I recently received an email from David b (not me) and Brian, the hosts of "The Occasional Fag" Podcast, concerning a great work that needs your help.Here's the letter:Subject:* Help get the Johnson Center open -please read and foward7/25/07Dear Friends and Supporters:It was close to midnight at the shelter one night when my phone rang. The voice was familiar – a young man we knew, but hadn't seen in months– and panicky. "Kate, I'm trapped, he won't let me leave!" I knew we didn't have much time, so I asked for his address. Just as he blurted it out, there was a crash as the phone was grabbed from his hand. Then came thesmooth tones of an older man, a lawyer, who had been keeping this boy captive at his apartment using drugs to keep him docile. As he tried to convince me nothing was wrong, I scribbled a note to my staff: "call the police." Luckily, the police were able to get the young man out safely andbring him to our shelter.Experiences like these have taught us that, for homeless LGBT youth, crises can occur at any time. Parents don't schedule an appointment to kick their kids out; young people running from violent pimps don't do it on a 9am-to-5pm schedule; and young people who need help can't wait untilMonday morning.In order to meet these needs, we have created the Marsha P. Johnson Center, the nation's first 24-hour drop-in center for LGBT youth. At our 5,000 square foot space in Harlem, homeless youth will be able to shower, eat, wash their clothes, see medical and mental health staff and participate in a wide range of groups and activities – everything from a transgenderempowerment group to ballet class!But we need your help – the Johnson Center is almost complete, but we are $20,000 short of being able to finish construction, including safety equipment, without which the City will not allow us to open. So we are leading the "$20 Challenge". We know that many people want to help, butdon't have $20,000 – or even $100 – to give, so we want 1,000 people todonate $20 each.What you can do:1) Send your $20 (or more, if you can!) to: MCCNY/Homeless Youth Services446 W 36th St.NYC NY 10018 or go online to www.homelessyouthservices.org and click the "make a donation" link. Please put "$20 challenge" in the memo line. Contributions are tax-deductible.2) Circulate the letter – send it to everyone you know!3) Organize your friends – collect $20 from five people and send us a check for $100.4) Donate new or used furniture and other items – see our website:www.homelessyouthservices.org for a list of items needed at the Johnson Center.Thanks so much for being someone who cares about LGBT youth.Sincerely,Kate BarnhartDirectorMCCNY/Homeless Youth Services446 W 36th StNYC NY 10018(End of letter)I have already sent money to the Center via PayPal, and I am asking my listeners to send whatever donation you can afford. The importance of a great work like this can not be overstated. GLBT youth who have found themselves on the streets are vulnerable to...well...everything to which any homeless person is vulnerable. Plus, they have the stigma of being gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or transgendered on top of it. Isn't it worth a few minutes of your time and $20 of your money to ensure that this great work continues? It was for me!Thank you for your support.Intro and Outro Music:"Deep Cycle Discharge" by Podsafe Music Network artists Simon James and Derek K. Miller
