Quarter Century Year of Pride: Milwaukee's LGBT Center celebrates 25th anniversary
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Tajma Hall visits Milwaukee's LGBT Community Center which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Ricardo Galaviz serves as associate director. He says he's passionate about helping people who were once in the same position he was.
"I get to meet a lot of the new faces that are coming into the center and also looking for community, so even just personally my friendship circle has enhanced just from working here and staying involved," he said.
Ricardo says what makes the center so special is that the staff all have a true passion for what they do.
The center is a central place for many resources for the LGBTQ+ community no matter what the situation is.
Kevin Turner - Espinoza is the executive director. He first learned of the center about 10 years ago from a friend who worked here.
"In the last five years or so prior to me being in this role. I just had this heaviness come to me saying that I need to get more involved with my community," he said.
Kevin says stepping into his leadership role was the best decision he's ever made.
"Our center has gone through a lot of ups and downs for the better and what I mean by the ups and downs, is just a lot of things that have happened out in the community against our community, but we've come together even within this recent pandemic….and reinvented ourselves," he said.
The center not only has special programing for the youth but for everyone.
"My community is blessed. In the sense that we have every ethnic background, we have every age…13 and twilight is what we service. We have an aging population here in Milwaukee of our LGBT community…our pillars as we like to call but more than that really our foundation that paved the way for me to sit here as executive director 25 years later," said Turner-Espinoza.
The aging population and those with disabilities are also supported here.
Christie Carter is the aging and disability coordinator at the center. She's been on staff here for more than four years.
"Prior to that, I actually used some of the services at the center and that's how I heard about the center cause I myself identify as LGBT and I have a disability," she said.
Christie says she's loved the time spent at the center and is proud to be part of the center's 25-year history. "I am definitely proud of the work that's being done here. I'm proud to be part of this team and I'm looking forward to seeing what we together can do in the future," said Carter.
The center serves more than 5,000 people each year and hopes to be around to serve even more for another 25 years.