Welcome to The Living Room!
Join us Friday, November 15, 2013, for a special Happy Hour performance at Darcelle XV. Darcelle is one of the oldest female impersonators in the country. Celebrate the history of this fabulous art form and help raise money for The Living Room's 501c3! If you've never seen Darcelle perform, its a must see event. Tickets are available online for $15 or at the door for $20, cash only. Click the image below for more information!
The Living Room is a safe haven for GLBTQQ youth in Clackamas County, Oregon. Our programs are open to youth between the ages of 14 and 20. We currently offer weekly drop-in services in Oregon City, every Wednesday from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. In addition, we host events such as the Annual GSA Summit, Clackamas County Alternative Prom, Summer Wellness Acitvities, and bi-annual GSA Meet-Ups. The Living Room youth leadership and event planning team, Youth Advisory Council, meets regularly at our office in Oregon City. Explore our site to find out more info about our programs!
ANNOUNCEMENT: REN'S RESIGNATION:
Hello lovely Clackamas County community partners,
We have been incredibly lucky to have Ren as the program coordinator of The Living Room for approximately 3 years. She has really worked hard and succeeded in creating a community of supports in our county, and has helped youth believe that they are safe, loved, and welcomed in our drop in space/events. Ren's true talent for seeing things through Clackamas County GLBTQQ youth eyes and how they experience their struggles has laid groundwork for a very positive, sustainable outreach and advocacy planning. We have taken a lot of time to establish a stepping out plan for Ren, and I hope that you can all find time to thank her for her work over the last 3 years. As a Clackamas County resident, I am proud to have seen a tangible difference in my county's response to GLBTQQ youth in the past years.
I want to also remind those of you that may be squirming in your seats at this news: Ren may be leaving TLR, but TLR stands strong!!
We are:
– Continuing to have drop in each Wednesday night (Facebook page is the best way to stay updated)–volunteer info below
– Continuing to have Youth Advisory Council (YAC) every other Friday (there is a FB YAC page as well)
– Establishing hiring committee early next month for next program coordinator (I am contact for this: [email protected])
– Training new volunteers to help staff drop in and expand the web of supports for youth in the county (Ginamarie is contact: [email protected])
– Meeting as a board frequently to identify and address any 'loose ends' (if you'd like information on the board, you can contact myself or Carolyn ([email protected])
– Celebrating Ren's years of hard work and accomplishment. WOW.
Lastly, I want to take a moment and remind everyone of TLR's goal for this calendar year: outreach and make contact with each high school GSA in the county. Luckily, we have the resources and networks to continue to do important work, as a greater community. Thus take a moment today to be thankful for Ren's undying committment to the wonderful youth at TLR, and how she may have either a) encouraged b) challenged, or c) altered things in your world.
I am proud of Ren, of TLR's great work, and most of all, I'm proud of the youth. Please take a moment to read Ren's attached letter to the community. I have learned and grown a lot in my time supervising Ren, and am eternally grateful for her presence in our county these last few years.
Ren's final day of work will be Saturday, September 21st, 2013. After this time, her email, voicemail, etc will redirect inquiries elsewhere.
Please follow us on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Thelivingroomyouth), our website (thelivingroomyouth.org), or on twitter (livingroomyouth).
Respectfully,
Kelly Blixhavn
[email protected]
TLR Co-Chair of the Board of Directors, Program Director
Co-Chair and Trainer, Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Coalition
Clackamas Behavioral Health Division
REN'S LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY:
September 12, 2013
Hello to the youth, friends, family and community partners of The Living Room (TLR), a safe haven for GLBTQQ youth in Clackamas County. I am writing to announce my resignation as Program Coordinator at TLR, effective September 21st, 2013. Over the course of the past 3 years I have witnessed, and been an integral part of, the creation and sustainment of an incredibly powerful youth and volunteer driven organization. Because of this, I will step away from TLR with a heavy heart, as well as a sense of hope and excitement for the future.
When I first began working with TLR in October 2010, I entered a young organization just starting its second year of operation in a vastly expansive rural county in Oregon. I was particularly inspired by the passion and determination displayed by youth and adult members alike. I knew that this would be a life-changing experience for all of us involved; and it has been nothing short of awe-inspiring and positively challenging in such incredible ways. We have undeniably worked and grown together as a team while creating and maintaining this safe haven for GLBTQQ youth in Clackamas County.
Since then, I have been involved in many milestones that TLR has achieved over the past 3 years. Some of these accomplishments include: developing and sustaining weekly drop-in programming, hosting annual events (GSA Summit, Alternative Prom, Portland Pride participation, summer activities), establishing a presence and providing assistance in several high schools throughout the county, attending national and local conferences with youth leaders from TLR, and working closely with our Youth Advisory Council (YAC) to deliver presentations and quality programming, among many other achievements.
I have absolute confidence that this organization will continue to thrive as a safe, supportive and fun space for GLBTQQ youth in Clackamas County. I know that my absence from TLR will not only create room for new energy and talents to come in, but will also provide an opportunity to showcase and utilize the plethora of skills that youth and adults in this organization have developed over the years. Please know that I have provided TLR with as much time as I can respectfully allow to transition out of the role of Program Coordinator, and have offered to assist in this process moving forward.
In closing, I have a personal message I’d like to deliver to the youth of TLR, the lifeblood of this organization. I could not have done this without each and every one of YOU. You have taught me so much about how to be authentic and silly and curious and communicative and expressive, among countless other things. Please know that no matter how far I travel, and where life leads me, I will still want to be like you when I grow up. I know you will continue to change this world every single day.
Thank you, Ren Myers
