State lawmakers didn’t just deliver a check on Wednesday – they delivered a message: Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ youth deserve space, safety, and a future worth building toward.
At a ceremony at 1206 Chestnut Street – the future new home of The Attic Youth Center – State Rep. Ben Waxman, House Appropriations Chairman Jordan Harris, Senate Appropriations Chairman Vincent Hughes, and Sen. Nikil Saval presented the organization with just over $800,000 from Pennsylvania’s Local Share Account (LSA) grant program.
“This $800,000 Local Share Account investment is a powerful affirmation that LGBTQ+ young people in Philadelphia deserve space, safety, and opportunity. Once completed, our new home at 1206 Chestnut St. will allow us to expand critical out-of-school-time programming, life skills and leadership development, and deepen access to case management, housing support, and mental health services. This is about listening to our youth and young adults, meeting the moment, and building a future where our young people can truly thrive for generations to come.”Jasper Liem (they/he) — Executive Director, The Attic Youth Center
Over 30 Years in the Making
The Attic’s story begins in 1993, when two graduate students – Daren Wade and Carrie Jacobs – organized what they planned as an eight-week pilot program: a weekly after-school support group for LGBTQ+ youth, meeting in the literal attic of Voyage House, a Philadelphia social service agency.
Within those first eight weeks, 41 young people showed up – disproving the then-widespread assumption that gay youth simply didn’t exist. The group ran for over a year without any funding, sustained entirely by the commitment of its youth and founders.
By 2000, The Attic had incorporated as an independent 501(c)(3) and, thanks to an anonymous donor, purchased its longtime home on 16th Street in Center City. More than 20,000 LGBTQ+ youth have passed through its doors since. Today it’s one of the largest community centers in the United States dedicated exclusively to serving LGBTQ+ youth and allies.
What the Funding Will Do
The 16th Street building – a four-story rowhome that has served The Attic for over two decades – has long been too small for the demand the organization faces. The new Chestnut Street location will change that.
The $800K will fund
- Buildout and equipping of the 1206 Chestnut St. facility
- Expanded out-of-school-time programming
- Life skills and leadership development programs
- Increased capacity for case management and housing support
- Expanded mental health counseling services
- A larger, youth-centered community gathering space
What the Legislators Said
Sen. Saval noted that The Attic is “a mighty organization with a tiny geographic footprint” that “desperately needs more space to meet the needs of the LGBTQ youth who come seeking community and connection.”
Rep. Waxman, in whose district the new Chestnut Street location sits, called The Attic “a lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth in Philadelphia” and said the investment will help “build a stronger, more inclusive community for generations to come.”
Senate Appropriations Chairman Hughes tied the investment directly to the current political moment: “In a time where divisiveness and isolation are growing, we need to step up and support organizations like this, who are meeting young people where they are and creating opportunities to build community in person.”
Learn more about The Attic Youth Center’s programs, services, and how to support their work.
Visit atticyouthcenter.org