Jacksonville Agency Helps Florida’s Gay Youth

A safe space social outlet where someone cares.At The Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network (Jasmyn, Inc.) in Jacksonville, FL gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning youth are accepted, no questions asked and given a place to talk about their problems and thoughts while getting resources and ideas for dealing with their life. Their clientele is under 24 years old and they come to Jasmyn to get their health, well-being, and self-esteem nurtured.

The agency has free HIV testing walk-in Mondays-Saturdays, 2-4 p.m. or by appointment at 923 Peninsular Place.

“One of the hardest things about running JASMYN is hearing from our homeless kids,” said Cindy Watson, executive director of Jasmyn. “We are currently trying to find caring people in Jacksonville who would be willing and able to give a young person we’re trying to help a safe place to stay for up to a month at a time, from now until the end of her school year in May. Today I’m remembering those times in the 1970s and 80s when many of us created safe home networks in our homes for battered women who had no other safe place to go.”

Jasmyn is currently recruiting volunteers to work with youth in the Youth Drop-In Center and other sites.

Volunteers complete the agency’s orientation/overview training and choose one or more of the interest areas such as Drop-In Center volunteer, Gay Youth Information Volunteer, Support Group Facilitator, and HIV Counseling & Testing (HIV C & T).

Other volunteers aren’t required to attend orientation and training but it is encouraged.

These areas include Peer Educators, clerical positions, the Spectrum Program, and the Community Advisory Board.

Volunteers meet with the Volunteer Coordinator and staff for on-going training and support as needed. All volunteers must complete AIDS 104 through Jasmyn or through the Department of Health.

If you can help with a safe home, for a week or a month, call 904-389-3857 #205 or fax to 904-389-3089.

Garrett Boardman, youth activism coordinator at Jasmyn, started coming there when he was 16 and soon started to get involved with them by joining the board of directors in 1999.

In the Overview and Intro class volunteers get educated about opportunities and developmental problems these youth face as teenagers and experiences they encounter regarding discrimination and lack of support in school and community.

Volunteers also are trained in running support groups by honing their skills while engaging in exercises and studying group dynamics.

Jasmyn considers itself cutting edge in its dealings with youth.

Telephone counseling and referral is the primary purpose of the Gay Youth Info Line, the first contact for many youth.

Volunteers also learn how to perform HIV tests in the Counseling and Testing Program and other trainings are developed with them as needed.

Volunteer applications must be completed and approved before the first training session.

For more information, call 904-389-3857 or access jasmyn.org on the web.