{"id":200,"date":"2021-10-13T14:32:49","date_gmt":"2021-10-13T14:32:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=200"},"modified":"2021-10-13T14:32:49","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T14:32:49","slug":"rewarding-experience-rainbow-cafe-seeks-volunteers-for-lgtbq-youth-programs-the-southern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=200","title":{"rendered":"'Rewarding experience': Rainbow Cafe seeks volunteers for LGTBQ youth programs – The Southern"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Rainbow Cafe is looking for volunteers for its youth programs.
Growing up, Carrie Vine, a vice chair of the Rainbow Cafe LGBTQ center, didn\u2019t see many people like her and didn\u2019t know of many queer mentors she could look up to.<\/span>
She and others at the center want to make sure this isn\u2019t the case for other LGBTQ youth in Southern Illinois.<\/span>
But to do that, they need volunteers.<\/span>
In an ideal world to run the center and its programs, Vine said they need about 30 to 50 volunteers. She said they currently have about 10 active ones.\u00a0<\/span>
The center recently had to cancel a few their weekly Friday night \u201cdrop ins\u201d they usually host for those ages 13-18 because of a lack of volunteers.<\/span>\u00a0And while they are back up and running, they still need more people who are willing to help.
Vine said those who volunteer have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of teens.<\/span>
\u201cI always say it’s a very rewarding experience to volunteer and the place where we need the most volunteers are with the youth,\u201d Vine said. \u201cThere’s been studies where they say, you know, especially with LGBTQ youth, if they have one person in their life that they can go to, that can make a difference. It can literally change like how that youth looks upon life, like whether or not they think about suicide whether or not they’ll even complete suicide, those kinds of things.\u201d<\/span>
Vine said the shelter is not only important to her as an member of the LGBTQ community, but it is important to her child who attends programs at the center and is also part of the community.\u00a0<\/span>
\u201cI’m 45, so like, when I was growing up, you know, it was never really even accepted at all,\u201d Vine said. \u201cYou know, so it was always kind of one of those things where I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is such a nice thing for youth to have and adults to have to be within the community and be accepted and have that option.’\u201d<\/span>
Michael Coleman, a 23-year-old SIU student and head chair of the human resources committee for the center, echoed the need for volunteers. He said he hopes the teens who utilize the center\u2019s resources understand that they aren\u2019t alone.<\/span>
He said he was drawn to the space because he had never really had the opportunity to experience anything like it \u2014 where LGBTQ people could gather safely. He said he loves learning from the kids and trying to be there for them.<\/span>
\u201cI love working with the younger generation of LGBTQ youth, because they are the future honestly,\u201d Coleman said.<\/span>
Volunteers can fill out an application with the center to be approved. They qualify if they are 19 or older. They also must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and pass a DCFS background check.\u00a0<\/span>
The center’s website is rainbowcafe.org<\/a> and more information can be found there.<\/span>
In addition to providing services to teens, the center also provides resources for adults, young adults and the older LGBTQ community of Southern Illinois. They recently celebrated 21 years of being in operation and they are saving up for a down payment to hopefully move their center to the strip in Carbondale to be more centrally located.<\/span>
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Reporter
Kallie Cox is a general assignments reporter for The Southern with interests in political science, crime and courts, immigration, and social justice. Kallie is a SIU student and joined the newsroom staff in 2021. kallie.cox@thesouthern.com
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Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.The Rainbow Cafe is looking for volunteers for its youth programs.Growing up, Carrie Vine, a vice chair of the Rainbow Cafe LGBTQ center, didn\u2019t see many people like her and didn\u2019t know of many queer mentors she could look up to.She and others at the center want to make sure this isn\u2019t the case for<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t