As Gaslowitz Frankel continues our charitable giving program to celebrate the firm’s 25th anniversary, attorney LeAnne Gilbert has chosen Lost-N-Found Youth for her donation.
When I asked Leanne to discuss the reasons behind choosing her non-profit, she shared this story.
When Gaslowitz Frankel offered the opportunity to make a significant donation to the charity of my choice, I passed that opportunity on to my eleven-year-old daughter, Avery. Avery has always been an advocate for those in need, and I knew she would relish the chance to make a difference.
Avery knew immediately which organization she wanted to support. As a sixth-grader and a member of her middle school’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), she had attended the 2014 GSA Georgia Youth Summit at Agnes Scott College. While there, she learned a great deal about the issues facing LGBT kids and heard from various organizations trying to address those problems. When Avery came home from the experience, she spoke of how Lost-N-Found Youth, Inc. did great work in supporting Atlanta’s LGBT youth population.
Studies estimate there are currently 1.6 to 2.8 million homeless children between the ages of 12 and 17, and as many as 40% of that group identify as LGBT. A 2012 study by the Williams Institute found that the family rejection or abuse suffered by these young people when they come out as gay, bisexual, or transgender is the overwhelming reason they find themselves homeless. 43% of homeless LGBT youth report being forced out of their homes by their parents after coming out. An estimated 46% percent run away after rejection or abuse by their immediate family.
After finding themselves homeless, LGBT youth often face discrimination in alternative housing programs, which is often compounded by institutionalized discrimination in federally funded programs. These kids are twice as likely to be asked to trade sex for money or housing, and they are eight times more likely to attempt suicide than LGBT children who have not been rejected by their families.
Lost-N-Found Youth is the only organization in Atlanta specifically working to take LGBT homeless youth off the street and transition them into more permanent housing arrangements. Lost-N-Found Youth currently operates a 6 bed housing facility in Atlanta and also provides emergency clothing and food, mental health evaluations, counseling, assistance obtaining identification cards, GED training/testing, and help with resume writing and interview skills training for its clients.
The organization also operates the Lost-N-Found Youth Community Thrift Store as a means of providing a self-sustaining funding source and job opportunities for the individuals it serves.
Lost-N-Found Youth is working to expand its transitional housing program to provide beds for up to 18 clients and to open a drop-in center for clients who are not yet ready, willing, or eligible for a transitional living program.
After meeting the staff at Lost-n-Found Youth, Avery became even more dedicated to the cause. She and her stepfather recently spent an entire Saturday at the site that is being renovated for the expanded housing facility, knocking down walls with hammers and goggles.
We are grateful to Gaslowitz Frankel for the opportunity to support this important organization and to Rick Westlake, the Executive Director of Lost-n-Found Youth, for giving Avery a chance to make a real difference for a cause she loves.
About the Charitable Giving Project
To mark the firm’s 25th anniversary, Gaslowitz Frankel has decided to give back to the community that has been instrumental in our growth. Our attorneys and staff will choose 25 charities to be the beneficiaries of $500 contributions throughout 2014 calendar year.
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