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Dear Readers,
Happy summer and happy Pride! I am so proud of the work that Options does to serve our vibrant LGBTQ+ community. I am proud of our dedicated editor-in-chief, Jen Stevens, and humbled to work with her. I am proud of the extremely committed volunteers, especially those who have been volunteering issue after issue, like Myra Shays, Rex LeBeau, Carson Pavao, and Jen Bonin. I am proud of the fabulous design work by Theresa “Reese” Barzyk; it WOWS me each issue. I am proud of our advertising manager, Emma Montague, who is pounding the digital pavement for ads each month. I am proud of the work that the board of directors continues to do to help Options remain a relevant resource and secure a future in your physical and digital mailbox.
The Options team held our annual meeting on April 30 at Mirabar, where we discussed various initiatives and plans for the future. Options Board Treasurer Mike Marrapodi gave an overview of our financial outlook for 2019. Essentially, we’re surviving and on our way to thriving, as long as key budget items come together. Also shared at the annual meeting were the details of a grant that Options applied for to help support the much-needed work to build and sustain our web and social media presence.
At our meeting, we announced an exciting partnership with the Providence Public Library, which is creating a Rhode Island LGBTQ archive. Options will be contributing its physical archive – every issue in print all the way back to 1982 – to be properly stored for posterity. This means Options will be entirely available to the public and researchers in paper and digital form.
Thank you to the Mirabar staff for hosting the meeting and to those who attended. It was wonderful to share the work of Options in person with our dedicated readers, and discuss the growth and needs of this organization.
If you have spare time and feel the urge to make your mark in the LGBTQ+ community by volunteering, please email me at tc@optionsri.org. I will find a role that fits your talents and timeframe. We especially need volunteers to help with the Gay 5K on September 22. We also have several vacancies on our board, and we aim to have a board as beautifully diverse as our community, with expertise in various realms including fundraising, branding, distribution (online and physical), development, legal, and journalism.
Thank you for your continued support of Options. Funds raised through donations and advertising directly make Options available to those who need access to the crucial information and local resources only we provide. So, as you soak up the sun’s rays this summer, consider donating and/or volunteering, and help those in our community who need to know what their options are. As we know, it’s great to have Options.
Cheers,
Dr. TC Rogers
Board President tc@optionsri.org optionsri.org/donate-1 optionsri.org/advertise