Communtiy Compass
Community
Compass
Community Compass is a service of OITM. GLBT organizations from around the state are invited to provide briet — 200 words or less — descriptions of recent or upcoming activities and events. Send your submissions to us by email by the 15th of the month.
Mountain Pride Media
Mountain Pride Media continues to travel the state with our Green Mountain Tour. This tour brings Mountain Pride Media to your neighborhood to talk about what we are working on, to meet board and staff members, to talk about what we could be doing better, and to teach you some great media writing skills. Thanks to Peg Franzen and Joyce Werntgen, of Montpelier, who hosted our tour on July 30. We will be in Franklin County on August 6. Look for details on the back page of this issue or on the Web site calendar, www.mountainpridemedia.org.
We had a great turnout at the stuffing in June. Thanks to Bruce, Dan, Doug, Richard, Rick, and Kathy for helping us get the July issue mailed out. We always welcome people to stop by our Richmond office the last Thursday of every month between 5 and 8 p.m. to help get the paper out into our community. We have a multitude of other ways you can help out. To find out about our current volunteer opportunities check out our Volunteers Page online at www.mountainpridemedia.org/volunteer.htm.
Welcome to four new members to our Board of Directors: Brian Cote of Hinesburg, Pam Kinniburgh of Worcester, Ernie McLeod of Middlebury, and Cele Burnett of Montpelier. A special thanks to Judy Beaulac of North Ferrisburg, who is leaving the Board, for her dedication and hard work while serving on the Board of Directors.
On Saturday, July 16, at the home of Bennett Law in Bethel, Mountain Pride Media held its first annual Founder’s Celebration. Nearly 100 volunteers and supporters of Mountain Pride Media and Out In The Mountains came together to celebrate. A special thanks to everyone who helped us contact some of our “missing” volunteers from the earlier days of Out In The Mountains. Despite our best efforts, we weren’t successful in tracking everyone down, but the search will continue as we prepare for next year’s celebration. Thanks to everyone who joined us for this event, making it one of the largest celebrations in Mountain Pride Media’s history.
Finally, thanks the Samara Foundation of Vermont for their award of a $5,000.00 grant. We are extremely grateful to everyone at Samara for their continued support of Mountain Pride Media and it’s initiatives.
National Coming Out Week Committee
Vermont’s National Coming Out Week’s (NCOW) committee members have been working hard planning this year’s celebration. The kick off begins on Wednesday, October 11 with Blue Jeans Day, a speakout, and a poetry slam. The week of October 15 is filled with events including panels on civil unions and GLBT politicians, “Straight But Not Narrow” discussion, a coffeehouse, and a dance on Friday, October 20 to end the week off right.
NCOW needs many volunteers to make this event run smoothly: be it attending meetings and help plan and execute events or helping out at a certain venue one day. NCOW is also seeking performers for the coffeehouse on Tuesday, October 17 from 8-10PM. Dramatic readings, poetry, and skits are just some of the things we are looking for. We have five available positions open and each position pays $50. If you are interested or know someone who might be, please send a cassette tape or videotape of your talent to the Coffeehouse Chair Dean Pratt at PO Box 1012, Burlington, VT 05402-1012. From the submitted items, the committee will fill the remaining positions. Notification will be sent out by mid-September. For more information on NCOW’s events, visit our website at www.uvm.edu/~ncow.
Pride Vermont
Pride Vermont 2001 Committee is already in progress for fundraising for the 2001 celebration. A Labor Day Pride Cruise will be held on Saturday, September 2nd, 2000 with departure from the Burlington Ferry Dock at 7pm.
The price is $20.00, and includes the cruise, dancing, entertainment, hors d’oeurves and cash bar!
Tickets must be purchased by August 26 either at the Peace & Justice Center on Church Street or by mail, Pride Vermont, PO Box 1433, Burlington, VT 05402
Samara Foundation of Vermont
Samara Foundation of Vermont has announced grants totaling $25,000 to twelve organizations serving the Vermont gay community. Samara Foundation first awarded grants in 1998, and has now awarded over $55,000 to fifteen groups throughout the state.
Organizations funded in Samara Foundation’s Year 2000 granting cycle benefit the Vermont gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities in a wide range of areas including youth services, AIDS education and support, media development, community celebration, education regarding the new Civil Union law, development of a community center in Burlington, and initiatives to address same sex domestic violence.
Expanded youth services for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and questioning youth throughout Vermont are supported by three grants. Outright Vermont, serving youth through support groups and educational activities, was awarded $4,000 as a Îchallenge grant,’ requiring matched donations. Newly funded youth initiatives include the Gay-Straight Alliance at Lyndon State College - $625, to organize a statewide Gay-Straight Alliance conference, and a St. Johnsbury support group sponsored by Creative Works of Springfield College - $350, for youth questioning their sexuality.
Reducing same sex domestic violence is the focus of two new grants to the Women’s Crisis Center in Brattleboro and the Women’s Rape Crisis Center in Burlington, working with the Chittenden County Domestic Violence Task Force. Each organization has been awarded $2,000. Funds are targeted for the creation of a Îwarm line,’ production of educational materials and staff training.
A $2,000 membership Îchallenge grant’ to the Burlington RU12? Community Center, and a $5,000 grant to Mountain Pride Media for the statewide gay community newspaper, Out In The Mountains, aim to offer greater social support and communication for gay individuals in Vermont.
The Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force received $3,500 to continue statewide education regarding the new Civil Union law, while celebrations of our community’s achievements were supported by a $2,000 grant to PRIDE 2000 and a $500 grant to the Green Mountain Freedom Band.
A special support group for transgendered people in Chittenden County, and outreach to men in Bennington County, were the focus of two AIDS service organization grants. Vermont CARES and the Brattleboro Area AIDS Project each were awarded $1,500.
“We are thrilled to offer financial support for so many important projects that promote tolerance throughout Vermont while strengthening services for the gay community,” stated Linda Markin, President of the Samara Foundation board of directors.
The Samara Foundation, with offices in Burlington, is one of a network of gay & lesbian community foundations across the country. Samara Foundation is a charitable foundation whose mission is “to support and strengthen Vermont’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities today and build an endowment for tomorrow.”
For further information about giving or granting opportunities contact Bill Lippert, Executive Director, Samara Foundation of Vermont, P.O. Box 1263, Burlington, VT 05402. Call 802-860-6236 or email at info@samarafoundation.org.
Theatre on a Shoestring
dsp, inc., a division of Theatre on a Shoestring, is a local producer of social issue videos as well as Vermont’s newest actor’s agency. We are always looking for GLBT individuals to appear in our videos, with such topics as AIDS in Society, Homophobia, and Abuse. These videos are produced to be educational; important information about resources out there that can be of assistance is included in each project.
We are proud to announce a new venture: civil union typesetting. Competitively priced with fast turnarounds, we can typeset your ceremony’s programs, invitations, table tents, etc. We have even placed a $10 off coupon in this issue to be used for your joyous occasion. Let us relieve you of some of the stress that comes with planning an event of this importance. We support civil unions, equal rights for the GLBT community, and diversity. Give us a call for a free estimate.