At a time when the coronavirus further separates and isolates residents, we are finding new ways to help bridge divides in Broward.
So to celebrate Pride Month in the midst of a pandemic, the Community Foundation of Broward has supported a series of virtual town hall meetings to foster healing and understanding – at a safe social distance.
A grant from the Community Foundation enabled South Florida PBS to create this new online opportunity for the LGBTQ community and their neighbors to interact, share experiences and talk about issues that affect us all.
In three Facebook Live broadcasts, South Florida PBS explored different aspects of personal “wellness.” Topics included the impact of social media on mental health. Coping with depression and grief. And most recently, ways to incorporate wellness into our busy lives.
During the third online town hall, professional artist Francie Bishop Good – a Community Foundation Community Builder, whose support helped make the event possible – shared how participating in the arts can help people face the stresses of life.
“You get into a zone,” she said, describing her painting and sculpting. “You are in the moment. Being in the moment is so important.”
Long before coronavirus quarantines, many LGBTQ residents already often felt cutoff and excluded from much of our community. Even though Broward has more same-sex households than any other county in Florida, LGBTQ residents say they sometimes feel left out due to discrimination, insensitivity or just plain indifference.
The recent town halls are an example of how the Community Foundation supports solutions to help bridge this divide. Through philanthropy we call Broward Pride, the Community Foundation supports efforts that foster inclusion and unite our diverse community.
Thanks to the power of endowed charitable Funds, created by visionary local philanthropists, the Community Foundation will always be there to promote equality and help create a Broward where all residents are accepted and included.
Click here to see the online broadcast of the third town hall that includes Francie Bishop Good.
Support for the virtual town hall meetings came from the following Funds at the Community Foundation of Broward:
- Gay and Lesbian Broward Community Fund
- Richard Frisby and Edward Burkhart Fund
- Charles L. Ross Fund
- David and Francie Horvitz Family Fund
- Mary and Alex Mackenzie Community Impact Fund
For more information about how you can support Broward Pride, contact Vice President of Philanthropic Services Nancy Thies at nthies@cfbroward.org or 954-761-9503.
