by GYCC | Feb 9, 2022 | GYCC
Greater Yavapai County Coalition is now
PRISM NETWORK!
Since becoming a 501C3 in 2019, the Greater Yavapai County Coalition or GYCC has supported programs and resources for the LGBTQ+ Community in Northern Arizona, specifically in Yavapai County.
Take a look at our first Logo- Vintage 2018!
Over the years! Greater Yavapai County Coalition has brought Programs, Resources and Events to Rural Northern Arizona and Yavapai County.
Here are some of the programs that GYCC has developed:
Faith Bridge- Providing Inclusive Faith Connections
NAZGEM- Northern Arizona Gender Mentor’s Network
Grow Our Own- Garden for the Community
GYCC’s Family and Friends Picnic
GYCC’s Turn About Ball
The name Greater Yavapai County Coalition served us well!
The next evolution of GYCC’s Logo
With an amazing, hard working team and the help of a vibrant and supportive LGBTQ+ Community, GYCC has built partnerships and joined coalitions that have brought support and resources to our rural Northern Arizona Areas.
GYCC was thrilled to receive the Finding the Good Award for their Covid Box Support Program
GYCC has partnered with:
…to name a few
As GYCC we have also become involved in the Organizations that provide support to Yavapai County.
GYCC is a part of
We started the Covid Support Box Program which has provided over 200 Boxes to individuals, children and families who are dealing with Covid.
GYCC is a part of this Community and as we head into 2022, we hope to become even more involved in building an inclusive, safe and vibrant Northern Arizona.
In 2022, we wanted a name that could move forward with us. One that represented the LGBTQ+ Community and was easily identified and remembered when it was on a list of Resources and Service Organizations.
We invited the LGBTQ+ Community to get involved with name suggestions and had a great response! We narrowed the names from seventy, to ten to three and after much careful thought, finally agreed on PRISM NETWORK
A NEW VISION
A huge thanks to everyone who took the time to share their vision of what they wanted GYCC to become. Stay tuned as we update our Website and Logos over the next month.
We would love to hear from you! Send us your thoughts and ideas to GYCCinfo@gmail.com
by GYCC | Feb 2, 2022 | GYCC
GREATER YAVAPAI COUNTY COALITION
GYCC’s GROW OUR OWN Garden Program joins SLOW FOOD PRESCOTT
Let’s grow food in our own backyards!
GYCC’s Garden Planted
In 2020 GYCC launched our GROW OUR OWN Garden for the Community Project
Check out the GYCC Straw Bale Garden Here!
CHECK OUT A VIDEO OF THE GYCC “Grow Our Own” Garden Here https://az-gycc.org/grow-our-own/
Molly Beverly is a Chef, Creative Food Activist and Teacher.who works with Slow Food USA and Chairs Slow Food Prescott. Check out her long list of accomplishments here!
CHECK OUT SLOW FOOD PRESCOTT’S GROW FOOD IN YOUR BACKYARD PROGRAM HERE:
You can fill out an application to participate in Grow Food In Your Backyard
Gardener Request: https://forms.gle/jWMpjTKBYgU94Za68
Watch our Blog for More Garden News as we start our Seedlings for 2022!
by GYCC | Feb 2, 2022 | GYCC
Greater Yavapai County Coalition
United Way “Shows Up” with Donation to GYCC’s Covid Support Box Program!
Left to Right: Molly Freibott, Nina Saim, Kristie Bandie, Hannah Leonard
With the Omicron Varient surging, the Greater Yavapai County Coalition, GYCC, has struggled to keep up with the demand for Covid Support Boxes. Supplies were getting low…then we got the call from the United Way of Yavapai County! They showed up with a huge Donation!
Learn more about United Way Yavapai County and the amazing ways they are serving our Community!
Over 200 boxes have gone out to individuals, children and families who have tested positive with Covid. This has serviced over 400 people! The goal of the program is to help keep people out of the ER as much as possible.
