The Institute and Ali Forney Center Featured on the New York Times City Room Blog

The Institute for Family Health and the Ali Forney Center are currently featured in a post on the New York Times City Room Blog. The Ali Forney Center, which provides LGBT youth with housing and services at a drop-in location in Chelsea, was devastated by Hurricane Sandy; located just blocks from the river, four feet of water ruined desks, supplies, and valuable medical equipment. With the site unusable, all services at the drop-in site, including vital medical care, were suspended indefinitely. Thanks to support from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, the drop-in center has re-opened in interim space, and Institute clinicians have resumed offering medical care to this high-need and vulnerable patient population from the full-time 16th street location.

According to Carl Siciliano, the founder and executive director of the Ali Forney Center, the dedication and support of so many partners has not gone unnoticed. “If there’s a silver lining, it’s that so many people have donated that it’s resolved the issue of how I’m going to pay to renovate the [new] space.” The new site, a 9,000 square foot center, is projected to be fully open by March of 2013, with basic services available by Christmas. The Institute will continue to serve as the medical provider at the new site.