Affirmations LGBTQ+ Non-Profit Community Center 

By Alyxander LaBranche

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Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center is a nonprofit that specializes in helping the queer and the marginalized, supporting them mentally, physically, financially, socially, and politically with their services evolving based on community needs.

 

They offer support, discussion, and social groups on varying topics offered both in person and online to learn more take a look at their website or here for links to resources. 

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Behavioral Health Services provided:

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• LGBTQ+-affirming therapy

• Covid-19 Services and vaccinations

• Name and gender change assistance

• Youth programs, homelessness assistance

• Health services
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Justin Bettcher

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Justin Bettcher, Community Engagement Manager, said, "Our most utilized, our biggest program at this point right now is our behavioral health program. We have three therapists on staff full time, a care manager who is also a therapist, multiple interns, seven or eight therapy interns who also see clients, and three care coordination interns".

 

They partner with churches and many other community programs with similar missions in southeast Michigan to help provide more than what they offer in-house. They help people connect with other professional counseling services and where to go for HIV and STI testing or similar medical services. They provide information and access to hygiene equipment and supplies, free food services and pantries, legal aid, crisis hotlines, and shelters.

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Volunteering

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Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center relies on volunteers and donations. Click here for info

 

"Volunteer, or if you don't want to volunteer, donate, not even to affirmation but any organization that has a similar mission. Some people would rather give money; that's their idea of involvement; some people would rather give their time. If they can't do either, just to be aware of the issues." – J. Bettcher

 

Awareness of community outreach and services and spreading that wealth of knowledge and connection also contributes to giving back. Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center wants to increase awareness of the community and what they have to offer in their programs.

 

"Our mission, our target demographic is the LGBT+ community, but that's not our deciding factor," Bettcher said. "We make sure that we do our best to help. We know a lot of our programming is geared toward caring for the LGBTQ+ community, but we don't turn anyone away. I wish more people knew of that full community engagement."

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Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center was founded in 1989, and its goal then was to fight for acceptance and basic human rights for the LGBTQ+ community.