Sunshine Pride House
A SAFE HAVEN FOR
HOMELESS
LGBTQ+ YOUTH
The Sunshine Pride House is a safe haven for homeless LGBTQ+ Youth in Fort Lauderdale. The Sunshine Pride House is a six-bedroom, four-bathroom, 2,854-square-foot duplex accommodating up to 12 LGBTQ+ young adults.
The Sunshine Pride House will offer shelter, counseling, education and life skills to residents who have been disowned from their families after revealing their sexual orientation
The Sunshine Pride House is inspiring display of collaborative support
These highly respected non-profit organizations dedicated to meeting the needs of LGBTQ+ people, joined two donors in their efforts to make The Sunshine Pride House a reality.
Thanks to inspirational leadership and collaborative efforts by philanthropic individuals and organizations, The Sunshine Pride House, a six-bedroom, four-bathroom, 2,854 square-foot duplex in Fort Lauderdale, will house up to 12 LGBTQ+ young adults, a step in the right direction for addressing a critical issue.
Donate Now Sunshine Pride House
To help support 1 LGBTQ+ Person for 1 Day - $135
To help support 1 LGBTQ+ Person for 15 Days - $2,025
To help support 1 LGBTQ+ Person for 1 Month/30 Days - $4,050
To help support 1 Unit – 6 Individuals for 1 Month/30 Days - $25,000
Michael Kalb initiated the project and reached out to The Our Fund Foundation to explore solutions and garner additional support from donors and non-profit organizations.
“I was profoundly moved and greatly saddened after witnessing numerous young people getting kicked out of their homes,” said Kalb. “Inspired by the compassionate nature of my two daughters, I committed myself to taking action and am incredibly heartened with how we’ve been able to work together to provide safe housing, as well as the critical wrap-around services.”
Terry Merlin moved by the challenges faced by homeless LGBTQ+ youth, joined forces with Kalb and The Our Fund Foundation, matching Kalb's donation to purchase and renovate The Sunshine Pride House.
“I knew the numbers already were staggering and when the pandemic hit the situation became even worse,” said Merlin. “I made inquiries about opening a shelter for LGBTQ+ youth and am so grateful to have been introduced to Michael and these incredible non-profit partners.”
The Future
Thanks to the generous financial support from Kalb and Merlin, the Sunshine Pride House’s physical property is paid for.
However, there are ongoing operating costs to support the programs and services required to reintegrate young people into the greater community. The Our Fund Foundation is taking the lead on raising the annual operating funds, estimated to be $300,000.
“The generous support from Michael and Terry serves as a beacon of hope and is a powerful testament to the transformative influence individual donors can have on marginalized communities,” said Jobin.
In Take Opportunities Services
Make a referral through FLITE – Click Here
This portal is for our youth and community partners to refer to our wellness team. Follow the steps to submit the referral and you will be contacted by our director of health and wellness.
Broward 24/7Hotline: 954-649-8700
Central Region 24/7 Hotline: 954-649-8941
Additional Contact:
Funding Opportunities contact
David Jobin, President/CEO, The Our Fund Foundation
Mail: DJobin@Our-Fund.org
Call: 954-565-1090
For more information, please contact
Bishop Robert Griffin, Executive Minister, Sunshine Cathedral
Mail: Robert@SunshineCathedral.org
Call: 954-462-2004
Mario DePedro, Program Director of Youth & Family Services, Sunserve
Mail: mdepedro@sunserve.org
Call: (954) 686-8240