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Next Wave Impact | Driving diversity in early stage investing

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Next Wave Impact | Driving diversity in early stage investing

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Mardi Moore, Executive Director
Out Boulder County
mmoore@outboulder.org 720-346-1836 - cell

Bryn Long, Vice-President
Out Boulder County Board of Directors
blong@outboulder.org 469-877-3790
Out Boulder County Announces New Community Center to House Growing Programs and Services Marking a Major Milestone for the LGBTQ+ Community
BOULDER, CO - After more than 25 years of community activism and organizing, today, Out Boulder County announced their new community center. The 9,505 square foot building located at 3340 Mitchell Lane in Boulder will serve as the primary location for community services and programming, and Out Boulder County's administrative offices. The expansion was made to accommodate rapidly expanding programming and services, continued community engagement efforts, and the organization's growing staff.

"We did it. With the support of the Boulder County community, our services and programming have outgrown two spaces in the past seven years, leading us to begin a search for a true community center to house our programming and operations and provide a space that can truly belong to the Boulder County LGBTQ+ community," said Mardi Moore, executive director of Out Boulder County. "Because of the rich history of Boulder County's LGBTQ+ organizing and activism we have arrived at this major milestone in the history of our community."

The community center will include dedicated space for Out Boulder County's youth programming that reaches hundreds of LGBTQ+ youth each year, will provide ample space for the already robust transgender and BIPOC programming to continue to grow, and community trainings and workshops. The community will continue to be able to access some of Out Boulder County's programming at the downtown location including the Point! program and some social support services.

There will be space for other community groups that partner with Out Boulder County to host their events. Members of the community will be able to reserve and rent space for their own events in compliance with Out Boulder County policy.

In early fall, Out Boulder County began quietly raising money towards the down payment. These initial funds are the beginning of a five million dollar capital campaign which will be conducted over the next three years. A comprehensive planning process for the capital campaign has begun, including soliciting extensive community input.

"Out Boulder County is the strongest it has ever been. With the support of the community and their generosity through our upcoming capital campaign, we will be able to pay off the building and fund needed capital improvements to the space." said Bryn Long, vice president of the Out Boulder County Board. "The purchase of this building and the success of the upcoming capital campaign ensure that Out Boulder County will be around for years to come providing life-saving programming and services to the entire Boulder County LGBTQ+ community."

The community is invited to join Out Boulder County staff and board members for an open house celebration of the new space on January 25, 2022 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. (masks and proof of vaccination will be required). More details regarding the upcoming capital campaign will be provided at the open house.
Resources for Journalists:

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Out Boulder County Announces New Community Center to House Growing Programs and Services Marking a Major Milestone for the LGBTQ+ Community - Out Boulder County

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Mardi Moore, Executive DirectorOut Boulder County mmoore@outboulder.org 720-346-1836 - cell Bryn Long, Vice-PresidentOut Boulder County Board of Directors blong@outboulder.org 469-877-3790 Out Boulder County Announces New Community Center to House Growing Programs and Services Marking a Major Milestone for the LGBTQ+ Community BOULDER, CO - After more than 25 years of community activism and organizing, today, Out Boulder County announced their new community center.

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Powering the People Changing the World

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Resilia Awards $1,000 Micro Grants to Five Nonprofits

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Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence

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Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence

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Cecilia connected with SPAN through our Tri-city Latina Group and received individual counseling through our Outreach Counseling Program. Cecilia moved into our Transitional Housing Program in April of 2012 with her two daughters...

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Cecilia connected with SPAN through our Tri-city Latina Group and received individual counseling through our Outreach Counseling Program. Cecilia moved into our Transitional Housing Program in April of 2012 with her two daughters...

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Motivo connects therapists with vetted clinical supervisors from the beginning to the end of the therapist licensure process. We provide accessible, affordable supervision in a completely virtual environment.

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Kiva is the world's first online lending platform. For as little as $25 you can lend to an entrepreneur around the world. Learn more here.

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A Global Community of Radically Generous Women + Non-Binary Folks

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Coralus is a radically generous community supporting women + non-binary people with Activators helping businesses working on the World's To-Do List.

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The Boston University Center for Antiracist Research represents a collaborative research and education effort across multiple disciplines to build a world where racial equity and social justice prevail.

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The Center for Antiracist Research staff represent scholars, advocates, and thought leaders, driven by a deep commitment to antiracism, social justice, and racial equity.

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Racial Justice | Equal Justice Initiative

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EJI believes we must truthfully confront our history of racial injustice to repair its painful legacy.

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Gender Identity Policy Tally

"Gender identity" is a person's deeply-felt inner sense of being male, female, or something else or in-between. "Gender expression" refers to a person's characteristics and behaviors such as appearance, dress, mannerisms and speech patterns that can be described as masculine, feminine, or something else. Gender identity and expression are independent of sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual. Laws that explicitly mention "gender identity" or "gender identity and expression" primarily protect or harm transgender people. These laws also can apply to people who are not transgender, but whose sense of gender or manner of dress does not adhere to gender stereotypes.

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The Movement Advancement Project is an independent think tank that provides rigorous research, insight and analysis that help speed equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

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First Study On LGBTQ+ People And Vaccine Reluctance - Out Boulder County

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 1, 2021 Contact: Mardi Moore, Executive Director, Out Boulder County mmoore@outboulder.org , 720.346.1836 First Study on LGBTQ+ People and Vaccine Reluctance Out Boulder County has completed what may be the nation's first survey of COVID-19 v

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When a coronavirus task force in Boulder County, Colorado, was considering how to disseminate newly authorized COVID-19 vaccines in December, task force member Kaylin Gray had an idea: Why not survey the local LGBTQ+ community to find out their attitudes on vaccination?

