Project HOME tripled its goal at the “Raise the Roof” fundraiser on Nov. 15 with more than $350,000 going towards the state’s first LGBTQ-friendly permanent housing residence for at-risk youth.
The Gloria Casarez Residence, which has been under construction since last December, is scheduled to be complete in January 2019. The nonprofit — which provides housing, employment opportunities, medical care and education to homeless and low-income Philadelphia residents — raised more than $10 million from state grants and city funding for this project. Project HOME is raising $3.1 million in private funding to complete the residence. With $2.5 million in private donations already secured, the fundraiser was intended to raise $100,000 — and awareness — to keep the momentum going.
David Dubbeldam, a “Raise the Roof” committee member, said he and other members helped raise funds for the event while also “spreading knowledge to the wider communities that Project HOME is committed to serving a particular population that needs help. This was the first step in addressing an issue in our city that’s really important, LGBT or not.”
Dubbeldam and the other 24 committee members surpassed their funraising goal by reaching out to community members and local organizations. Arthur Kaplan, his partner Duane Perry and Elizabeth Gilbert — the author of “Eat, Pray, Love” — served as the event’s presenting sponsors, each donating $25,000 to the project. Ellen and Ron Caplan, PMC Property Group, John Alchin, Hal Marryatt, Mel Heifetz and the Mayfield Social Club were gold sponsors, or donors who contributed $10,000 to the Casarez Residence.
More than 300 guests braved the cold to fill a large party tent in front of the under-construction residence located on 1315 N. 8th St. The crowd was a mix of community leaders and members, politicians, Project HOME donors and current Project HOME residents. Guests enjoyed complimentary food and drinks while dancing to music provided by a local DJ.
The night was, in large part, a celebration of the late LGBTQ activist Gloria Casarez. She served as the first director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs and the executive director of GALAEI, the Latinx social-justice organization, from 1999-2008, and was the founding member and community organizer of Empty the Shelters, a youth-led national housing-rights and economic-justice organization.
Casarez died in 2014 at age 42 of breast cancer.
Tricia Dressel, Casarez’s widow who was also a committee co-chair for the event, told the crowd during “Raise the Roof” that “Gloria was brilliant, she was tough, she was gritty, she was warm, she was passionate and she was full of life and love. She was a dynamo — a Philadelphian through and through.”
Mayor Jim Kenney, who was also in attendance, said “before I learned to actually love Gloria, I was scared to death of her, but that was a good thing. [Casarez] made Philadelphia a more inclusive, safe and just place. We will remember and honor [her] as an amazing civil-rights activist for LGBTQ people.”
Francisco Cortes, executive director of GALAEI, said Casarez’s “impact is still felt today.” Cortes had met the former head of GALAEI in passing. His own mentors were Casarez’s mentees, he said.
“Her legacy and her work transcend generations,” he added. “It’s surreal to see the residence come to fruition. In a way, she was me in my position 10 years ago. It’s really humbling that I knew her in the capacity that I did.”
Nic Lopez, the event’s emcee, told the crowd that the residence was in the same Kensington neighborhood where Casarez grew up.
“For those who knew Gloria personally, you would know that part of Gloria’s spirit, passion and power was ensuring that legacies were created, especially for LGBTQ youth of color,” she said.
Guests cheered on voguers from PumpDaBeat during their ballroom-scene performance. VJtheDJ, who introduced each voguer, said he was grateful to see a residence for at-risk LGBTQ-youth become a reality.
“In the ballroom community, we form something liked a family because a lot of gay kids get kicked out of their houses for their life choices. We take each other in like family. I’m glad that finally Philadelphia has a place for the people who don’t have a home.”
The four-story, 36,000-square-foot building will include 30 fully furnished, one-bedroom units of affordable housing targeted to young adults (ages 18-23) who are homeless, have experienced homelessness or are at risk of homelessness, including those aging out of foster care. Along with housing, the building’s prospective residents will be able to benefit from employment-, education- and healthcare-related services in addition to life skills and community-building activities.
Nasir Fears is a resident of Project HOME’s Francis House of Peace, a 94-unit low-income housing development in Chinatown.
“I remember when I didn’t have a place to stay, riding the subway all night. I was afraid something bad would happen if I fell asleep,” he said. “When I came to Project HOME, all of that changed. The biggest change was stability. I was tired of couch-surfing, getting kicked out of places because of my sexuality, staying with friends for a night or a week — all while trying to hold down a job.”
Fears is also a member of the young-adult program, where he has taken on leadership roles and was a founding member of the community-advisory board. Through his experience with Project HOME, Fears was able to get his certification in phlebotomy and is now a full-time case manager as well as a life-skills instructor.
“I can tell you first-hand how much need there is for both services and housing within the LGBT youth community. I now help young adults moving into our community learn the skills they need to be successful,” he said.
Sister Mary Scullion, president and executive director of Project HOME, told the audience during the fundraiser “we can’t stand by while young people are experiencing the trauma of homelessness in our city. We reject bigotry and darkness that assaults human dignity, especially that of our LGBTQ family, and especially here in Philadelphia.”