Community Champions: Sylvia Rivera Place

This Pride Month, we wanted to highlight our community members who are working actively in the LGBTQIA+ space - and today, we're featuring the work of our CBO partner, Sylvia Rivera's Place.
Sylvia Rivera was an active participant in the American Gay Liberation and Transgender Rights movement, in addition to being a well known and passionate community advocate. In an effort to support her community, Rivera opened a food pantry located in the basement of a small church on West 36th Street. As a trained kitchen service worker, she immediately took to both the service and the people who visited her pantry. Word of mouth grew, as at-risk LGBTQIA+ youth knew if Sylvia worked here, they were safe and welcome.
Despite Rivera's passing in 2001, her legacy has continued through the dedication and service of the community. SRP is proud to be one the largest LGBTQIA+ shelters and food pantries in NYC, with the aim of serving all in need and turning no person away from our doors - and we're humbled to help provide Meals via our community restaurant, Kabooz Bar and Grille, to help this service happen. We sat down with Makailah Hayes, the current director, to hear her thoughts and experience working at the shelter.
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