VOLUNCHEERS Program Update All of The Trevor Project’s core programs
SPOTLIGHT: Scott Boute
have expanded significantly in the last year. In the month of July alone, call volume on The Trevor Helpline was at a record high. This can be attributed in part to the end of the school year and the beginning of summer, when many LGBTQ young people become lonely, isolated and depressed as they spend more time at home with families who may not be accepting of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Luckily, the dedicated counselors on The Trevor Helpline are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week to offer young callers hope.
Two years ago Scott Boute was asked to participate
Depression is one of the top presenting problems reported by callers to The Trevor Helpline. Counselors are trained to de-escalate crisis calls and provide resources in order to expand callers’ networks of support and decrease feelings of isolation. TrevorSpace, The Trevor Project’s social networking Web site for LGBTQ youth and their friends and allies, is one of the best resources to offer young people with limited or no access to local LGBTQfriendly spaces. TrevorSpace has grown to more than 5,000 young members in less than one year, equal to approximately one-quarter of the total amount of calls received on the helpline annually. Many youth are learning about The Trevor Helpline and gaining access to suicide prevention resources through TrevorSpace.
Seeing volunteer work as highly enriching, Scott believes everyone should help out with a cause that affects them personally: “As an openly gay man, I can appreciate what The Trevor Project does. I was lucky in that I had great support from my friends and family when I was growing up, yet I realize that not everyone has this. I understand and see the need for this type of organization.”
The Trevor Lifeguard School Workshop Program takes another effective and unique approach to preventing youth suicide by bringing trained representatives from The Trevor Project into classrooms to educate students about sexuality, the impacts of language and behavior and suicide prevention. Facilitators have conducted nearly 50 school workshops this year in both New York City and Los Angeles, more than tripling the number of annual workshops since the inception of the program three years ago. If you live in the Los Angeles or New York City area, and are interested in becoming a workshop facilitator, please e-mail Dave Reynolds, advocacy and education manager, at: Dave.Reynolds@TheTrevorProject.org for more information.
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Highlighting the contributions of Trevor’s volunteers
in a project that brought more magic into his life than he could have ever imagined, even as the director of Warner Brothers’ East Coast publicity. His friend and fellow colleague at Warner Brothers, Jeff Hare, asked him if he would be willing to assist with PR efforts for the event that is now Trevor New York. Since his job largely consisted of organizing movie premieres, Scott had no problem finding celebrities and recruiting members of the press to cover the gala. With its astounding success on his record, Scott was then asked to become the communications co-chair of The Trevor Project’s New York Steering Committee, as well as co-chair of event PR on the Communications Committee.
Scott recalls a meeting he had with James Lecesne, one of the founders of The Trevor Project, as a very memorable event. Scott recounts that it was over a cup of coffee with James when he saw the passion that fueled The Trevor Project, and he truly realized that he was working for something meaningful. These days, Scott now heads up his own entertainment publicity company, Scott Boute Publicity. The Trevor Project thanks Scott for his hard work and dedication to The Trevor Project and LGBTQ youth!
Thank You, “Trevorthon” Volunteers! The Trevor Project held its firstever phone banking fundraiser on July 19 at its West Hollywood headquarters. During the “Trevorthon” event, volunteers phoned more than 500 donors to thank them for their support and explore their interest in making a second financial contribution to the organization. Volunteers listened to many heartwarming stories from donors about why they support The Trevor Project and believe in its mission. Several of the volunteers were also current helpline counselors, and shared stories about some of the most memorable calls they have received from young people. At the end of the day, the effort raised enough funds to support 54 calls on The
Trevor Helpline – an amazing accomplishment! Thanks to all of the volunteers who participated in this new event!
Left to right: John Palmer, Richard Horton, Lisa O’Neill, Claire Massey, Julia Cohen, Bryan Keller, Shelli Boone