My Community Challenge... Rafa

For my community challenge, I decided to tap into a valuable resource: my activist friends. And one came through for me at the very last minute.

This year, The San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center is holding a special event titled "Happy Birthday Frida: Art! Life! Tequila!" which will benefit the The Center's Latino/a Services Program.

I donated 6 hours of professional time to this event by designing 10 Frida magnets which they will be able to sell at this event and retain all profits. In addition, I will be offering my services for future events at the Center.

Created in 2004, the mission of Latino/a Services is to provide a safe, welcoming and culturally and linguistically appropriate space that allows our community members to accept and embrace all of who they are, including their culture, traditions, language, spirituality and sexual and gender identities. Latino/a Services offers a wide variety of services, including the following:

• Drop-in center with culturally- and linguistically-appropriate resources
• Referrals to culturally proficient agencies, providers and services
• HIV/STD prevention and education
• Health education and referrals to primary medical care
• Support and discussion groups
• Outreach to Latino/a LGBT community
• Trainings for service providers on basic Latino/a LGBT and HIV issues
• Case management and prevention case management
• Social activities and events
• Home and hospital visits
• Family, individual and crisis interventions
• Translation of documents
• Speakers for community agencies, universities, and other service providers
• Domestic violence referrals

For more information on the Frida event, please visit
http://www.thecentersd.org/calendar.php