LGBTQ+ Spectrum closes its doors

FINDLAY — After years of supporting the local LGBTQ+ community in Findlay, LGBTQ+ Spectrum is disbanding and paving the way for Kaleidoscope Youth Center to expand into the region. LGBTQ+ Spectrum has been a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a more inclusive and welcoming community in Findlay. Building on their momentum, KYC is expanding upon the vision of LGBTQ+ Spectrum, while partnering with the community to ensure a smooth transition. "KYC is a statewide organization, so we've done some work in Findlay before," said Erin Upchurch, executive director of Kaleidoscope Youth Center. "For us, it's about the intentional regional expansion into the community. Making sure that there isn't a big gap once Spectrum closes their doors." KYC is Ohio's largest and longest serving organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults up to 24-years-old. Focusing on a youth-led, youth-informed, and youth-inspired approach, the organization aims to create spaces where young people and their families feel supported, Upchurch said. "We are a community-based organization, working with donors, volunteers, families and their providers. At our very core, the youths are always the heartbeat of the organization. Getting involved with the younger generation, hearing their stories, finding out what they need — that's how KYC got started. Thirty years ago, it began as a rainbow hotline and crisis line. We learned that young people then wanted a space to hang out with their friends, a safer place. That's how our drop-in center was established, and we continued to evolve from there," Upchurch said. Services to be offered in Findlay by KYC include community education and training, advocacy, civic engagement, health and wellness programs, and housing opportunities. "After talking with the folks at Spectrum and people in the community, it makes sense for us to really focus our efforts in Northwest Ohio and to increase those resources," said Upchurch. "It's multi-tiered — so it's working with young people, making sure they have that safer space where they can build relationships, experience belonging and do all those great things, but then also making sure that they have the skills and the equipment to be leaders in their schools." Details of the transition timeline have yet to be announced. The two organizations are in close collaboration with a dedication to ensure continued support to the community, Upchurch said. For more information on Kaleidoscope Youth Center, visit https://kycohio.org.