UPLIFT OUTREACH CENTER — July 18, 2019 Spartanburg SC
Spartanburg’s first LGBTQ+ youth center, Uplift Outreach Center, will be housed at Fernwood Baptist Church on the East side of Spartanburg. This will be the first LGBTQ+ youth center in Upstate South Carolina.
The center’s purpose is to provide much needed safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults in Spartanburg and the surrounding areas.
“We are committed to creating an environment shared by community leaders who will assist us in providing community resources.”
About the Event
The open house is scheduled for Thursday, August 1st from 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm. The potluck style event is open to the public and anyone in need of the services provided there are welcome. The organization will introduce its new board of directors as well as hold a drawing for a pair of tickets to the Indigo Girls at the Peace Center this September. Visitors will be able to speak with board members and learn about the resources that will be found there as well as organization involvement and future plans.
Donations will be graciously accepted at the event or can be mailed to ℅ PFLAG Spartanburg, PO Box 7056, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29304.
About the Center
The center is separate from the church with its own entrance, restrooms, and gathering spaces. This includes a kitchen, foosball, pool table and other areas where youth can come to find support, do homework and participate in after-school socialization in a safe, welcoming space.
The Uplift Outreach Center is located inside Fernwood Baptist Church. The church is within walking distance of the SPARTA Hillcrest bus route. The private entrance is located on Greengate Lane behind the Aldi grocery store.
Organization Needs
Uplift Outreach Center is currently in the process of securing its 501c3 status and is in need of volunteers to work at the center and supervise activities one day per week from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm. All volunteers will be responsible for completing a SLED check before being approved. The founding members are also working to build a board of directors as well as recruiting supporting advisory members to further develop the organization.
Ongoing funding for the center will be imperative to pay rent, provide snacks, activities and other resources for youth. The center hopes to be able to expand and secure its own permanent location within the next five years to better serve the LGBTQ youth and adult communities. The mission of the outreach center is to provide a central location for mental health providers and other organizations serving LGBTQ individuals to better reach the Upstate community.
More Information
For more information regarding the Uplift Outreach Center, please email contact@upliftoutreachcenter.org
Donations for the outreach center can be given at PFLAGSpartanburg.org.
More information about PFLAG Spartanburg can be found at their website at PFLAGSpartanburg.org.For more information you can visit UpliftOutreachCenter.org and you can also follow Uplift Outreach Center on Facebook for more information about upcoming events and progress about the Uplift Outreach Center.
