White House To Honor Carl Siciliano

The White House will honor Ali Forney Center founder and president Carl Siciliano as one of their 2012 Champions Of Change. Via press release:

At the Champions of Change Fight Against Youth Homelessness event, to be held on Thursday, July 12th, agency representatives and various White House officials will participate in a discussion with Siciliano and fellow Champions to hear about their efforts to serve homeless youth, and about policies and best practices to aid this vulnerable population. In conjunction with the White House event, Siciliano’s story will also be featured on the White House website. Said Siciliano: "It is thrilling that as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Ali Forney Center, we are also being recognized by the White House for our pioneering work on behalf of homeless LGBT youth. When we opened the Ali Forney Center, the challenges we faced were daunting; there was very little awareness of the plight of homeless LGBT youth, especially on the federal level, and it was difficult to obtain support for our work. I am very grateful to President Obama for recognizing the needs of homeless LGBT youth and incorporating their care into his vision of ending youth homelessness. I am also grateful to the White House for recognizing the quality, innovation, and importance of the Ali Forney Center, which is a testament to all of the individuals who have served on the board, staff and as volunteers."

Congratulations, Carl!

UPDATE: I failed to link the Ali Forney Center's donation page. In addition to cash, they can always use household items for their residences: toiletries, cleaning supplies, school supplies, new clothing items, etc.