing their goals and desires. 

If you’re a StandOUT Partner – thank you. If you’d like to become a StandOUT Partner, contact us at hello@outyouth.org or call us at 512-419-1233. We’d love to talk to you. 

From the 2016 Glitz Gala Chair

Four years ago, I volunteered to assist with Out Youth’s fall event Glitz. A dear friend had introduced me to the organization and after meeting with staff members Aubrey Wilkerson and Kathryn Gonzales, I quickly saw the dedication and love that surround Out Youth’s mission; to promote the well-being of sexual and gender minority youth so they can safely explore and affirm their identities. I was “in” and eager to lend a hand.

From that moment forward, volunteering with Out Youth has been nothing short of an amazing experience. I have watched an organization grow to serve more and more youth, and I have met incredible community members who, like me, understand the importance of and need for Out Youth. In 2015, I joined the Board of Directors and it has been a privilege collaborating with this group as we aim to empower and protect our youth. 

Now, four years later, volunteered for numerous Out Youth events, I am chairing Glitz 2016.  I am fortunate to have assembled a fabulous committee who are going to make this year’s Glitz the most talked about event of the fall. We promise awesome auction items and delicious food and drink. This committee is making me look good.

I encourage you to attend Glitz, to join me in support of a house that helps so many. Every donation, every dollar, positively impacts the organization and youth we serve. It takes many dedicated friends and businesses for Out Youth to continue its mission. So please join me on Saturday, October 22 and enjoy a fabulous night out while enriching the life of another. 

Announcing New Out Youth Press

About a year ago Out Youth established its very own in-house publishing program at our  youth drop-in center called Out Youth Press. Using available resources available -- paper, markers and our youth’s ideas – we have created a number of wonderful small books and magazines. 

Some of our recent projects have included:

• A zine (a short magazine) about HIV stigma;
• “Identity Comics” (i.e. comic strips about different aspects of a person’s identities); and “A Beginner’s Guide to _______,” which is our latest project. It’s a series of small books about topics our youth know a lot about like gender identity, sexual identity, and self-care. 

These books will be featured alongside other resources offered in the drop-in center for anyone to read. This fall we will be anthologizing some of the projects our youth have created. This anthology will feature poetry, photography, illustration, essays, collage, and even some recipes.

This project encourages and nurtures the creativity and insightfulness inherent to our youth. We hope to continue to use this program in order raise the voices of LGBTQ+ youth, emphasize the importance of telling your own story and empower our youth to believe in the strength of their own ideas.

Aubrey Wilkerson Accepted for 2017 Leadership Austin Essential Class

Out Youth proudly announces that our Executive Director, Aubrey Wilkerson, has been accepted for the Leadership Austin Essentials Class of 2017.

One of the reasons Aubrey was selected is because of his experience related to issues facing the LGBTQ+ community and our youth. Leadership Austin will help Aubrey evolve his leadership style, and deepen his understanding of the issues that will impact Out Youth’s work now and in the future. Out Youth’s Board of Directors unanimously voted to fund Aubrey’s Leadership Austin class dues because of the opportunity it represents for both Aubrey and our organization.

Leadership Austin was founded in 1979 by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce with a mission to provide leadership training to emerging and established leaders in Austin. Participants develop leadership skills, learn about the issues affecting Austin, and build relationships with others seeking to find creative solutions to the problems facing the Central Texas region.

Out Youth Gets a Home Makeover Thanks to Volunteers from HomeAway and Native Edge Landscape

A team of volunteers and landscaping professionals descended on Out Youth September 9 and within a few hours, transformed the look of our home. This was HomeAway Austin’s 2016 Day of Caring project.

Staff from HomeAway Austin and the dedicated crew from Native Edge Landscaping teamed up for for a day of service. They dug, scraped, painted, pressure washed, planted, and created a new outdoor space for our youth to enjoy

The biggest transformation was the backyard where they laid down crushed gravel, relocated our stage, painted our benches, created new outdoor tables, and strung magical patio lights. Our youth were stunned by the transformation, as you can see in this Facebook Live video when we revealed the makeover during Drop-in night two days after volunteers completed the landscaping project.

Volunteers also planted new landscaping in front of the house, spray-painted our faded wicker furniture, and replaced our aging porch fan with a new outdoor model.

Youth, staff and board members were thrilled with the results. Generous volunteers and community focused companies help ensure Out Youth remains a place that our youth can be proud to call their second home.

About HomeAway

HomeAway, based in Austin, Texas, is the world leader in vacation rentals with sites representing more than 1.2 million paid listings of vacation rental homes in 190 countries, and is part of the Expedia group family of brands.

HomeAway Austin Giving Committee chose Out Youth as a project for their “Day of Caring” for 2016 along with their parent company, Expedia.

About Native Edge Landscape, LLC

Native Edge Landscape, is not your typical landscape design firm. Founded in 2008 and grown from seed right here in Austin, Native Edge is a full-service landscaping business committed to responsibility—to the environment, the community, and their clients.