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Louisville Youth Group (LYG), a 501c3, was created for LGBTQIA+ young adults (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual or allied). The primary target age was 13-20, but the nonprofit has found people searching for support for youth younger than that.

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Early in 2019, LYG began piloting a program for youth ages 12 and younger. In contrast with its standard programming, this pilot program involves parents. “Parental support is the number one preventive factor in young adult suicide. It’s a major reason to include parents,” says Jason Peno, LYG’s executive director. Teens within the LGBTQIA+ community are five times more likely than peers to commit suicide.

Sometimes kids need more than one home. That’s what young adults find at LYG —  a place to be comfortable. From hanging out one Friday night a month playing games to more structured learning focused on anything from health concerns to social development the other Friday nights of the month, LGBTQIA+ youth find a sense of belonging.

 

How You Can Help

Recurring donations are the best kind of support, Peno says. “Five dollars a month doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, but $60 a year pays for camp weekend or pays for one of our youth to go to Kentuckiana Pride in June.”

In addition to monetary support, LYG always needs volunteers, mentors, and board members. You can find out all of the ways to connect here.

Extra tidbit: Why being a mentor to a child whose life has been upended matters.

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