FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nov 19, 2019

​

Message from Staff and Board

​

Beloved Community,

 

Rainbow’s leadership team, staff, and the Board of Directors are writing today to express our gratitude and provide updates about Rainbow Community Center. 

 

Over the years, with your support, our community has consistently been there and helped Rainbow’s staff and leadership to provide services and programs through volunteering, fundraising, and sharing ideas for growth and improvement. We sincerely thank you for your time and efforts; no matter how large or small the act, it has made a difference. 

 

In an effort to be more transparent with you, our community, we are sharing our plan to manage Rainbow’s financial stability, maintain services and programming, and support staff through the holiday season while we search for the right Executive Director to lead Rainbow moving forward. We know that we will get through this challenging time with the support from each and every person who loves Rainbow and believes in the work we do - this includes you! 

 

The staff leadership, with Board support and input from all staff, have outlined a plan to save fiscal resources, while maintaining services and programs that our community needs. The goal is to reduce costs by approximately 25% over the next three months and raise as much funding as possible.

 

The Center will be closed:

• Mondays from now until the end of January

• 12/23/19 - 1/3/20 for winter break (food pantry will remain open)

 

Please note: 

1. We will continue to hold group meetings on Monday evenings, including our Gender Voice and Men’s HIV Support groups.

2. Clinical staff will be offering alternate dates or tele-therapy for counseling or case management to clients who have Monday appointments. 

3. Staff assigned to provide services on Mondays at a college or school will still do so through the closure period.

4. In the absence of an ED, the leadership team will support staff and community members in daily operations and the Board President will be available as needed and maintain oversight of grants, contracts, and overall operations. 

 

Because this plan reduces staff hours, we are asking the community to help! We want to be mindful that we are not asking staff to do more work in fewer hours during an already stressful time of year. We know we are asking a lot of ourselves and our community and that this will disproportionately affect our most marginalized members: trans* Black women, QTPoC, LGBTQ+  neurodiverse, and LGBTQ+ disabled community members.  

 

We can address the challenge of keeping Rainbow active and thriving with your support. Rainbow is your Center. It is a home for all of those in our community who need and want a safe place to go for friendship, love, and support. Together we have the power to lift each other up and build a better, brighter Rainbow that is able to serve our LGBTQ+ community for many years to come

.

Ways you can help:

• Support fundraising efforts (donate, attend a special event, etc)

• Spread the word about Rainbow (share on social media, tell a friend)

• Volunteer your time (email volunteer@rainbowcc.org to sign up)

• Attend Board Meetings (see rainbowcc.org/board-of-directors)

• Recommend new board members, or apply yourself! 

 

If you have any questions about the Center’s transition please do not hesitate to reach out to the Board President at dodi@rainbowcc.org

 

In Solidarity,

Staff & Board