The task force agreed the information would be useful, but they had to act fast. So Gray, a researcher, psychologist and treasurer of local LGBTQ+ organization Out Boulder County, designed a survey asking participants: If you could get a COVID-19 vaccine today, would you take it? The survey went out on social media in December and remained open into early January.

The Courage to Be Seen: Trans Women in South Florida

"If we could get 50 responses, wouldn't that be great?" Gray remembers thinking.

Instead, 272 people responded, and their answers revealed a surprising disparity: People who identify as LGBTQ+ were more hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 than straight people. Not only did the survey offer one of the first looks at vaccine hesitancy in the LGBTQ+ community, it also sparked action by local health officials to do something about it.

Now, others are taking note.

Mardi Moore describes herself as an "old-school lesbian" and longtime activist. She came to Out Boulder County, a community organization and advocacy group, as its executive director seven years ago. Since the onset of the pandemic, Out Boulder County has worked closely with county officials to tackle financial and mental health challenges in the LGBTQ+ community.

But the survey signaled a new challenge: While 84% of respondents said they would take an available COVID-19 vaccine, 9% said they wouldn't and 7% said they were unsure. Within that latter 16%, LGBTQ+ respondents were more likely to respond "no" or "unsure" than straight respondents (17% vs. 9%).

Meanwhile, the share of people assigned female at birth who answered "no" or "unsure" (18%) was twice that of people assigned male (9%). And among those assigned female, respondents who identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community answered "no" or "unsure" at a higher rate than those who did not. Within subgroups stratified by gender and sex at birth, the highest percentage of those who answered "no" or "unsure" were LGBTQ+ cisgender females at 26%, followed by transgender people who were assigned female at birth at 18%.

Among the 24 people overall who said they wouldn't take the vaccine, respondents cited concerns about safety, a lack of information and mistrust of the government. One person who said they wouldn't get the vaccine asked in a write-in section if it could have long-term effects or even cause death.

"I'd like to know how this vaccine may impact people with autoimmune disorders," wrote another person who said they were unsure.

Survey respondents also offered their thoughts on how public officials might support people in getting the vaccine, with options ranging from providing frequent messaging to going door-to-door to provide information. One requested that people of color and the LGBTQ community not be overlooked, and another called for respecting people's pronouns.

"Take their word for it and make it easy to get. In other words, don't require medical records, etc," a respondent wrote.

The survey does have its limits: It focused on one county of some 326,000 people and had under 300 respondents. Among those who provided such information, most respondents were cisgender and assigned female at birth, and nearly 90% were white. Less than 1% of respondents were African American.

Still, Gray says, the survey revealed intersections of vulnerability. For example, white LGBTQ+ people and people of color reported roughly the same rate of hesitancy.

"We think LGBTQ needs to be considered a vulnerable community in terms of hesitancy," Gray says.

For Moore, the survey highlighted an ongoing frustration for her: A lack of data on COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy in HIV-positive populations, as well as a lack of data on whether LGBTQ+ communities are getting vaccinated against COVID-19. In the U.S., gay and bisexual men are the population most heavily affected by HIV.

When Out Boulder County tried to compare their results to similar studies, they came up with nothing. And while Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data-reporting categories for federal partners and jurisdictions include the sex, ethnicity and race of a person who was vaccinated against COVID-19, the agency doesn't include sexuality or gender as an option.

The lack of data plays into the lack of trust "our community has with doctors," Moore says. Without this information, Moore says it's hard to design an intersectional approach: How do you message around vaccine skepticism to queer people who are also disabled or have HIV?

As of late February, vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna were the only ones to receive emergency approval for use in the U.S. Last year, Pfizer amended its vaccine trial protocol to allow the inclusion of people living with HIV. Moderna, whose initial exclusion of people with HIV from its clinical trial sparked a Change.org petition, announced in August its intention to enroll people with the virus.

Yet, in part because of small sample sizes in the trials, needed data on the vaccines in people with HIV is not yet available. The CDC acknowledges this, while also noting that people living with HIV may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19 and may receive a vaccine.

But simply adding another data column to be filled in is just part of the battle; getting the data from vaccine partners is another. Earlier this month, the White House said nearly half of race and ethnicity data on vaccinations was missing.

To combat vaccine hesitancy, Beyrer says large advocacy groups that have garnered trust in the LGBTQ+ community should play a role in sharing information on the vaccines, centering themselves as trusted resources. He notes that these efforts must be intersectional: The LGBTQ+ community includes people of different races and ethnicities, and of varied ages.

Beyrer also says it's important to deliver vaccinations in settings where people feel comfortable expressing their identity.

In Philadelphia, that's what the Mazzoni Center - an LGBTQ+ wellness organization and COVID-19 vaccine provider - aims to be. The center has administered more than 700 Moderna doses to date. Of its 7,500 patients, nearly 1,200 are transgender.

Care "should be affirming from the time you walk in," Tatyana Woodard, a community engagement specialist for the center, says of its gender-affirming model. "Your pronouns should be respected, your preferred name should always be addressed."

Woodard says Mazzoni Center workers have seen vaccine skepticism within Philadelphia's transgender community. To help counter it, she led a livestream during which she and a medical provider answered questions. Woodard, a Black transgender woman, also filmed herself getting vaccinated.

"There's a lot of stigma around COVID-19," Woodard says. "Being from a marginalized community, we don't have a lot of trust for government and medical providers."

Providing the vaccine directly in an environment where people know they will be respected has helped, Woodard says. But she adds the center has been responding well to the pandemic since the start, so it's a bit of disappointment for her not to see the same, targeted action on a larger scale.

