By Eduardo Morales, Ph.D.–
The holiday season can generate a variety of feelings and emotions. At AGUILAS, we continue to provide individual counseling sessions and group interventions in English, Spanish, and Portuguese as part of our array of services. Located at the SF LGBT Center, 1800 Market Street on the fourth floor, our team welcomes those in need of support and especially during this time.
We are aware that people move to San Francisco for a wide range of reasons and that the holiday season may present feelings of loneliness and longing for connecting with others. Many people travel during this time to be with family and friends in other parts of the country, such that those who remain may find themselves feeling more alone than usual.
Staying busy and engaged in various community social events can help mediate the holiday blues. At AGUILAS, we continue to search for funding opportunities to maintain our services for the community and to generate new types of activities and services to address multiple needs.
La Academia de AGUILAS
As mentioned in previous articles, La Academia de AGUILAS will resume in the new year. Many of our participants enjoyed the program’s initial set of workshops and desire to continue to build upon their leadership skills. Look for the new schedule of training sessions and events at AGUILAS at our website ( www.sfaguilas.org ). The VIIV Healthcare Foundation plans to provide continued funding for leadership development in our community, given the successes of its current grantees throughout the nation. We hope to continue our leadership development institute that we call La Academia.
AGUILAS 30th Anniversary
2024 will mark the 30th Anniversary of AGUILAS, as we have been providing services to the community since 1994. AGUILAS, however, was founded even earlier, in 1991, by the Latinx LGBTQI community with a dedication to creating a supportive, culturally sensitive environment for LGBTQI Latinxs.
AGUILAS strives to foster knowledge and pride in our respective languages, cultures, histories, and spiritual lives. AGUILAS is committed to developing programs that promote the health and well-being of participants. We also promote community building to foster positive self-identities, healthy relationships, and leadership skills.
On August 5, 1999, AGUILAS obtained its 501 c-3 status by the Internal Revenue Service, making our nonprofit status officially recognized from the federal government. AGUILAS is the oldest Latinx LGBTQI organization in all of the Americas. We look forward to continuing the nonprofit’s vision and mission as we head into our third decade of service.
Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus, retired Distinguished Professor, and current adjunct professor at Alliant International University. He is also a licensed psychologist and a founder and current Executive Director of AGUILAS, an award-winning program for Latinx LGBTQ+. Of Puerto Rican decent, he has received numerous distinguished awards and citations, including being named a Fellow of 12 divisions of the American Psychological Association.
Nuestra Voz
Published on December 7, 2023
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