In Friday’s Voice we have a story about Youth First Texas’ decision to stage a Spring Formal this year instead of the traditional Gayla Prom — in part because a full-fledged prom simply would’ve been too expensive for the cash-strapped agency.
The story also talks about how YFT’er Rosie Roetto has used Twitter, an Amazon Wish List and her Adam Lambert fan club to help bring in basic supplies including ceiling tiles, food and office chairs.
When we tried to obtain a photo of Roetto to use alongside the story, she responded as follows:
“… Isn’t the story more about Youth First Texas and the people actually putting on the prom? I don’t feel like I did enough to warrant a picture. [YFT board chair] Chris Cognetta has a wonderful picture of the 35 amazon boxes piled high on the counter from the first delivery of donations from the Adam Lambert fans, but I don’t know how much your story is about that. It was a great picture.”
Although we disagree that Roetto’s work doesn’t warrant a photo, we did want to go ahead and share Cognetta’s (above), which he sent over on Thursday. We thought we’d also mention that you don’t have to be an Adam Lambert fan to help out YFT, which among other things was recently left off the beneficiary list for Black Tie Dinner. You can respond to YFT’s Amazon Wish List yourself by going here.
First, let me thank the Dallas Voice for giving this so much attention. We appreciate all mentions that we get about our organization and the youth we serve.
Allow me append to the story. While we were not selected as a beneficiary for Black Tie, we believe that this was a tough decision and there were many worthy beneficiaries competing for the same dollars. We budgeted conservatively this year.
We fully did not know about the “Gayla Prom’s” fate until nearly 5 months prior to its traditional timeframe leaving us little time to plan and withouth a budget line for this elaborate a production. We felt it was our duty to step up to provide a safe space for our youth for this important rite of passage. Youth First Texas has traditionally held the official “After Prom” party. The collaboration of youth and volunteers are what led to the creation of the “Spring Formal.” Keeping with YFT’s policies kept the age range broad which was a key factor in the lower attendance in the past year. In the post prom focus group attended by some of our board members and youth advisory board, the age limitations appeared to be one of the largest factors in lower attendance. We were not aware at that time that sponsorship of the event would be dropped. It was one of those random email messages that alerted us to the issue.
Youth First maintains it’s status as many other agencies in the metro area. We felt the pinch of the recession. We reorganized, shifted, changed our focus to what our core values and programs are. That all said, we have just made Ms Amie McNamara THE Youth Programs Coordinator after having held the position as “interim” for a few months and we have seen new sources of funds and benefactors coming through the door. ALL not for profit agencies can use more money, however we all find ways to make more with less of it. Please visit our website and go to the giving page. Even $1 a week funds one of our programs for a year!
We again, are grateful for all the mentions, Rosie, and the fans of Adam Lambert who help us serve the approximately 1200 unique youth we serve each year.
Adam Lambert fans helped and your title seems ungrateful and a use to get hits.
Dont like your title to this article. Use Adam for hits and then dis him by saying you don’t have to be a fan.
I agree with Cher and charbar1. Basically your title sucks. I guess I don’t expect much more from you with regards to Mr. Lambert. You are always pretty quick to dis him, something as a gay man I will never understand.
Your title is mean-spiritied, and disrespectful to a kind and gracious young man and his fans.
OK! So at least I know I don’t have to help his guy anymore.
How wonderful so many kids will be able to have their own copy – the very week it is released – of one of the best reviewed pop albums of this year or any other.
Fans of Adam Lambert and supporters of freedom and equality and love and joy and spectacular music rallied all over Twitter to send this fine Dallas youth organization these albums.
Where in the world did a title like this post come from? Wow, apparently much more work to do on that love, joy, and freedom of expression thing in Texas. May the music uplift the writer of this dreadful post heading to a new perspective of what we’re all here to do.
Can’t understand how a post about generosity and a LBGT organization would have snide judgment in its title. No matter where it’s published.
Thank you for your support of Adam through interviews and attention brought to him and his music. The efforts of Adam fans to help YTF is admirable. Thanks for bringing deserved attention to that as well, even if your title is somewhat off putting for those fans. Although no harm may have been meant by the choice of the title, I think Mr. Wright was remiss and insensitive to choose that title and should have taken a bit more time to think it out. Ruffling the feathers of those who dig into their pockets to support your organization out of love and care for the cause deserve a bit more respect than that title affords, dontcha think? And so does the artist that inspires them.
The title is fine. It’s shorthand for saying you don’t have be a Glambert to support this fine cause. It is alluding to was the fact that a Glambert did an amazing organizational thing and it’s neither mean-spirited nor disrespectful.
As a fan of Adam Lambert, I was really proud of the efforts made by his fans to support the LBGT community through the Amazon gifting website. If not for the Lambert fans on twitter, I would have never seen or known about the Amazon gifting sight. When I saw the initial article, I thought how nice of you, the DallasVoice, to recognize his fans for their charitable nature. Thank you for that!