Yet efforts to reach members of the LGBTQ+ community with vaccine messaging and the vaccine itself soon could get a needed data boost. Roughly an hour away from the Mazzoni Center - and inspired by Out Boulder County's efforts in Colorado - the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is planning to roll out a statewide survey on vaccination in the LGBT+ community, working with four similar centers elsewhere in the state.

A goal is for the data collection to be used to improve vaccination policies, says Adrian Shanker, executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan center. His organization is working with faculty members at Bryn Mawr College to receive institutional review board approval and analyze the data.

"We do want the ability to publish the results in ways that can be usable for improving access to the vaccine," Shanker says.

Unlike Out Boulder County's survey, the Pennsylvania survey will focus only on LGBTQ+ adults. Although the main focus of the survey will be vaccine hesitancy, the survey also will ask about compliance with other public health measures, including masking.

The results will be used to tailor the center's strategy for vaccinating patients, which Shanker says will be formed by trusted messengers in the community. The center already is asking known gender-affirming physicians around the state to get certified as vaccine providers.

But Shanker says surveys alone aren't enough: The LGBTQ+ community needs the CDC to collect more data as well.

"If we're not counted, we don't have the ability to best serve our community, to meet our community's needs," he says.

Back in Boulder County, public health officials are taking action after seeing the results of Out Boulder County's survey. Lizbeth Mendoza, a cultural broker for Boulder County Public Health who focuses on equity, praises Out Boulder County's commitment to collecting data and says the two organizations are working together: The public health department provides Out Boulder County with vaccine safety and efficacy information, she says, "and they tailor it to their community."

Additionally, Out Boulder County receives funding to devote to public health issues, including vaccination, as part of a countywide consortium of community health partners.

Moore says the organization has secured $5,000 that will go toward TV and social media ads explaining and promoting vaccination. The organization also plans to launch a vaccination site.

"We will have a vaccination station where our community can come and be seen in their full selves and get the vaccine," Moore says.

But with vaccine supply an issue in the U.S., Moore says her organization needs to think about how to retain trust. She says they won't even release a sign-up list for vaccines until they know the county has enough doses.

"So we don't further break and corrode the trust between the individual and health care," Moore explains.

Beyond learning that people wanted more information on the vaccines, Mendoza says the Out Boulder County survey underscores the value in public health departments teaming up directly with trusted community partners.

"Each community, they have their own separate messengers," Mendoza says. "So just getting to know those nuances of each community: how they like to be addressed, what are the messages that really impact them, (the messages) that really mean something based on what their experience is with the health care system. ... All we want is for everybody to get to a state of better health."

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Vaccine Hesitancy in the LGBTQ Community Poses Potential Challenge

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When a coronavirus task force in Boulder County, Colorado, was considering how to disseminate newly authorized COVID-19 vaccines in December, task force member Kaylin Gray had an idea: Why not survey the local LGBTQ+ community to find out their attitudes on vaccination? The task force agreed the information would be useful, but they had to act fast.

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LGBTQ+ COVID Impacts Survey Report, June 2021

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Press Contact:
Mardi Moore, Executive Director
Out Boulder County
Cell:720.346.1836 email: Sam Field, LPC, LAC
Field Therapy
Cell: 609.947.5955 email: Spanish Speaking Interview Can Be Arranged OBC Launches Mental Health Program for Medicaid and Uninsured Residents of Boulder County Boulder County, CO October 26, 2021 samfieldtherapy@gmail.com mmoore@outboulder.org
In response to the growing Mental Health crisis in the LGBTQ+ community, Out Boulder County is announcing the launch of our new program, The Point, with appointments available beginning November 1st. These therapeutic appointments are available to Boulder County residents who receive Medicaid and for those whose income qualifies for Medicaid but are currently uninsured.

The Point has been in development for 9 months. The program was conceived by Mardi Moore, Executive Director, after being made aware of 2 deaths by suicide in the LGBTQ+ community within 6 days. Mardi reached out to Li Brookens at Umbrella Collective and asked, "What can we do to better serve our LGBTQ+ community with a new model of services that will address the reality of there not being enough Medicaid-providing therapists who are LGBTQ+ inclusive."

A study released by Unwoven Ventures and Out Boulder County found the following barriers for our community: Cost, lack of available therapists, lack of LGBTQ+-affirming therapists, too overwhelmed to seek support and stigma.

Our solution to many of these barriers is the Point. Over the past several months OBC staff has worked hand-in-hand with therapists from Umbrella Collective and Field Therapy with the input of individuals from a community survey to design this program.

"I believe that the Point can and will save the lives of LGBTQ+ people by providing access to affirming care when it is most needed and facilitating access to ongoing support and treatment," said Mardi Moore, Executive Director of Out Boulder County. "I am proud of Out Boulder County, Umbrella Collective, and Field Therapy for their work to make this necessary program available to those in our community who struggle to access quality and affirming care most," she added.

The Point is an entry point for LGBTQ+ community members for mental health therapy and case management services. This program is for uninsured and income qualified or Medicaid/Medicare-receiving LGBTQ+ adults that offers immediate support and referrals. Our services are with LGBTQ+-competent providers, with bilingual/bicultural services available. This program will provide short-term therapy as individuals await placement into ongoing/long-term therapy. Although not a crisis line or long-term therapy, this program supports individuals in their efforts to navigate the mental health network and receive services at the same time. The Point is a collaboration between Out Boulder County, the Umbrella Collective, and Field Therapy.

The Point// El Puente is not intending to offer long-term therapy. One of the main goals of the Point is to connect LGBTQ+ community members to the already existing amazing community of therapists and providers. This program is intended to get people in to see a therapist within a few days and provides short-term therapy for three months or less to address immediate needs while connecting clients with a long-term mental health provider.

