Embrace pride, engage the community, and empower allyship.
This June for Pride Month, millions of people around the world will attend thousands of events, including everything from spectacular parades to smaller conversations. Each year, Pride Month brings with it an opportunity to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, challenge prejudice, and work toward change.
HPE team members in Houston took this to heart and aimed to find deeper ways to create an impact for the LGBTQ+ community locally. Members of the PRIDE Houston employee resource group took it upon themselves to identify organizations in the greater Houston area that they could support through a grant, generously funded by the resource group’s executive sponsor, Phil Cutrone. One such organization stood out among the many incredible nonprofits serving and uplifting Houston’s queer community.
Tony’s Place is a non-profit organization that supports unstably-housed LGBTQ+ youth and their allies in Houston. They operate a drop-in center focusing on LGBTQ+ youth and their allies up to 25 years of age who are unstably housed, couch surfing, or experiencing homelessness. This organization provides steps out of crisis and into stability for the LGBTQ+ youth of Houston.
The goal of Tony’s Place is to provide solutions for immediate needs. It is also a place where youth can learn life skills for a better future and find caring support. Tony’s Place provides services free of charge, including hot meals, showers, laundry, backpacks, hygiene kits, clothing, mail service, phone charging, computers, wi-fi, and more. Beyond the tangible resources they provide, they also offer at-risk LGBTQ+ youth a space for community, connection, and support. In addition, Tony's place helps young LGBTQ+ people develop and thrive in the long-term through education, health and wellness, occupational training, and cultural development and enrichment programs.
After meeting with the organization’s small but mighty team, the PRIDE Houston employee resource group knew they could make a significant impact by supporting the much-needed services that Tony’s Place provides. Thanks to the generous support of HPE's Senior Vice President & GM, Service Providers, Telco, and OEM, Phil Cutrone, the PRIDE Houston resource group was able to provide a $50,000 USD grant to Tony’s Place. Not only would this grant provide financial support for their current services, but it would also allow the organization to increase their operating hours and invest in their technology resources available for young people in need.
“My heart goes out to the LGBTQ+ youth who have to face homelessness or unstable housing just for being their natural and true selves. The hardships they have to go through, saddens me. Thank you Tony’s Place for providing a safe haven to these youths and bringing stability into their lives. You make this world a better place for so many.” - Phil Cutrone
But they didn’t stop there. At the end of March, the PRIDE Houston resource group hosted a happy hour and fundraiser where they presented the $50,000 check from a grant provided by HPE to Tony's Place. At this event they shared the incredible work that the nonprofit does, and how necessary it is for the young queer community in Houston. Through this event, the team was able to fundraise an additional $3,118 through HPE Gives, the company’s employee giving and corporate match program. Looking toward the future, Tony’s Place and HPE aim to continue to find ways to work together to support unstably-housed youth in Houston’s LGBTQ+ community.
“From the deepest part of our hearts we want to thank HPE for their support! You are changing lives in our community and we are so grateful for your partnership!” – Tony’s Place
Pride Month means so much, to so many, for so many reasons. It is a celebration of all the accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ community, and it is also a commemoration of our history and the ongoing campaign for equity and human rights. There is still much work to be done. Until equity is achieved, the celebration of Pride will always include a call to action for everyone who supports a kinder and more equitable world. We are proud of our HPE colleagues who continue to answer this call, and step up to bring awareness and support for LGBTQ+ people around the world.
Written by and published courtesy of Alex Porter Walsh.
BELovattUK
Recruitment marketing and content specialist. Seeking stories from the people within HPE to amplify and share with the world. Huge believer that authenticity of brand and voice will attract the worlds top talent.
