Community Home IS ANYWHERE
IS EVERYWHERE
HOLIDAY PRIDE NOVEMBER 21
2
Happy Holidays and welcome to Holiday Pride 2020! We are so happy to “be” with you tonight and we wanted to share with you some news about the OutCenter and our thoughts about tonight’s theme, Community is Everywhere, Home is Anywhere. Our work continues to reach a tremendous number of kids, their families and their schools across our tri-county area: • We provided assistance to 282 family members and school personnel. • We helped establish LGBTQ+ student clubs in 9 more schools, impacting an additional 350 LGBTQ+ students and their allies. • We also helped school leaders promote, enact and modify 422 policies and practices to ensure their schools were not only safe for at-risk LGBTQ+ students but were even brave spaces for these amazing young people. • We have worked with school leaders from elementary through college age, impacting a student body of 11,454 youth of all identities. This generation and their school’s staff are now a very informed group - and in our mostly rural area to boot. In fact, during the time of COVID-19, we expanded access to programs by 225% through a virtual program-sharing partnership with the newly established Michigan Network of LGBTQ+ Centers. And this expansion didn’t cost the OutCenter much, all while leveraging the largest diversity of programs and support groups for LGBTQ+ people and their families in our area.
Our work continues to expand on the municipal level: providing workshops on inclusivity to the staff of the Family Courts Division of Berrien County and now responding to requests from law enforcement seeking similar assistance - wanting their staff and officers to attend a new version of our workshop educating those in critical positions to protect and serve. This work is helping save lives, to be sure. And it’s also creating more inclusive and equitable environments in school communities and beyond. Our dream during COVID-19 and beyond is a two-part dream. That our tri-county area becomes a place for the most vulnerable and marginalized people to feel that they belong that their Community is Everywhere. That our communities become a place where anyone can call home - that Home is Anywhere. We hope you enjoy the amazing Andrew Fisher and Friends, and hearing from representatives from allied supportive and brave spaces in our area! Happy Holidays to you and yours and stay safe and mask up!
Christopher Hathaway MaryJo Schnell Board Chair Executive Director
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We support the OutCenter VISIT US IN TWO LOCATIONS! 138 Water St. - Benton Harbor 2045 Niles Rd. - St. Joseph
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Mike McCausland mikemccausland@atproperties.com • 269.208.3451
OutCenter Projects: Education and Advocacy, MaryJo Schnell LGBTQ+ Safe Schools Collaborative, MaryJo Schnell Medicaid Project, Kate Mood and Karen Moldovan, Consultants
For virtual access to programs, please visit https://outcenter.org/calendar/
Helping Employers Save Money on Work Comp Claims since 1998. 717 St. Joseph St., #239 St. Joseph, MI 49085 Phone 877-287-4890
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MAKING MAKING COMMUNITIES COMMUNITIES STRONGER STRONGER TOGETHER TOGETHER
Strong, vibrant communities bring Strong, vibrant bring of support, peoplecommunities together. Networks people together. Networks of support, businesses and jobs, abundant businesses and jobs, abundant affordable housing and a culture affordablethat housing andus a culture connects – that’s community. that connects usand – that’s At AEP the community. AEP Foundation, At AEP and AEP Foundation, wethe embrace diverse communities, we embrace diverse and communities, customers associates to build a customersfuture and associates to build a that is boundless. future that is boundless.
