The Montrose Center LGBTQ Homeless Youth Programs Score Big at Super Bowl LI With Two Awards

Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation Selects Montrose Center Hatch Youth Program as Beneficiary

On February 3, 2017, as the city of Houston is preparing to host Super Bowl LI, the Montrose Center will be teaming up with Born This Way Foundation at the NFL Experience in support of their #KickOffForKindness campaign. The Montrose Center Hatch Youth Program was selected as a beneficiary because of its work on ending LGBTQ youth homelessness.

The award includes a financial award, swag and a social media partnership where Hatch Youth stories will be featured. Hatch will also be featured at the KindLI at Super Bowl LI’s NFL Experience in Houston. TheKindLI pop-up activation is part of the Foundation’s #KickOffForKindness campaign.

Born This Way Foundation was launched in 2012 by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. The foundation has dedicated the past two years to researching, learning and developing programs to connect young people in safe ways and empower them with the skills and opportunities that will inspire them to create a kinder and braver world. They achieve this by shining a light on real people, quality research, and authentic partnerships. We couldn’t dream up a better partnership, as we share the same commitment to support our youth, specifically within the services of our Hatch Youth programming.

In a world that is typically unkind to LGBTQ people, Hatch provides space and guidance to cultivate a generation of LGBTQ youth leaders who will make a braver and kinder world. Join us and the Born This Way Foundation in the #KickOffForKindness campaign this Super Bowl season in support of our youth and do not forget to tune in to watch Lady Gaga rock the halftime show. Follow the movement @BTWFoundation, @HATCHYouth and @Montrose_Center.

Founded in 1987, Hatch Youth Services is the oldest and largest LGBTQ youth program in Texas. The program is dedicated to LGBTQ youth, ages 13-20, to become positive contributors to society by providing a safe social environment, offering role models and peer support, and sponsoring educational and community outreach opportunities. Hatch leads the city-wide NEST Coalition to end youth homelessness by 2020. Last year our outreach workers found 242 LGBTQ homeless youth on the streets and this year we start rapid rehousing of homeless youth. Most recently the center has added special programs to include trans youth and youth of color. In last year alone, an astounding 867 youth were involved in Hatch Youth programming.

Super Bowl Host Committee Names Hatch Youth Services as Grant Recipient

Touchdown Houston is the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee’s charitable program, designed to provide a positive impact on the Houston community long after Super Bowl LI has been played. The program will donate a minimum of $4 Million, $1 Million of which is donated from the NFL Foundation, to non-profit organizations throughout the Community with a focus on three key areas: Education, Health, and Community Enhancement.

The Montrose Center was notified on Thursday that we are one of the grant recipients. The award amount will be announced after Super Bowl weekend, but this grant will serve homeless LGBTQ youth who are 13-25.

The Montrose Center has designed a comprehensive program for preventing LGBTQ youth homelessness. Last year the Center’s outreach staff completed 242 street interventions with LGBTQ homeless youth and helped hundreds connect to available services. Because of the Center’s extensive history and recognized expertise working with LGBTQ youth, the Montrose Center was selected to manage the NEST collaborative, a city-wide effort to prevent and end homelessness among adolescents and young adults who identify as LGBTQ by 2020. NEST has brought together more than 60 key stakeholders from multiple sectors, including LGBTQ centered youth services, child welfare, juvenile justice, public school systems, homeless services, philanthropy, employment and advocacy.

Following our work in the NEST collaborative, Coalition for the Homeless chose the Montrose Center to be a sub recipient of their HUD grant for Rapid Rehousing (RRH), specifically to provide housing and supportive services to LGBTQ youth (18-25). The Montrose Center will provide services in addition to those included in the HUD grant: integrated health care, life skills, and social needs.

The Touchdown Houston award comes at a critical time and will help the Montrose Center Hatch program fund the Rapid Rehousing program and add strength to the Center’s efforts to end LGBTQ youth homelessness.