building community through authentic connections

Equity and inclusion live in our daily choices, our relationships, and the way we show up for one another.

Across our community, people continue to carry the weight of histories shaped by trauma: forced migration, displacement, systemic exclusion, and persecution. These histories are not only in the past; they persist today in our communities, for example, the struggles of immigrant families navigating uncertainty, and in the barriers LGBTQ2IA+ people, especially transgender individuals, face in accessing safe medical care and basic rights.

In the midst of these realities, resilience is found in the acts of community care and authentic connection that remind us of our shared humanity: Greeting someone by name, making space for their story, expressing gratitude out loud, or standing alongside those who face exclusion are simple actions that foster belonging and signal that every person is valued.

For Friends of Youth, this means investing in relationships, both with us and with our communities. It means centering trauma-aware practices that recognize the impact of history and current struggles. And it means staying authentic, moving beyond divisive approaches or labels, and instead focusing on genuine connection, care, and hope.

By choosing connection over division, gratitude over fear, and care over indifference, we affirm that equity is not only about the individual but about building a community that respects each identity, honors differences, and creates space where everyone can belong and grow together.