Bloom Baby Bloom!
By: Kristen Pinchbeck
Bloom Baby Bloom!
2021 is off to a tumultuous start to say the least. Between the pandemic raging in LA County with one person dying every 6 minutes due to Covid 19, Trump supporters storming the capital in an attempted and failed coup, and a hate group rising up right in our backyard of El Monte, we have been under full assault mode from every angle.
Amidst all of this craziness, our center is still meeting and still working to bring a safe space to the San Gabriel Valley where we can all come together.
We recently had our January Volunteer meeting where we all talked about what the center means to us and what our hopes are for the future. Our President, Camila, said that her hopes for this year are for us to “expand our beauty” throughout the San Gabriel Valley this year.
What are we doing to expand our Beauty?
Right now it seems like there is so much ugliness in the world around us, so our center wants to be a little spot of light for our neighbors. In our volunteer meeting, many volunteers shared stories of the way the center has been a light in their lives by providing a safe space where they can be their true selves and grow into their authenticity.
We want to help everyone in the SGV learn to be their true selves and grow in their authenticity by bringing this glittering light to you! Our two main methods of expanding our beauty throughout the San Gabriel Valley is through Education and Advocacy.
We are currently doing this through our different peer support groups, which can be found on our calendar of events. We will also be adding a couple new peer support groups this year, so stay on the look out for those!
The center is also working to expand Education in the SGV and beyond through our new Safe Space training program. So far two school districts have reached out to bring Safe Space training to them. This is a very exciting moment for us at the center!
We are also reaching out and being more active within our community. Our president recently wrote a letter to the El Monte City Council in response to the rise of a recent hate group. Her beautiful and strong letter is posted on our blog for those who are interested. Also, she was interviewed for the San Gabriel Valley Podcast.
Help Us Expand Our Beauty!
If you are looking for more beauty in your life, we are ready for you! Join us for a peer support group or a volunteer meeting. Bring your unique beauty and expertise into our group and help us Bloom Baby Bloom so we can share our beauty within the San Gabriel Valley!
The SGV is an incredibly diverse place with so many different people and places. As the center starts her next decade in the community, we want to know what ways would you like to see us expand more beauty into our communities? Be Kind To Yourself!
