Drenched Fur 8 Announces Charity

Submitted by Gar Bear 73 on

The Drenched Fur 8 Committee is proud to announce this year's charity focus, the PERSAD Center.  Founded in 1972, Persad Center has been providing quality services to the Western Pennsylvania community for going on 40 years.  

Persad Center is committed to helping LGBT and HIV + individuals and the people who love them. Their staff of mental health professionals are trained to respond to the emotional needs of the LGBT community in a caring way that is sensitive, non-judgmental and culturally specific. Persad Center offers a variety of Clinical Programs and Service to fulfill our mission to increase the well-being of the community.

Persad Center, Inc. is the nation's second oldest licensed mental health center specifically created to serve the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Strengthening the region's LGTBQ communities and their allies, Persad Center seeks to increase the well being of sexual minority persons, all persons affected by HIV/AIDS, and the family members and significant others of these persons.  As a community counseling organization, they achieve this through:

  • counseling and therapeutic services for their target populations
  • prevention and well being services for the community
  • advocacy and support for individuals and groups affected by discrimination
  • training and education and research to increase understanding
The Erie office is licensed by the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare, and is being opened in response to a demand for and lack of specialized services for the local LGBT community.  This office opened in September 2011 and brings access closer to home and will provide the county with a resource for improving the human service system response to LGBT needs.

Why the Persad Center?  All of us have not necessarily had troubling times in our lives and possibly overwhelmed with handling ourselves. Even though society has been progressively becoming more acceptive, many in the LGBTQ community have unique challenges.

Over the years, Drenched Fur has helped several entities with our annual fund raising during the run.  Each year we hold a Silent Auction during the run weekend where attendees bid on various donated items ranging from gift baskets, to bottled wine to bear run packages.  This year we have a BIG item for guys to bid on and we'll be announcing it on our website in the coming weeks.

So join us for our next installment of Drenched Fur and help us raise funds for a worthy cause!

 

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