Each year, our beneficiaries are carefully chosen by the committee for the valuable services they provide the gay and lesbian community. This demonstrates our support for the many organizations that have a positive affect on the lives of thousands of gays and lesbians in the Washington, DC, area and across the country. CHERRY 9 is proud to again support these four worthy organizations this year.

THE WASHINGTON DC CENTER FOR GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE
www.thedccenter.org

Until recently, Metropolitan Washingon, DC was one of the few major urban areas that had no GLBT community center. With financial support of the Cherry Fund, however, that is no longer the case. The Center, as it is commonly known, was formally incorporated last year. Since its founding, the Center has been engaged in developing plans for a large-scale center to serve the community’s needs and interests. Not content to wait for those plans to be realized, however, the Center has already begun developing and producing its “Center Without Walls” programs geared toward strengthening the community and bringing its members closer together even before the first brick is laid. Also in the works for this year is the opening of a temporary space for the Center’s offices, community conference and meeting rooms, and a computer lab. In the past several years, the Cherry Fund has donated almost $300,000 to this worthy cause. The Cherry Fund will again make a donation to aid in the development of the Center this year.

GAY & LESBIAN LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
www.victoryinstitute.org

The Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute is recognized as the leading national political organization that recruits, trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates and officials. It is the only national organization committed to increasing the number of openly gay and lesbian public officials at federal, state and local levels of government. With over $12 million invested and thousands of wins secured, Victory today has hundreds of openly gay and lesbian officials on the frontlines in the battle against anti-gay public policies. Openly gay and lesbian legislators across the country, such as those in California, Massachusetts and Vermont, have educated and influenced peers, resulting in pro-gay policies and protections for the LGBT community. Victory is leveraging its success to tackle the anti-gay constitutional amendment, which will be fought in statehouses across the country. Their strongest advocates are openly gay and lesbian policy-makers, which are still lacking in 27 state legislatures.

SEXUAL MINORITY YOUTH ASSISTANCE LEAGUE (SMYAL)
www.smyal.org

SMYAL was founded in 1984 in response to reports that youth from DC who displayed gender non-conformist behavior were being sent to St. Elizabeth’s mental hospital. Initially providing volunteer sponsored support groups for youth, SMYAL has grown over 20 years to include daily programming and the purchase of two townhouses in Capitol Hill that serve as our Youth Center. Many of SMYAL’s programs operate out of this Center located at 408 7th Street SE (near the Eastern Market Metro station). SMYAL’s mission is to support and enhance the self-esteem of sexual minority youth and increase public awareness and understanding of their issues. The SMYAL youth community center provides a safe, non-judgmental environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, those questioning their sexual or gender identity, as well as our allies. It is the only organization in our region offering significant expertise in this area. SMYAL currently has four (4) key program areas: the After-School/Evening Drop-In Center, Clinical Counseling, Youth Outreach and Training and Education. The Drop-In Center is open four (4) evenings a week and is utilized by hundreds of youth annually. SMYAL also provides Outreach, HIV and Tobacco prevention programs and social marketing campaigns developed by our youth. SMYAL is currently working with several other regional organizations to develop services specifically targeting Latino youth and Northern Virginia youth as well as to expand our Maryland based services. They are also expanding social events and activities in the region.

THE MAUTNER PROJECT FOR LESBIAN HEALTH
www.mautnerproject.org

Now celebrating its 14th anniversary of dedicated community service, the Mautner Project for Lesbian Health is the national lesbian health organization. The Mautner Project’s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of women who partner with women and their families through direct services, research, education and advocacy. Through an innovative combination of local direct services and national outreach and education, the volunteer-driven Mautner Project plays a leading role in lesbian health education and promotion, provides technical assistance to lesbian health projects throughout the country, and coordinates the National Coalition of Feminist and Lesbian Health Projects. They educate healthcare providers on the special concerns of lesbian clients and increase access to healthcare for all lesbians through the nationwide dissemination of “Removing the Barriers,” their field-tested training program developed in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This year, they are launching the first national health education program for African American women who partner with women, called the Spirit Health Education Circle. They have also expanded their direct services program for lesbians with cancer.

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