Howard Brown Health recently unveiled the new permanent home for Broadway Youth Center, its program for LGBTQ people ages 12-24 and young people experiencing homelessness. Located at 1023 W. Irving Park Road, the new space has expanded medical care, social services, basic needs offerings, and free meals for Chicago youth.
"Howard Brown Health and Broadway Youth Center are immensely proud to reach this milestone. The new space is designed with our young clients' needs at the forefront, and is vital in our work to support young LGBTQ community members as soon as they may need us," said Howard Brown Health President and CEO David Ernesto Munar. "With BYC at their side, I look forward to seeing our clients achieve their goals and grow into whoever they dream to be."
Howard Brown celebrated the completion of the building with private tours for Ald. James Cappleman, Illinois state Reps. Greg Harris and Margaret Croke, and Illinois state SEn. Sara Feigenholtz.
The new space features a commercial kitchen and food pantry, a walk-in sexual-health clinic, basic needs services, primary medical care, education spaces and drop-in facilities as well as a movement/therapy and dance studio. For a list of services and hours of operations, please visit howardbrown.org/byc.
"Young LGBT people have unique concerns and struggles, and the new space is designed with input from our clients to best serve their immediate needs and long-term goals," said Howard Brown Chief Program Officer Dr. Paviella Foster. "We work for our clients and will continually integrate their feedback into what BYC does in order to serve Chicago's young people for generations to come."
The custom building was designed by Wheeler Kearns Architects, with construction by Bulley & Andrews, in partnership with RL Edward Partners.
Howard Brown is currently raising funds for BYC and two other major community projects, find out more at howardbrown.org/WeCare