HATCH Expands to Tuesdays

Beginning July 22, HATCH is expanding its services to include another night of programming. On Tuesdays from 5 - 9 p.m., HATCH will offer a safe place for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, along with their allies, to hang out, meet with a peer-led support group, and participate in a weekly activity. The structure is not the same as the regular HATCH meetings, which are on Fridays, 7 - 10 p.m. and Sundays, 6 - 9 p.m. The activities of weeknight HATCH are designed to help youth find their voice and realize their authentic selves. Tutoring also will be available by reservation. The first activity on July 22 will be the HATCH Writers' Group and will meet from 7 - 9 p.m. The group will work together using a variety of creative writing techniques including speed writing, journaling, found word poems, and sharing of individual work. Some of the work will be posted at the HATCH website. All youth are welcome, and you do not have to be an experienced writer to join in the fun.

Transgender Youth Group

Also on July 22, from 6 - 7 p.m., HATCH will have both a female-to-male and a male-to-female transgender volunteers to facilitate a transgender support group. The group will meet every Tuesday night during that time period, and is open to anyone who identifies as GLBT or Questioning, along with their friends and family members. You do not have to identify as transgender to attend. Topics will be introduced by the participants, along with the facilitators.

Calling Young GLBT Adults

HATCH is the sponsor of the first meeting of the "New Leaders' Network: Meeting the future of the GLBTQ community," to be held on Saturday, October 4 from 2 - 5 p.m. at Montrose Counseling Center, 401 Branard Street, Room 101. This is the first in what organizers hope to be an annual event offering networking opportunities for young adults, ages 16 - 24, to make connections with one another. Pamela Paige Palmer is the organizer of the New Leaders' Network, and one of her goals is for her peers to share information to strengthen their high school or college GLBT student organizations, as well as build relationships with community organizations. You do not need to be a member of HATCH to participate, and there's no need to Rsvp. Houston Rainbow Pages and the Greater Houston GLBT Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring light refreshments.

GLBT Cultural Center Rooms & How to Book Them

The GLBT Cultural Center at MCC (First Floor) is now open. It is a multi-use and lease facility welcoming nonprofit organizations and community groups representing various facets of Houston’s GLBT communities. Fully-accessible by elevator and stairs, the multi-use portion consists of three enclosed meeting rooms, one dividable meeting room and a large conference/event hall. The large community room is perfect for a commitment ceremony or a movie screening. The smaller spaces are ideal for board meetings or small workshops. Amenities include electrical, three nearby restrooms (one private), kitchenette availability, and optional beverage service (coming in Fall 2008). If you would like to schedule a room in MCC's GLBT Cultural Center, first check the calendar to see if a room is available for the date you want. View the floor plan for room numbers. Download this Word file, complete all the blanks and fax the Room Use Agreement to our secure fax at 713.526.4367. Someone from our staff will call or email you to confirm. Questions that are not answered by our agreement and attachments may be emailed to mcc@montrosecounselingcenter.org.

Montrose Counseling Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™. If you have concerns about client safety or quality of care at Montrose Counseling Center, you may report these concerns to the Commission at: One Renaissance Blvd.; Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 or at http://www.jointcommission.org/