The Boxes include:
- Digital Fingertip Oxygen Monitor
- Digital Thermometer
- Hydration and Electrolyte Replacement
- Over the Counter Cold Medicines including Acetaminophen
- PPE (Masks, Gloves, Hand Sanitizer, Sanitizing Cleaner, Anti Bacterial Soap
- Crackers and Granola Bars- Foods that don’t need any preparation when in quarantine
- Stuffed Animals, Blankets and other comfort items
Find out More about GYCC’s Covid Support Box Program and how you can help HERE
One Families Story- GYCC’s Covid Support Box Program
United Way’s Donation is going to fill so many Boxes!!! Check out this great spread!
Learn more about what United Way is doing in Yavapai County HERE!
by GYCC | Jan 14, 2022 | GYCC
GREATER YAVAPAI COUNTY COALITION
AZ-GYCC.org
COVID SUPPORT BOX PROGRAM
GYCC launched the COVID Support Box Program in response to families testing positive for Covid. 
GYCC provided over 175 COVID SUPPORT BOXES to Community Members, Agencies, Families and children. These boxes supported over 400 individuals! Most boxes go to entire families with children who have tested positive.
Learn more about GYCC’s Covid Support Box Here:
This was the case with Vonda’s Family.
Here’s her story!
Vonda: In our situation, we found ourselves with 11 people in our house due to my roommate getting temporary custody of 6 of her grandchildren overnight and the father flying in from Washington state.
Unfortunately, the youngest child brought COVID home and it spread throughout the house over a 4 week period.
As soon as GYCC members found out we had COVID, they delivered two boxes that contained all the medicine we needed for adults and children, snacks, Gatorade, thermometer, oximeter, gloves, sanitizer, masks, basically everything we needed and couldn’t go out and get for ourselves.
The relief that was provided in having these items delivered was immense and allowed us to focus on resting and not going out into the community and spreading COVID.
I brought a box to another person who had COVID and she said the same thing—she actually was taken to the hospital because her oxygen levels got too low and because of the oximeter in the box, she was able to monitor her 02 and get the help she needed before she got worse.
Thank you to all the people involved in getting these boxes out!
Vonda Chisholm
Help us fill 100 more Boxes to help Families struggling with Covid!
Boxes include:
- Digital 02 Fingertip Monitor
- Digital Thermometer
- Hydration/Electrolyte Replacement
- OTC Acetaminophen/Cold Medicine
- PPE: Masks, Gloves, Hand Sanitizer, Sanitizing Spray, Disinfecting Hand Soap
- Granola Bars/Crackers
- Comfort Items: Stuffed Animals, Blankets, Craft Supplies, Toys depending on availability
by GYCC | Jan 8, 2022 | Faith Bridge, GYCC
GYCC’S COVID SUPPORT BOX PROGRAM
Mid 2020, GYCC began to receive urgent requests for COVID SUPPORT BOXES from Community Members and Families testing positive with Covid. In response, GYCC launched the COVID SUPPORT BOX PROGRAM
As of December 2021, GYCC has provided over 175 COVID SUPPORT BOXES to Community Members, Agencies, Families and children. These boxes have provided support to over 400 individuals and are often delivered to entire families with children who have tested positive.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE
KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF THE EMERGENCY ROOM
The main goal of the GYCC’S COVID SUPPORT BOX PROGRAM is to keep Covid Positive Adults, Children and Families out of overcrowded Hospitals. First, the boxes allows them to monitor their oxygen levels and temperature at home. This results in less visits to Emergency Rooms. Second, PPE and Hydration/Electrolyte replacement aids in prevention of spread and recovery. As a result, we see fewer readmissions.
The Average COVID SUPPORT BOX Contains:
Digital Oxygen Monitor
Digital Thermometer
Hydration/Electrolyte Replacement (ie: Pedialyte, Gatorade)
PPE (Masks, gloves, Sanitizing Cleaner, Hand Sanitizer, etc
Over the Counter Medications
Basic Quarantine Snack Foods (Granola Bars, Crackers etc)
Comfort Items (Books, stuffed animals, blankets)
The COVID SUPPORT BOXES include also include Sanitization Supplies, basic food support and comfort items for isolation when available.
