Center on Halsted!

Hello Bloggers and Followers!

Despite being in Chicago for almost two months now, this is my first post but I have lots to share! I moved to the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago at the beginning of July with fellow AlumniCorps member Halcyon Person and spent the entire month enjoying the city and exploring places around our apartment. I've lived in Chicago the past two summers while participating in the Princeton Internships in Civic Service (PICS) program, but have never lived this close to downtown and all the amenities of the Gold Coast. After visiting most of the usual tourist attractions and enjoying Oak Street Beach on an (almost) daily basis, I was thoroughly rested and ready to start my fellowship at Center on Halsted.

Center on Halsted is an LGBT community and social service center in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. The mission of the organization is to "serve as a catalyst for the LGBT community that links and provides community resources, and enriches life experiences" in a safe and nurturing environment. In addition to being a community center - complete with a Whole Foods grocery store in the lobby, art galleries, a gymnasium, a 160-seat theatre, computer labs, and conferences rooms - Center on Halsted hosts a variety of programs for the LGBT community. These programs include everything from speed dating events to free HIV testing and mental health services to culinary classes for young people. Everyday there is something new happening at the Center and I'm still learning about all of the great services and programs we have available.

I am in my third week as the Director of Special Events at the Center. My job (so far) is three-fold. First, I am helping plan a series of annual donor events including the Center's Oscar Party and the Human First Gala, which attracts around 1,500 attendees, and is being held at the Harris Theatre in Millennium Park in May 2011. There are also several smaller, private receptions for major donors over the course of the year that I will be overseeing. The second part of my job is planning smaller events to familiarize people with the Center and bring in new patrons. I am in the process of planning an event at one of the bars in Boystown (as it's called) for World AIDS Day on December 1st. The third (although probably not final) part of my job is partnering with the staff in our Community and Cultural Events Department to host events at the Center. I am in charge of all of the art gallery openings (including the one tonight!) and theatre/dance performances in our theatre in addition to a few smaller projects we're planning. So, all in all, lots of stuff keeping me busy but I'm really enjoying it here at the Center and have a great group of co-workers, so I'm sure it will be a great year!

Check out the website for Center on Halsted!
www.centeronhalsted.org