House of Pride and Equality (HOPE)/Casa de Orgullo e Igualdad (ESPERANZA) has received a $3,300 seed grant from the Fund for Santa Barbara to assist the process of formal organization, community outreach and culturally appropriate queer events.
House of Pride and Equality is a grassroots, multicultural group that celebrates, educates, advocates, collaborates and empowers the Latinx, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and gender-nonconforming communities of Santa Maria and nearby cities.
This organization’s purpose is to provide a safe environment of inclusion and advocacy for all LGBTQ+ people to educate each other and the general public through community outreach resources and events.
It also is designed to create a culturally inclusive environment that will help to combat the discrimination and stigmas faced by the Latinx LGBTQ+ community in the Santa Maria area.
House of Pride and Equality is grateful to the Fund for Santa Barbara for the grant.
The grant will be used specifically for startup costs associated with forming a nonprofit organization, including filing fees, creation of promotional materials and purchase of supplies needed to properly outreach and educate the community at large.
A portion of the grant will be used to help create Santa Maria’s first Pride Celebration and Resource Fair in August.
For more information, contact HOPE/ESPERANZA at hopeesperanzasm@gmail.com or follow them on Instagram: @hope.esperanza.sm and Facebook: /houseofprideandequality.
The Fund for Santa Barbara is a nonprofit community foundation that supports organizations working for social, economic, environmental and political change in Santa Barbara County. To learn more, visit www.fundforsantabarbara.org.
— Audy Macdonald for House of Pride and Equality.