Q Center Futures Project Second Town Hall: Feb 11!

Last Sunday, the Q Center interim board released a preliminary financial report and initiated an open discussion about Q Center's financial status and its past and future role in our communities. Please help us continue this conversation next week!! Q Center's second town hall will be held Feb 11, from 6:30 to 8:30pm in the Q Center auditorium. February's all-community town halls will focus on Restorative Justice and Info Sharing. Members of the Q Center Interim Board, Community Committee, and Advisory Committee will be present to listen, offer feedback and reflection, and answer questions about Q Center's current state. Presentation will include an updated financial report and Q&A. ******************* ACCESSIBILITY Q Center is wheelchair accessible and has gender-neutral bathrooms. Visual materials will be available in large font and ASL interpreters will be present. Let us know if there is anything else you need to make the town hall more accessible for you: leadership@pdxqcenter.org. *Note that Q Center has a capacity limit of 150 people. We encourage you to come early if you want to participate! ******************* At least 130 community members showed up for the first town hall conversation on Feb 1. Here is some of what we learned: * Financial overview is not enough! Community members wanted more detailed information and leadership accountability for how Q Center has arrived at such a bad financial state. * Many people feel at home at Q Center and depend on it for support and survival. We heard especially from Q Center volunteers, *eRa* program members, and affinity group leaders and participants about what an important resource Q Center has been for them. * Many people have not felt safe or respected at Q Center and are unlikely to participate in efforts to support it. Community leaders spoke up about Q Center's reputation for marginalizing or co-opting the efforts of African Americans and other people of color, trans women, and youth and young adults. * Individuals and groups have been impacted by Q Center, and so have other LGBTQ non-profit organizations. Outreach and repair is needed at all levels of the LGBTQ community ecosystem. ******************* If you can't make it to the town hall – or even if you can – PLEASE take a few minutes to respond to the Q Center Community Survey, closing Feb 15. Tell the interim board about your experiences at Q Center and what you hope will change or stay the same. General results and highlights will be reported back in an upcoming town hall: http://tinyurl.com/ndjetw4. Find out more about the interim board's Community Committee and the ongoing Community Conversations Project: http://www.pdxqcenter.org/its-transformation-time-the-q-center-futures-project-begins/. Sincerely, Athen O'Shea, Q Center Interim Board & Community Committee Co-chair Neola Young, Q Center Training Institute & Community Committee Co-chair