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Working independently and in collaboration, Out Boulder County facilitates connection, advocacy, education, research and programs to ensure LGBTQ+ people and communities thrive in Boulder County and beyond. http://www.outboulder.org/

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OBC Launches Mental Health Program for Medicaid and Uninsured Residents of Boulder County - Out Boulder County

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Press Contact:Mardi Moore, Executive DirectorOut Boulder CountyCell:720.346.1836 email: Sam Field, LPC, LACField TherapyCell: 609.947.5955 email: Spanish Speaking Interview Can Be Arranged OBC Launches Mental Health Program for Medicaid and Uninsured Residents of Boulder County Boulder County, CO October 26, 2021 samfieldtherapy@gmail.com mmoore@outboulder.org In response to the growing Mental Health crisis in the LGBTQ+ community, Out Boulder County is announcing the launch of our new program, The Point, with appointments available beginning November 1st.

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LGBTQ+ Mental Health Town Hall, 9/1/2021

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Ya que nuestra intención no es ofrecer terapia a largo plazo, estamos buscando esa ayuda a largo plazo en la increíble comunidad de terapeutas y proveedores de salud mental. Estamos trabajando para crear una lista de referencias que incluya terapeutas competentes con la comunidad LGBTQ +, que sean calificados y que tengan la capacidad de aceptar clientes adicionales. Nuestro programa está destinado a que las personas puedan ver a un terapeuta en unos pocos días y brindar terapia a corto plazo durante tres meses o menos, y para satisfacer las necesidades inmediatas mientras se conecta a los clientes con un proveedor de salud mental a largo plazo. Esperamos que usted pueda ser uno de esos proveedores y que las referencias funcionen en ambos sentidos. Si su consultorio no tiene disponibilidad, pero anticipa tenerla en unas pocas semanas, podríamos usarlo como referencia en cuanto usted tenga espacio para los clientes que esperan su disponibilidad.
Si está interesado en asociarse con nosotros, por favor complete este formulario.
Si desea saber más sobre nuestro programa The Point // El Puente, podemos programar una junta via Zoom para contarle más sobre nuestro programa y responder cualquier pregunta que usted pueda tener. Comuniquese con nosotros en thepoint@outboulder.org , en español puede comunicarse con David at david@umbrellacollective.org.

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Ya que nuestra intención no es ofrecer terapia a largo plazo, estamos buscando esa ayuda a largo plazo en la increíble comunidad de terapeutas y proveedores de salud mental. Estamos trabajando para crear una lista de referencias que incluya terapeutas competentes con la comunidad LGBTQ +, que sean calificados y que tengan la capacidad de aceptar clientes adicionales.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 7, 2022

Contacts:

Mardi Moore, Executive Director, Out Boulder County
mmoore@outboulder.org , 720.346.1836

Michal Duffy, Director of Education and Research, Out Boulder County
mduffy@outboulder.org, 828.773.9624
LGBTQ+ and BIPOC Youth Led Study on Youth and Young Adult COVID-19 Vaccination Finds a Strong Correlation Between Economic Disadvantage, Race, and Vaccination Status
BOULDER, CO -

Out Boulder County in partnership with El Centro AMISTAD and Unwoven Ventures with the leadership of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) youth created what may be the nation's first LGBTQ+ and BIPOC youth-led survey on COVID-19 vaccination uptake, acceptance, hesitancy, and resistance. A key finding of the survey is that economic disadvantage and race make a meaningful impact on vaccination rates and levels of acceptance.

"LGBTQ+ and BIPOC young people are too often ignored by the medical establishment and society. It was important to Out Boulder County and our partners to have youth lead the survey and to elevate voices in these too often ignored communities," said Mardi Moore, Executive Director of Out Boulder County which provides advocacy, services, programs and support to LGBTQ+ communities in Boulder County and beyond. "Understanding their views and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination is crucial to managing and ending this pandemic."

There were 420 respondents who met the criteria for inclusion in the survey. It consisted of 37 questions, was offered in both English and Spanish, and targeted youth ages 12 to 17 and young adults between the ages of 18 to 24. The survey was advertised by the staff and interns at Out Boulder County and El Centro AMISTAD through social media, direct marketing at events, outreach to partnering organizations, radio, school GSA networks, as well as yard signs in several locations.

There continues to be little research that examines the vaccination rates and attitudes toward vaccination of youth and young adults belonging to historically marginalized groups, such as LGBTQ+, Hispanic/Latinx, Neurodivergent and individuals with Disabilities.

"Studying vaccination rates as well as views, attitudes, and barriers to vaccination at these intersections of identities revealed valuable data that should inform efforts to promote vaccination," said Michal Duffy, Director of Education and Research at Out Boulder County. "The data clearly reveal that a person's socio-economic status and identity impacts their views toward vaccination and their successful uptake of the vaccine."

When it comes to understanding COVID-19 vaccine reluctance, this information is crucial to an effective community vaccination program, which requires participation by people of every age group and demographic.
Economic Status Impact on Vaccination Rates
A key finding of this study is that economically disadvantaged respondents have lower rates of vaccination overall. Economic disadvantage made a much more significant impact on LGBTQ vaccination rates as compared to non-LGBTQ vaccination rates. The following bulleted data points illustrate this key finding.

40% of economically disadvantaged LGBTQ young adults ages 18-24 are vaccinated, where as the vaccination rates jump to 86% for those who are economically resourced. 70% of economically disadvantaged LGBTQ youth ages 12-17 are vaccinated compared to 81% who are economically resourced.

