As many of you know, I have served on the board of Affirmations LGBTQ community Center for nearly six years. The center provides a welcoming space and programming to a great portion of Southeastern Michigan. Over the past few years the pandemic not only challenged our center but it also opened avenues in other ways to expand our virtual and online programs. This allowed the center to become a harbor for those that could not physically visit the center due to distance or safety reasons.

I am asking once again for your generosity and support of the center for my 65th birthday. The center is a lifeline for both youth that have need to find a new family of support as well as seniors that are not as a fortunate to have family and friends like you in their lives.

With all the negative political ads spewing lies and hatred for LGBTQ community, we need all the ally's we can muster. So if you find it in your heart and have the means, I ask that you join my birthday fundraiser. And to assure you that it means that much to us, Rob and I will match your donations dollar for dollar in our annual contribution to the center.

Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center was founded in 1989 with a mission to provide a welcoming space where people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and cultures can find support and unconditional acceptance, and where they can learn, grow, socialize and feel safe.

Our goal then was to fight for acceptance and basic human rights for our LGBTQ+ community. We proudly celebrate Ferndale Michigan as one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly cities in the United States.