I've been involved with HMI (as it's usually called) for 20 years. If it didn't save the life of my daughter's friend back then when I gave her the info for the organization for her tortured gay 16 year-old friend, it was really important in showing him, that as he reported to my daughter, "I was in a room full of gay people it wasn't weird." The HMI after-school programs, and Harvey-Milk, started by HMI in 1985 and expanded as a full city high school in the same HMI space in 2002 (a unique school in NYC and the nation) have helped thousands of young people who need positive adult mentoring and role models (like my daughter's friend, now in IT in San Francisco). How many times does one save a young life? Every time one donates to HMI.
Review from Guidestar
I've been connected with The Hetrick-Martin Institute since late 2005 when I was placed there as a temp. It's a wonderful organization filled with caring and friendly staff. The young people they serve are amazing. I have had the privilege to attend a number of their productions, such as "Pearly White," and "Today is Not That Day," a musical written and acted by the youth, about HIV/AIDS and the importance of testing. The Hetrick-Martin Institute is helping kids who might otherwise be "throwaways," rejected by their families and bullied at school because they are LGBT. They are reclaiming lives.
I am 34 years old. Back when I was 16, Hetrick-Martin was my only resource in NY as a gay teenager who was not out of the closet at the time. While I only came to the (former) location once or twice, it was my first experience meeting and socializing with out gay youth in a safe and caring environment. It was the first step in accepting myself for who I was, and moving forward with giving everyone else in my life the chance to do the same.
I began volunteering at Hetrick-Martin in January 2009 and was quickly impressed by the scope of their services. They provide counseling and academic enrichment programs to hundreds of youth members and still find the time to provide a hot dinner every weekday. Many of these youth members have encountered harassment and abuse because of their sexuality, sometimes from their own families. Hetrick-Martin provides a safe space for all them and helps get their lives in order whether that means college prep or HIV testing.