All non-LGBTQ respondents ages 18-24, whether economically disadvantaged or resourced, have a 78% vaccination rate. For youth ages 12-17, economically disadvantaged non-LGBTQ respondents are vaccinated at a slightly higher rate of 61% than those who are economically resourced at a rate of 58%.

The results also showed a significant relationship between race, economic advantage, and vaccination rates. Economically disadvantaged Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) respondents have a significantly higher vaccination rate than economically disadvantaged White respondents.

For financially disadvantaged respondents ages 12-17, BIPOC youth reported a 68% vaccination rate compared to 57% for White respondents. For ages 18-24, the difference is even greater at 80% of BIPOC respondents compared to 27% of White respondents.

Vaccine Acceptance, Hesitancy, and Resistance
While economically disadvantaged respondents revealed lower vaccination rates overall, they reported higher rates of vaccine acceptance (50% vs 30%) and hesitancy (23% vs 11%) and lower vaccine resistance (27% vs 59%), than those who are financially resourced.

This demonstrates an opportunity to reach economically disadvantaged, unvaccinated youth through innovative community-based strategies.

Another important finding is that BIPOC respondents have a significantly higher rate of vaccine acceptance and lower vaccine resistance than White respondents; this trend also holds true for Hispanic/Latinx respondents in comparison to non-Hispanic/Latinx respondents. White, non-LGBTQ respondents reported the lowest vaccination rate compared to both LGBTQ and Non-LGBTQ BIPOC, as well as White LGBTQ respondents.

For unvaccinated participants who reported that they are willing to get the vaccine if it is easily accessible (i.e., vaccine accepting), the highest reported barriers were parent-related, followed by transportation and not knowing where to get the vaccine or the cost. "My parents don't want me to get the vaccine" was reported as the top reason for the following respondent groups: White, non-Hispanic, English as the primary household language, assigned male at birth, transgender, nonbinary, and LGBTQ respondents.

Additional cited concerns that present opportunities for educational outreach to youth and young adults include: impacts on fertility, interactions with other conditions, associated costs, and accessibility and availability of vaccines.

Regardless of vaccination status, all respondents have concerns. Overall, mental health (65%) and physical health (58%) are the greatest concerns.
Opportunities
The survey findings demonstrated three important opportunities to reach unvaccinated youth and young adults.

Community-based outreach and education strategies aimed at economically disadvantaged, unvaccinated youth have the potential to make substantial impacts on vaccinate acceptance and uptake numbers.

Accessible and accurate vaccine education for parents about the importance and benefit of vaccination for youth and young adults that also addresses common misconceptions could remove the primary barriers facing vaccine-accepting youth and young adults.

All education efforts should include clear and accurate information addressing commonly cited concerns in the survey data including: impacts on fertility, interactions with other conditions, associated costs, and accessibility and availability of vaccines.

The full research report is available here.
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About Out Boulder County:

For over 25 years, Out Boulder County has advocated, educated and provided services, programs and support to Boulder County's LGBTQ+ communities. Our public policy advocacy is more important now than ever. www.outboulder.org

About Centro AMISTAD:

El Centro AMISTAD creates opportunities and programs that promote health equity, education, and quality of life for the Latino community in Boulder County. https://www.elcentroamistad.org/

About Unwoven Ventures:

Through strategic partnerships, Unwoven Ventures leverages original research, impact investments and grants to build community and create a more equitable and just world.

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LGBTQ+ and BIPOC Youth Led Study on Youth and Young Adult COVID-19 Vaccination Finds Surprising Results - Out Boulder County

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2022 Contacts: Mardi Moore, Executive Director, Out Boulder County mmoore@outboulder.org , 720.346.1836 Michal Duffy, Director of Education and Research, Out Boulder County mduffy@outboulder.org, 828.773.9624 LGBTQ+ and BIPOC Youth Led Study on Youth and Young Adult COVID-19 Vaccination Finds a Strong Correlation Between Economic Disadvantage, Race,

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A new survey of youth and young adults in Colorado has outlined statistics surrounding vaccination rates and hesitancy by sexual orientation, gender identity, race, and class - and local community-based organizations in New York City say some of the numbers are aligned with what they are seeing on the ground.

The survey, " Colorado Youth & Young Adult COVID-19 Vaccine Survey Results," featured 420 individuals between the ages of 12 and 24 who responded to 37 questions in English and Spanish about COVID-19 vaccination from August 19 to October 31 of last year.

Eighty-three percent of transgender individuals said they had been vaccinated compared to just 67 percent of cisgender respondents, while 77 percent of all LGBTQ respondents were vaxxed - 12 percent higher than the vaccination rate among non-LGBTQ individuals. Non-LGBTQ respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 had a 78 percent vaccination rate.

Seventy-three percent of BIPOC LGBTQ folks said they were vaccinated, which was slightly lower than the 81 percent of non-LGBTQ BIPOC folks who said they got jabbed. There was a wider vaccination gap reported among white respondents, with 79 percent of LGBTQ white people saying they were vaccinated compared to 42 percent of non-LGBTQ white people. Furthermore, 68 percent of financially disadvantaged BIPOC youth were vaccinated compared to just 57 percent of low-income white youth.

Young adults below the age of 24 saw greater disparities, as 27 percent of low-income white people were vaccinated compared to 80 percent of low-income BIPOC respondents.

While low-income BIPOC respondents under the age of 18 reported higher vaccination rates than low-income white respondents, the survey found that 70 percent of low-income LGBTQ youth between the ages of ages 12-17 were vaccinated - 11 percent lower than their peers with greater financial resources. Meanwhile, 40 percent of low-income LGBTQ folks between the ages of 18 and 24 reported that they had been vaccinated compared to 86 percent of wealthier queer young adults.