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The Berrien County Democratic Party congratulates and supports the OutCenter BCDP 2517 Niles Ave. St. Joseph, MI 49085 (269) 588-3300
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Warm Holiday Wishes
for ALL
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BEST WISHES TO ALL for good health this holiday season and throughout the new year from everyone at
Board Officers: Christopher Hathaway, Chair
Brook Thomas, Recording Secretary
Greg Fulmer, Vice Chair
Board Members: Liz Bogue
Carly Hubers
Zack East
Beth McCree
Freya Gilbert
Erin Salvagione
Brad Hinman, PhD
Amy Zapal
Staff:
MaryJo Schnell, Executive Director Alex Cross, Program Coordinator & Teen Pride GSA support Margo Pierce, Drop In Center Facilitator
Organization Consultants: Erin Bruce, Social Media Coordinator
Pam Kantor, Bookkeeper
Meet the Performers Andrew Benedict Fisher
Andrew B. Fisher, a Southwestern Michigan native, has been a musician and singer for many years. Trained as a classical singer, Andrew studied vocal performance in college. While having a passion for classical music, Andrew is equally as passionate about other genres and has performed Jazz, Soul, Rock, R&B, Showtunes, Pop, and much more. Andrew’s current passion project is his self-entitled jazz fusion group, The Andrew Fisher Quartet; which has achieved a level of success in the Michiana area. He also participates in multiple ventures such as choral singing in community choirs throughout the area, solo performances, guest appearances, and performing in musicals. Andrew is now the vocal instructor at the Citadel Dance and Music center in Downtown Benton Harbor where he instructs both youth and adults alike. His desire is to connect heart and song to both his audiences and students. Andrew’s current venture is his podcast The Backstage lounge, a podcast is focused on having those conversations with all manner of artists on, off, or even behind the stage.
Bradley Koch Brad Koch makes music in the project American Ethnographers. He is a Saint Joseph native currently living in Athens, Georgia, with his family. For his day job, Brad is a sociology professor at Georgia College. He previously played in the bands Steamboat (Saint Joseph, MI), Les Honky More Tonkies (Nashville, TN), and Cardiff Giant (Bloomington, IN).
Meet the Performers David Carew and The Southwestern Michigan Select Voices: David Carew is the Director of Choral Activities at Southwestern Michigan College where he conducts five ensembles, teaches private voice, and aural skills. Before Southwestern, David taught middle and high school choral music in the Dowagiac and Edwardsburg School Districts. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University and completed a Master’s Degree in conducting from Michigan State University. David is the Director and Co-founder of the Dogwood Chorale, a semi-professional ensemble that operates under the umbrella of the Dowagiac Dogwood Fine Arts Festival. This ensemble facilitates a 6-12 grade choral camp in July which has served over 150 young singers from several area schools. David has sung with the St. Joseph Valley Camerata for five seasons and had the privilege of appearing with them at the American Choral Directors Association regional conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2008. He is the founding conductor of Citadel Symphony Chorus which serves as the primary choir for the Southwest Symphony Orchestra and also is the founder of the professional choral group, Chorllennium. Select Voices - Southwestern Michigan College Select Voices is an auditioned chamber ensemble, specializing primarily in a cappella music spanning several centuries. It is the top-performing and primary touring choral ensemble for the college. In the fall of 2016 Select Voices were invited to serve as the demonstration choir for the graduate-level conducting master class at the ACDA-MI State Conference at Central Michigan University. Active as a collaborative ensemble, Select Voices has performed with several area churches and high school choirs and members of the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra in performances of the Duruflé and Fauré Requiems as well as the South Bend Symphony Orchestra in a collaborative performance of the music of Queen and the Carmina Burana. They will be joining the Citadel Symphony Chorus on April 30th, 2017 for a performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at Howard Performing Arts Center with the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra.
Meet the Performers Aiden Schnell
Aiden Schnell is a Singer/Songwriter from southwestern Michigan. Aiden has been playing and performing music for over 12 years and has been enjoying every second of it. Studying at Lake Michigan College and plans to double major in music and psychology. With his main love and focus
Programs & Services: Counseling, Blessing Kanyangarara, Andrews University Intern League of Extraordinary Genders, Freya Gilbert, Volunteer Program Facilitator Library and CD Collection, Jessica Overholser, Volunteer Program Facilitator The Feldman Brew, Sandy & Larry Feldman, Volunteer Program Facilitators Social Justice Reader, Kadin Wilcox, Volunteer Program Facilitator
For virtual access to programs, please visit https://outcenter.org/calendar/