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| Different Avenues |
| Contact Us |
| (202) 829.2103 |
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| Fax: |
| (202) 829.2104 |
| Different Avenues 821 Upshur St NW Suite B Washington, DC 20011 |
| Different Avenues is a tax-exempt, nonprofit agency located in Washington, DC. Different Avenues was initiated in September 2001 by an HIV-programs specialist, a community activist, and a human rights lawyer. We found a home for our fledgling agency at 1603 Rhode Island Ave, NE, in Washington, DC. We are forever thankful to our sister agency, EFFORTS, for taking us in and giving us an office to get started. As we grow, we have moved to a new locale at 821 Upshur St NW. We have a beautiful new drop-in center space, and more space for all our programs. We are now led by a diverse group of community activists, youth and HIV program specialists, and human rights experts. Recognizing that many people we serve are members of sexual and gender minorities, Different Avenues has extensive ties to transgender, bisexual, lesbian and gay communities in the Washington DC area. Our staff members are from communities with experiences that reflect the lives of people we work with. We understand being estranged from families, tricking to pay the bills, going to jail, staying in shelters, struggling with addiction, and other realities that many people face, which are viewed negatively by our society. Our goal is to help people live healthy lives with justice, on their own terms. Many people who have sought us out for support have also volunteered with us, and several of our staff members were once clients. We are always interested in new volunteers, and hearing suggestions about issues that are neglected. |
| Who are we? |
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| Our philosophy |
| Even though Different Avenues was founded as a service provider, we are always concerned with bringing fresh insights to our work. In our first years we explored concepts through the No Labels initiative that allowed us to think differently about youth and others who engage in sexual and other kinds of exchanges. Rather than falling back on identities or labels that are not meaningful to the population we serve, such as child prostitute or juvenile offender, we adopted the idea of street survival strategies. We found that by using this “no labels” framework, we could keep open minds about the needs of people seeking services and be open to new ideas that come from the grassroots. This approach also led us to expand our work to include community organizing, advocacy, and other efforts to work for justice.
As part of our commitment to community accountability, we have pursued anti-racist organizational development and emphasized giving new skills to our staff and volunteers. This process resulted in our change in 2007 from a traditional top-down leadership model to a more collaborative structure. We will continue this work in the coming years to fully develop a collective organizational structure that fits the needs of the agency and the community. While it can be challenging, we find it rewarding to work outside of tyipcal models that focus on an identity-based "target population" and to focus instead on broad issues of youth, homelessness, and sexual exchange or commercial sex. We also are glad to be part of cutting edge trends that move beyond traditional organizational models of "a-political service provider" vs "political group that doesn't address immediate needs." |
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| Thanks to supporters |
| Different Avenues is supported by individual donations, event proceeds, and government and foundation grants. Support for our agency and our programs comes from: Third Wave Foundation Brother Help Thyself DC Department of Health Sociological Initiatives Foundation Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, Common Ground Fund DC Depart of Human Services, Income Maintenance Administration Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (sub-contract through SMYAL) DC Department of Health, HIV/AIDS Administration (sub-contract through EFFORTS) Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice |
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| If you would like to support Different Avenues and our excellent work, please consider making a tax-deductable donation, organizing a benefit event, or volunteering. Contact us at 202.829.2103 or info2004 @ differentavenues. org - or simply mail a check or money order to 821 Upshur St NW Suite B WDC 20011 |