Gay Community Center of Richmond

Virginia's General Assembly Honors the Gay Community Center of Richmond On January 17, the Senate of Virginia gave final approval to HJ144, a resolution introduced in the House of Delegates by Richmond Delegate Jennifer McClellan. The resolution commends the Richmond Gay Community Foundation and the Gay Community Center of Richmond for its work since 2000 "serving the Richmond LGBT Community." Delegate McClellan represents the portion of the city of Richmond that the Center calls home. A long-time supporter of the Center, its mission and Richmond's LGBT community, Delegate McClellan introduced the resolution on January 8. She was joined by Delegates Mayme BaCote of Newport News, Adam Ebbin of Arlington, David Englin of Alexandria, David Poisson of Sterling and Stephen Shannon of Vienna as patrons. The resolution passed the House of Delegates on January 11. In the resolution, Delegate McClellan noted that the Center has awarded nearly $450,000 in direct support to other community organizations and that its operations involve volunteer efforts designed to provide support for LGBT citizens in need. Delegate McClellan made special mention of the Center's work to "to establish a permanent, multiple-use facility that will serve the Richmond LGBT community for years to come." FULL TEXT OF THE RESOLUTION HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 144 Offered January 9, 2008 Prefiled January 8, 2008 Commending the Richmond Gay Community Foundation. ---------- Patrons-- McClellan, BaCote, Ebbin, Englin, Poisson and Shannon ---------- WHEREAS, the Richmond Gay Community Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to raise funds "to improve the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people" in the Richmond community; and WHEREAS, the Richmond Gay Community Foundation is the parent organization of the Gay Community Center of Richmond (GCCR) that operates two major fundraising enterprises?Diversity Thrift Store and Diversity Bingo; and WHEREAS, Diversity Thrift, which is one of the largest thrift stores in Richmond, opened its doors in August 2000 and Diversity Bingo began operations in October 2002; and WHEREAS, the hardworking volunteers of Diversity Thrift and Diversity Bingo stock shelves; sort, tag, and hang clothing; sort and stock books and music; display furniture and antiques; drive the delivery trucks; run the retail and fundraising operations; and help staff the Bingo games; and WHEREAS, since its inception, GCCR has been able to award $248,608 in grants to programs that benefit lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens in need in the Richmond area, and the organization has donated $199,416 to nonprofit organizations that benefit the LGBT community; and WHEREAS, the Richmond Gay Community Foundation expects to continue to expand its mission and services over time, enabling the organization to provide millions of dollars to programs that benefit LGBT citizens in need, and to establish a permanent, multiple-use facility that will serve the Richmond LGBT community for years to come; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend the Richmond Gay Community Foundation on its many achievements; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Richmond Gay Community Foundation as an expression of the General Assembly's appreciation for the organization's efforts to aid worthy programs and charities that help citizens in need in the Richmond community. Delegate McClellan and her co-patrons can be contacted at these addresses. Take a moment to thank them for their efforts to pass this resolution that publicly recognizes the good work we all do to support our community and to make Richmond a better, more welcoming place. Delegate Jennifer McClellan Delegate Mayme BaCote Delegate Adam Ebbin Delegate David Englin Delegate David Poisson Delegate Stephen Shannon