Even as some low-income individuals reported lower vaccination rates, those numbers were not necessarily aligned with vaccine acceptance. The low-income respondents reported greater vaccine acceptance than the more resourced participants - 50 percent compared to 30 percent - and much lower vaccine resistance. Just 27 percent of economically disadvantaged individuals said they were reluctant to get the vaccine compared to 59 percent of wealthier folks.

"Understanding their views and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination is crucial to managing and ending this pandemic," Mardi Moore, the executive director of Out Boulder County, an LGBTQ youth advocacy organization, said in a written statement on January 10.

Moore said the survey helps to "elevate voices" of LGBTQ and BIPOC young people who "are too often ignored by the medical establishment and society."

Michal Duffy, director of education and research at Out Boulder County, agreed.

"Studying vaccination rates as well as views, attitudes, and barriers to vaccination at these intersections of identities revealed valuable data that should inform efforts to promote vaccination," Duffy noted in a written statement.

"The data clearly reveal that a person's socio-economic status and identity impacts their views toward vaccination and their successful uptake of the vaccine," Duffy added.

Out Boulder County partnered with El Centro AMISTAD and Unwoven Ventures to conduct the survey with the organization's youth and young people.

Dr. Uri Belkind, associate director of medicine, adolescent medicine, and clinical director of Health Outreach to Teens (HOTT) at the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, said the report helps provide insight for providers.

"This kind of report is critically important in helping healthcare providers - like us - better understand the challenges our clients face, to address health disparities in the adult population that can perhaps be stemmed earlier, as young adults," he told Gay City News in a written statement.

Why decline the shot?

Parental roadblocks were reported as the top reason why 55 percent of youth who said they wanted to get shots were not yet vaccinated. Nearly as many respondents reported side effects as their next biggest concern about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Belkind, a 45-year-old out gay man, agreed with the survey's findings, stating that clinicians have observed that "patients' families' stance on vaccination has indeed been a factor."

"This is most relevant in our population of patients who are still minors and are unable to consent on their own for the vaccine," Belkind stated.

Other patients cited "concerns that are popular in social media" and Belkind said they were also "not very receptive to factual information" about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.

However, Belkind said the clinic has seen a considerable decrease in hesitancy over time. A vast majority of Callen-Lorde patients have received at least one shot and patients are increasingly "reporting or requesting booster doses," he explained. State mandates have also made a difference, he said, and exclusion from social events due to vaccine requirements have been a motivating factor to 'just get it over with.'"

Vaccinating youth

Government influences proved to be important not only with mandates, but also with forming partnerships with community-based organizations. Together, agencies worked to vaccinate communities during the pandemic, as demonstrated in New York City.

Duffy underscored the importance of collaboration between public health agencies and community organizations, especially those serving historically underserved communities during the pandemic.

"Community-based organizations can serve as a trusted voice to reach underserved populations and offer visible representation that can contribute to higher vaccine acceptance and uptake," he said.

Bridget Hughes, an out lesbian chief program officer at Hetrick-Martin Institute, said city grants and collaboration with local government agencies boosted the organization's COVID-19 vaccination response for its 1,500 youth. The support allowed the organization to bring a health van to its offices twice last year, allowing clinicians to vaccinate up to 40 and 20 clients per visit, respectfully, and provide critical COVID-19 safety supplies.

"We're grateful for what we've got," Hughes said about the services and pandemic supplies HMI has received for its staff and clients due to its partnership with the city. "Marginalized communities trust that we're the ones to deliver."

Yet, improvements could be made. Duffy advocated for public health agencies to gather more sexual orientation and gender identity data. To increase vaccination rates for unvaccinated disadvantaged LGBTQ and BIPOC youth and young adults and their families, the survey team suggested targeted outreach and educational strategies addressing community concerns and questions.

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Survey Sheds Light on COVID Vaccination Numbers Among LGBTQ Youth

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A new survey of youth and young adults in Colorado has outlined statistics surrounding vaccination rates and hesitancy by sexual orientation, gender identity, race, and class - and local community-based organizations in New York City say some of the numbers are aligned with what they are seeing on the ground.

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About Us | Learn About WBP | Women's Bean Project

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Take a look at all the amazing conservation projects Jane Goodall and her team at the Jane Goodall Institute work on! They focus primarily on great ape research, sustainable living/agriculture, community education/female scholarships, and habitat restoration/working with low enforcement.

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At Trees, Water & People, our mission is to improve lives by helping communities to protect, conserve, and manage their natural resources.

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Another important aspect of the Fossey Fund's work to save gorillas involves working with local communities near gorilla habitat. In Rwanda, this is important because human population density is very high and very close to the protected areas where the gorillas live. In Congo, people still are dependent on the forest for food and other basic needs. By working together, communities can become more aware and able to participate in critical conservation efforts.

We do this in many ways, including working with key community leaders and even suspected poachers, and by bringing general educational opportunities to local people. Here are some of the highlights:

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Helping Communities Conservation is a Community Effort We believe that an integral part of successful and sustainable conservation is the involvement and engagement of local communities. That is why our tag line is helping people, saving gorillas. We believe that conservation succeeds best when it is a community effort.

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Over the last 20 years, Growing Gardens has brought sustainable agriculture education and food donations to over 136,000 Boulder County residents.

Growing Gardens' programs empower people of all ages, income levels, and abilities by reconnecting them with their local food systems and teaching gardening, cooking, and nutrition education.

Thousands of pounds of produce, as well as plant starts and seeds, are donated to low income community members to impart greater food security and hunger relief in our community.

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Over the last 20 years, Growing Gardens has brought sustainable agriculture education and food donations to over 136,000 Boulder County residents. Growing Gardens' programs empower people of all ages, income levels, and abilities by reconnecting them with their local food systems and teaching gardening, cooking, and nutrition education.