A large volume of Urgent calls for Covid Support Boxes are from those who are very sick. Many have been hospitalized at least once and are now having to quarantine. As a result, they are often unable to get the supplies they need to keep themselves and their family members safe.
CHILDREN WITH COVID
In response to the high volume of Urgent Calls with Children who test positive for COVID, GYCC has created Family Boxes.
These include:
Pediatric Masks and PPE, Pediatric Over-the-Counter Medicine, stuffed animals and comfort items such as blankets and toys. This is in addition to the regular box contents.
PARTNERING WITH THE COMMUNITY
GYCC’s Community Partners have been an essential part of the Program. They have provided Donations and Collected Items from community members.
GYCC IS WORKING WITH:
PRESCOTT CENTER FOR THE ARTS
AARP
AARP’S TAX AIDE CENTER
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
RESTORE
JUST SERVE
ODD FELLOWS
QUAD CITY INTERFAITH COUNCIL
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you or someone you love has tested positive for COVID Contact GYCC at GYCCinfo@gmail.com
by GYCC | Apr 5, 2021 | GYCC
PCA and Finding the Good Team
ARIZONA GIVES DAY is April 6th!
And April 15th is just around the corner!
Your Donation of up to $800.00 to the Greater Yavapai County Coalition qualifies for the Arizona Tax Credit!
by GYCC | Apr 4, 2021 | GYCC
Invisible Men was launched March 31, 2018 by Luckie Alexandar, a trans man and is a Transman who is an advocate exacting change that builds bridges within the LGBTQI community. His organization creates resources and support around transmasculine folks and trans parents.
About the Founder
Invisible Men began as a platform for people of transmasculine experience to have the ability to tell their narrative’s instead of being handed who they were according to the world. There was a documentary released in June of 2018 called Man Made that had various trans men and even a mother who raised a trans man expressing their different experiences.
Take some time to view Man Made here: http://www.manmadedoc.com/
In the beginning there were 12 trans masculine individuals who told their stories and given visibility to an otherwise invisible population. They are called legacies. You can read their stories here.
Each year more and more legacies have been added to the website to share their stories. Over time, the creator of Invisible Men realized that there was so much more that the organization can do for the community. Invisible men started to hold workshops and hosting events.
They became study subjects for a UC Berkeley research project, launched a mentor program called Junior Legacies, had a binder exchange and giveaway, and had a first invisible woodsman camping program.
Invisible Men has tabled at Los Angeles pride, trans pride, competence human trafficking events and many other events. Invisible Man currently gives out transition assistant scholarships and since the inception of Invisible Men have given out four. In 2019, Invisible Men had given out 12 binders, 10 suits, and four clothing care packages.
Tabling @ Breaking the chains – ending human TRAFFICKING in compton, ca
They have also helped people with their name changes and help them to achieve their goals of starting hormones. Many of the Groups “Legacies” have supported other community members during surgery recovery which would include check-up calls and messages as well as visiting during recovery if they were in the same area.
On October 17, 2020, Invisible Men launched its first chapter in Atlanta, GA. The Atlanta chapter had fed ten families during Thanksgiving and have handed out over 15 care packages. As the Atlanta chapter grows so do the services that they provide. Watch the Atlanta Chapter Launch Video Here
Invisible Men is currently working on a few new projects which include Recess: Healing thru Play, Love and Art: Healing thru Art, transmasculine specific cultural competency training, and a Wellness initiative. Invisible men currently offer healthy masculinity release emotional coping and support as well as HIV prevention and more.
The creator of this organization, Alexander, has a long history of advocacy, supporting and providing resources to the LGBTQ community, black community, and the trans community. He is also the mind behind the design for the “All Black Lives Matter” mural on Hollywood Blvd in California.
His passion to help and give back runs deep in his soul. I have the pleasure and the privilege to know him and be there with him every step of the way as invisible men grows.
