While a membership at William Way LGBT Community Center represents a valuable contribution to the community, its worth recently increased.
The center this month began mailing out new membership cards that can now be used for discounts and specials at a host of area businesses.
A similar program had been in place several years ago, said interim development coordinator Paul Blore, but was discontinued.
“A lot of people enjoyed being actual card-carrying members and liked feeling like they were really part of something and could show off their membership,” Blore said. “So we wanted to bring it back and add some more value to the membership.”
Center staff canvassed the Gayborhood and beyond to garner interest from retail stores and others in the new program and, ultimately, 19 businesses agreed to participate.
The locales range from restaurants and coffee shops to gyms and a real-estate company, and each business created its own unique discount for the program — such as 30-percent off a purchase at Eye Candy Vision, free coffee with the purchase of a lunch sandwich at Café Twelve or a free pint of Miller High Life or PBC Kenzinger at PYT.
While many of the shops are in the Gayborhood, several participants are located in Northern Liberties and Rittenhouse, and Blore said the center is continuing to look to expand the program to new businesses and areas.
Blore said organizers are hopeful that the program will be a boon for membership.
“I think it’ll help fuel memberships,” he said. “People value the center on its own but they may not always feel compelled to help the center in a financial way. So this is a way to encourage them to do that by giving them something in return for their contribution.”
The other participating businesses include 12th Street Gym, Baum’s Dancewear Inc., Big Green Earth Store Inc., Café Mocha, Fat Jack’s Comicrypt, Filter Coffee Company on Race Street and South 10th Street, Giovanni’s Room, Keller Williams Realty’s Center City location, Millesime, Optimal Gym, Optimal Sports Health Club on Walnut Street and in Newtown, Pure Fare, Smokin’ Betty’s, Tabu Lounge and Sports Bar, The Velvet Lily and Yards Brewing Company.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].