Lambert House LGBTQ Youth Center in Seattle, WA

Lambert House is the largest community center in the Northwest for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth ages 11 - 22. We offer numerous social, recreational, health, counseling, and cultural programs throughout the year. We are located on Capitol Hill in Seattle and served over 700 different LGBTQ youth last year. Our website can be accessed at: www.lamberthouse.org

Description

Our multi-service community center is open five days a week and provides a safe environment for LGBTQ youth to find community and end the social and psychological isolation that usually characterize their lives in school and at home. Here, they are the majority and the norm. We feature: social and recreational activities; performance events and dances; piano and keyboard; pool table; 3,000-volume LGBT lending library; computer lab with Internet access; separate weekly support groups for "Boys Who Like Boys", "Queer Young Females", and "Tranz Youth"; internships and leadership opportunities; queer film nights; outdoor recreation monthly; dinners every night during drop-in; and clothing & hygiene items. We serve LGBTQ youth from all economic backgrounds, living situations and educational experiences. Our on-site services are confidential and also include: crisis intervention and resource referral; case management; job search, career, and education support. For LGBTQ youth in need, we provide free personal hygiene items and a small clothing bank at no cost.

We depend heavily on volunteers for our service delivery. We have approximately 70 regularly-scheduled volunteers that contribute hours equivalent to 5.25 full-time employees (FTEs). Our organization qualifies for many employee volunteer matching programs including Microsoft, Boeing, Starbucks, Alaska Airlines, and others.

History

Lambert House started in 1981 as the Association of Gay and Lesbian Youth Advocates (AGLYA). AGLYA was the first LGBTQ youth specific organization in the country to incorporate and receive 501(c)(3) status from the IRS. In 1991 AGLYA seized an opportunity to lease an old Victorian house in Capitol Hill, Seattle's most visibly queer neighborhood, becoming the first organization in the country to open daily drop-in for LGBTQ youth. The organization was renamed in memory of Grey Lambert, a young man who worked to open our community center and who died of AIDS-related causes just as the house opened. Since then, Lambert House has expanded its programs and today enjoys a national reputation as an innovative, leading organization in the Northwest for queer youth.