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Demand for goat milk and meat remains high, with the market in Nepal heavily reliant on imports. By learning animal management skills and getting access to feed and other resources to improve yields, many farmers are able to grow their businesses and incomes.

Training in animal management gives farmers the tools and expertise to make their farms more productive so they can raise healthier, larger goats that fetch a better price. They have been able to improve and expand their herds. And they have learned about better fodder and feed, and how the use of stalls and access to veterinary care keeps their animals healthy.

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Empowering Women Farmers in Nepal | Heifer International

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Demand for goat milk and meat remains high, with the market in Nepal heavily reliant on imports. By learning animal management skills and getting access to feed and other resources to improve yields, many farmers are able to grow their businesses and incomes.

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Bonobo Sanctuary, Wildlife Reserve, Education | Friends of Bonobos

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We rescue, heal, and care for bonobos, provide conservation education programs for children and adults, release bonobos to the wild, and help Congolese people improve their lives.

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Home - Ngamba Island chimpanzee Sanctuary uganda

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TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT 2023-2027 Background/context Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (Chimpanzee Trust) is a Not for Profit, Non-Governmental Organization that was established in 1998 to contribute to the quality of life of chimpanzees in a captive environment and ensure the survival of wild chimpanzee

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We're wishing you the best of luck in the next step of your career." "Our company is glad to have you, and we're grateful for your contributions towards chimpanzee Trust. May your new position bring you much happiness and fulfillment." "Your new team is lucky to have you on board.

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ABOUT CHIMPANZEE TRUST The chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Chimpanzee Trust) is a Wildlife Conservation NGO whose mission is to "Sustainably conserve chimpanzees in their natural habitats and provide optimum captive care to those who cannot survive in the wild.Chimpanzee Trust seeks to recruit suitably qualified, experienced, and competent

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Home - Ngamba Island chimpanzee Sanctuary uganda

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TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT 2023-2027 Background/context Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (Chimpanzee Trust) is a Not for Profit, Non-Governmental Organization that was established in 1998 to contribute to the quality of life of chimpanzees in a captive environment and ensure the survival of wild chimpanzee Continue reading We're wishing you the best of luck in the next step of your career."

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Global Affiliate Program - Village Earth

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Global Affiliate Program - Village Earth

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We are proud to represent and support so many amazing organizations around the globe. These organizations understand the challenges in their own community and environment and can generate creative locally appropriate solutions. They often, however, need additional support to gain greater control over the decisions and resources that shape their lives, whether it's cleaner water, [...]

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Save the Redwoods League has secured an opportunity to purchase a conservation easement on the 3,862-acre Weger Ranch. The League must raise $1 million in private philanthropy in order to complete the purchase of the $14 million conservation easement and protect Weger Ranch in perpetuity.

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Jyoti 1. What type of dance do you do? I do free style dance class but really I love b-boying. 2. Why do you love dancing? I love it because I think that dance is a gift that brings people together with creativity and music and also it is good exercise. 3. How do I...

Jyoti 1. What type of dance do you do? I do free style dance class but really I love b-boying. 2. Why do you love dancing? I love it because I think that dance is a gift that brings people together with creativity and music and also it is good exercise. 3. How do I...

Jyoti 1. What type of dance do you do? I do free style dance class but really I love b-boying. 2. Why do you love dancing? I love it because I think that dance is a gift that brings people together with creativity and music and also it is good exercise. 3. How do I...

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Jyoti 1. What type of dance do you do? I do free style dance class but really I love b-boying. 2. Why do you love dancing? I love it because I think that dance is a gift that brings people together with creativity and music and also it is good exercise.

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“We have the power to create the world we want to see every day.” - Maggie Doyne

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Bolingo Village - Global Orphan Foundation

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Bolingo Village, Global Orphan Foundation's main program, goes beyond meeting basic needs for orphaned children in DRCongo by providing a variety of educational opportunities, consistent medical care, a loving foster family, emotional and spiritual care, and so much more.

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Challenge

One child under the age of 5 dies of starvation every 3.6 seconds. For millions of kids, chronic malnutrition will result in stunting - a condition that stunts a child's physical and cognitive growth. Good nutrition is the foundation of child survival, health and development. Farms for Orphans is working to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in one of the world's lowest socioeconomic sectors- orphaned children- through small scale agricultural practices , starting in the DRC.

Solution

FFO provides food-insecure orphanages with the training, equipment and support to start their own farms. Specifically, we provide training in agricultural practices that are environmentally sustainable and climate-smart. For example, farming insects (a popular protein source in DRC) requires significant less land, feed and water to produce an equivalent amount of protein as typical livestock. Our programs provide youth, with little capital or land, the means to grow and sale their own food.

Long-Term Impact

We expect the effect of our program to be a decrease in malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and anemia. Furthermore, farming can bring economic empowerment to our partners through the sale of extra yields at market, transforming orphanages from a drain on the community to a community resource. Orphans may also learn the farming process, affording them the skills necessary to support themselves and become productive members of their communities.

Additional Documentation
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
Resources

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Feed DR Congo's Orphans through climate-smart ag on GlobalGiving

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The DR Congo (DRC) is one of the poorest and most food insecure countries of the world, and the country's 5 million orphaned children face particularly grave hunger and malnutrition. To address the challenge of under-nutrition in orphanages, Farms for Orphans provides training, tools and support to vulnerable youth in environmentally sustainable, small-scale agricultural practices including culturally accepted insect farming, beekeeping, fish and poultry production.

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I started my teaching career in the fall of 1991 at Foxcroft School, a boarding and day school for girls in Northern Virginia. The early 1990s were particularly interesting years to work at an all-girls school. We were at the forefront of a burgeoning movement to understand how girls learn, and my colleagues and I were tasked with implementing new methodologies and curricula in our classes to reflect this research.