Alexander is my mentor and a mentor to so many others I am happy to stand side by side with him in the fight for equality anthophyte for those who may feel invisible. Invisible Man is here for them and most importantly we want them to know did we see you, we are here for you, and you are loved.
Find out more about Invisible Men and Donate Here
by GYCC | Mar 27, 2021 | GYCC
GYCC Recieves Finding and Making the Good Award
We met at Prescott Center for the Arts, where the center was also receiving an award for their program PCA Serves
The Greater Yavapai Community Coalition (GYCC) is thrilled to receive the community’s “Finding and Making Good” Award!
Beautiful Arrangement from Allen’s Flowers: Molly Freibott, John Duncan and Sylvia Ximi of GYCC
The Prescott “Finding and Making Good Program” is run by a group of local volunteers. They actively seek out people and organizations doing selfless acts in the Community.
Check out the Daily Courier’s Article Here.
PCA and Finding the Good Team
The group is a also a part of the El Gato Community Gives Program. Their mission is “celebrating people doing, living and creating positivity without expecting anything in return.”
GYCC received the award for their COVID Response Action Plan-Emergency Box Program.
Because of the Pandemic, GYCC was receiving urgent daily requests from Covid Positive Community Members with moderate symptoms. Local Hospitals were full and as a result, they were being asked to Isolate/Quarantine at home
GYCC committed to keeping as many COVID-positive people out of the hospitals as possible. COVID support boxes contain 14 days of supplies and are focused on helping COVID-positive people manage and monitor their symptoms at home. Supplies focus on oxygen and temperature monitors.
In addition, they include PPE for everyone in the household; disinfecting/sanitizing products; hydration and electrolyte support and shelf-stable food items.
GYCC distributed 38 boxes with the help of other local agencies such as Big Brother Big Sister, AARP and the Prescott Odd Fellows. The cost of 10 boxes is approximately $800. GYCC wants to give a big thanks to everyone in the Community who donated supplies and funding!
To join in the effort or contribute to the cause, contact Molly Freibott or John Duncan at gyccinfo@gmail.com, or donate at the website az-gycc.org.
To learn more, or to nominate someone in the Community who is “making the good,” visit findingandmakingthegood.com or visit their Facebook Page.
Find out more about PCA’s events here: https://www.pca-az.net/
Learn more about El Gato Azul here: https://www.elgatoazulprescott.com/
Check out this Article in Signals about El Gato Community Gives here: https://www.signalsaz.com/articles/introducing-el-gato-community-gives/
by GYCC | Mar 24, 2021 | Grow Your Own, GYCC
Spring 2021! We actually, finally made it!
2020 was the longest year in history!
Quarantine.
Racism. Division.
Civil Unrest.
Disruption of supply chains. Over flowing Hospitals.
Nothing is the same as it was a year ago and unfortunately, we’re not through yet.
Everything is different….everything except…Spring!
In March 2020…the Pandemic had just started. Because of this, supply chains were down and food supplies were worrisomely unstable. Not to mention we were all worried if we would ever have enough toilet paper?
Because of this, GYCC decided to start a new program “Grow Our Own; A Garden for the Community”
A Garden brings hope and sustainability, together with a sense of Community; even during a lockdown!
Actual Produce from GYCC’s Garden
But how do you start a Community Garden quickly with only a plot of orange clay dirt, weeds and a shockingly tiny budget of $150.00?
The answer? Straw Bales!
Click Here to read about how we got our Straw Bale Garden Started!
Because straw bales are cheap and can be placed almost anywhere, we were able to get started suprisingly fast! Here is our Fall 2020 “Grow Our Own Garden” planted out:
GYCC’s Garden Planted
It’s finally one year later and because Straw Bales are so positively hardy, we are able to use them for a second year!
Here is the Straw Bale Garden just a few weeks ago in March of 2021!
After an entire year of lockdown and “stay-home-everything”, we were desperately ready to get out in the garden!
But March had other ideas….
What do you when 2021 gives you snow when you want to be gardening?
You build a DIY Straw Bale Greenhouse!
Ugly? Absolutely! Functional? