Our Mission and Vision

Mission:

Beginning of Change, Inc. provides food, clothing, shelter, immediate crisis care along with other services to empower individuals and promote personal independence.

Vision:

To continue to provide immediate crisis care and obtain a facility to provide a safe and secure environment to house LGBTQ+ individuals between the ages of 18-24 who have been displaced because of their sexual orientation.

This safe place will promote personal growth, independence and empowerment to become valuable members of the community.

Our Story

The Journey Toward Acceptance...

In 2007, a pastor and several community leaders began to recognize the needs of our LGBTQ+ youth in Broward County, Florida. The critical needs that were identified was the shortage of programs, resources, and housing available for this population. A food panty and clothing bank were established to reach out to the community and serve the immediate need. While serving the community, LGBTQ+ youth would share their personal experiences about being forced into the streets due to their sexual orientation. As a result of hearing their stories, a desire to provide more than just the essentials to the LGBTQ+ youth emerged. This new goal was to create a stable environment to house LGBTQ+ youth as they transitioned from homelessness to sustaining independence. With this knowledge, and research, the need was understood to be critical, especially when taken into consideration the lack of resources throughout Florida.

The plight of a young person who is homeless and identifies as LGBTQ+ is heart-breaking. We realized that there was a need to show them the love, hope, and provide an environment and services that create a positive identity for their lives. After acquiring a 501c3 status in 2018, what began with five core members, has evolved into an organization with several supporters and volunteers. The expertise and experience among the members of Beginning of Change, include but is not limited to, pastors, doctors, nurses, business owners, accountants, social workers, educators, musicians, law enforcement and various community members.

Today, we are fortunate to have a food pantry and clothing bank that continues to operate from donations of our supporters and volunteers. It serves the community on a monthly basis. Our hope is to obtain a house that will empower the LGBTQ+ homeless youth to begin their own journey down a path to discover healing, hope and a successful future. As we plan for this next phase, we will continue to reach out for support and explore resources to make this housing project possible.