As a new teacher, I had lots of questions as I tried to find my way through this work. Some of my colleagues argued, "The canon is the canon." Neither race, nor gender, nor any other type of identity could take away from a classic curriculum. Others were not convinced. They argued that 14-18 year-old women should see themselves in our curriculum and that re-considering our approach in light of what we now knew about girls' education was a long needed step in the right direction. I came to believe the latter, and the more I learned, the more convinced I was that curricular and pedagogical change was critical if we were going to reach our students more effectively.

During the previous Spring, Foxcroft School welcomed poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou who inspired a generation of students and teachers to think differently, and certainly more broadly, about race and gender. Even though I was not on the faculty then, I felt the profound effects of her visit through the experiences of those who had been in her presence. In particular, our students of color found inspiration and strength through powerful and proudly delivered recitations of Ms. Angelou's poems. I get goosebumps to this day when I remember watching performances of Still I Rise. The power of Ms. Angelou's words combined with the conviction of their delivery helped me better understand the students' experiences as young, African American women in a world wholly dominated by male whiteness, including my own.

I share this with you because I am asking Boulder Country Day's teachers and staff to adopt a similar mindset regarding anti-bias education. The reasons are many. Last spring the Association of Colorado Independent Schools conducted a deep dive into its accreditation standards; they are requiring member schools to review their diversity, equity, and inclusion practices as part of their accreditation process. Our vision states clearly that we teach our children to think critically, question bravely, and act responsibly. Doing so requires an inclusive approach, opening hearts and minds to ideas and possibilities that may have been previously overlooked. Schools that focus on anti-bias education have a greater chance at creating a true sense of belonging where all community members feel known and valued. School communities where all members feel known and valued are communities where student learning is maximized, and such communities draw evermore interest amongst families of all backgrounds because of that felt and known sense of belonging.

With this in mind, our professional development work this year focuses on gaining familiarity with the underpinning foundations of the Learning for Justice (formerly called Teaching Tolerance) Social Justice Standards, and how to utilize the Standards in developing curriculum. The Standards have four key domains - Identity: I know and like who I am, Diversity: I know how I am similar to and different from others, Justice: I know unfairness when I see it, and Action: I think I can change the world.

At their core, the Standards provide a framework for teachers to support students in engaging in dialogue and learning around all aspects of human identity, building self-awareness and pride, and developing the skills to advocate for themselves and others in respectful and effective ways. If you consider these Standards alongside our school's mission, vision, motto - and of course the Portrait of a Graduate - you'll no doubt recognize the complementary nature between them, and why they were decidedly the chosen framework for enhancing our work when it comes to anti-bias education at BCD.

If you were to visit the Learning for Justice website today, you'd see curriculum honoring and supporting Dr. Martin Luther King on the front page. You'd see resources for classroom teachers to facilitate classroom discussions to "offer a fuller account of King, his peers and the ongoing legacy of their shared dreams and actions." This is just one example of how to explore a specific topic or aspect of culture through an inclusive lens that allows our children to recognize the various ways in which people exist in the world, and to understand and respect people across both similarities and differences.

You'll likely begin to notice examples of how these Standards are being incorporated from your own children's experiences as we continue to live into this work. As always, our students remain at the center of our practice. Our partnership in these efforts is essential if we are to raise culturally literate children who are well prepared to navigate our increasingly diverse world. I urge you to join us in fulfilling our vision - thinking critically, questioning bravely, and acting responsibly. We'll surely make mistakes along the way, but we are committed to the journey.

Thirty years ago I began to learn about an approach to education that benefitted all of the students I taught at Foxcroft. I was inspired by those students to write my Master's thesis on developing a course in International Relations specifically designed specifically for high school girls. Today, I am equally optimistic. As I think about the "action" domain of the Social Justice Standards, I know that "world changing" is hard work. It's intense, reflective, and produces moments of joy and pain. But with strength, purpose, and partnership we can achieve this goal if we approach it one step at a time.

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I started my teaching career in the fall of 1991 at Foxcroft School, a boarding and day school for girls in Northern Virginia. The early 1990s were particularly interesting years to work at an all-girls school.

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We Demand Justice in Health Care

Everyone should have access to quality health care. But for millions around the world, that's not the reality.

50% of people across the globe lack access to essential health care.

94% of maternal deaths occur in low and lower middle-income countries.

Each day, 15,000 children die before reaching their fifth birthday.

FOLLOWING PAUL'S VISION

Dr. Paul Farmer (1959-2022) co-founded Partners In Health based on the belief that everyone deserves quality health care. Paul cared for the sick, trained generations of clinicians, and transformed health care policies-saving millions of lives and inspiring a movement toward global health equity. We carry forward his legacy and vision.
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YOUR IMPACT ON GLOBAL HEALTH INEQUALITY

With your support, Partners In Health delivered health care to the world's most impoverished places, partnering with local governments to bring about global change. Last year, we provided:

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Make health care accessible for everyone. Take the first step today.

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Partners In Health - Injustice has a Cure

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We believe quality health care is a universal human right. Around the world, Partners In Health fights injustice by providing care first to those who need it most.

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Home - Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence

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Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence

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Cecilia connected with SPAN through our Tri-city Latina Group and received individual counseling through our Outreach Counseling Program. Cecilia moved into our Transitional Housing Program in April of 2012 with her two daughters...

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Cecilia connected with SPAN through our Tri-city Latina Group and received individual counseling through our Outreach Counseling Program. Cecilia moved into our Transitional Housing Program in April of 2012 with her two daughters...