Atlanta

Today was a really wonderful day that is quite difficult for me to put into words, but for the sake of this blog, I'm going to try.

We began the morning in Atlanta at Georgia State University where we met up with Terrence, the representative for Youth Pride. YP is an organization that provides several types of services to LGBTQ individuals aged 13-24 in the Atlanta area. And when I say several, I mean it. Here are just a few that I can think of now:

Counseling

24/7 Helpline

Health clinic

HIV testing

Groups

Recreation

Movie night

And the best part is that all of those services are free for the youth accessing them. Terrence told us today that in the last year, Youth Pride has directly prevented 22 suicides. There are 22 individuals living well in Atlanta due to the incredible efforts of YP staff. Allow me to mention again the feeling I've been getting when meeting individuals from these organizations. I am completely blown away by their passion, talent, and dedication to what they do. 

We spent the morning with Youth Pride handing out cards and spreading awareness for YP and the services offered. Several of the students were very receptive to our message and it felt great to point them in the direction of great resources. 

After service, we returned to the bus and had a conversation that became really important and really drove home the point of what we were all doing on ABT. The work we've done this week wasn't necessarily directly with clients or individuals utilizing the services at these non-profits and sometimes that can make you feel like you aren't making a difference. But that is definitely not true! Everything we did this week, from painting, to cleaning a community center, to tabling made a HUGE difference for these organizations. Non-profits rely on volunteers to do the work that they may not have the funding or the time for. So take the time to drop off some donations, paint a wall, or clean an office. Help fill the gap that so many non-profits struggle to fill! 

We had some down time this afternoon before heading to the concert venue for our last Equality Village. Those of you following the hashtag may have seen the new ink that some of the ABTers got this afternoon...how cool is that? We've bonded intensely over this trip. I will likely never have another experience like this one.

And Equality Village rocked tonight. Being our second show, we were old pros at running all the moving parts involved in what you see when you visit. We had fun doing it and I think every one of us experienced something special.

Tonight I was selling raffle tickets when I was approached by a woman who wanted to buy 6 of them (!). She told me that her son had come out to her a few years ago and that she was completely accepting of him and only wished that he had told her sooner so he wouldn't have had to struggle alone. She said she wanted so badly to live in a world where anyone can come out and immediately be accepted for who they are and that's why she was so excited about The Ally Coalition. The conversation was incredibly moving. I hardly knew how to reply. Allies: Be loud and proud. Let others know that you support and accept them regardless. And keep your eyes on the prize: a world where LGBTQ individuals can live without fear.

Like always, the ABTers had a wonderful time at the fun. concert. Afterwards, we all met up and went backstage for some ice cream and a chat with the guys (Thanks Ben & Jerry's!). We talked at length about how our service projects went, how Equality Village went, and how to best serve non-profits. Nate, Andrew, and Jack are so so passionate about the cause and miss being able to check in with the Equality Village. They also mentioned wanting to work again with the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit, MI as they are hoping to expand their available space to serve more youth at once. (Visit their website if you'd like to help! www.ruthelliscenter.org) I can't say enough about how wonderful the guys are and how honored I am to have been chosen for this trip.

 Tonight was when it really hit us that we're going home tomorrow. We chatted with Mike and Paul, thanked them for their help with everything, and reflected a little on the experience. There were some tearful eyes on the bus this evening. I'm completely serious when I say it feels like we've known each other forever. We've become a family. 

So tomorrow we head home. Can't say I'm happy about it. I'm going to miss my friends, the bus, the service, and of course, fun. But I suppose everything must come to an end sometime.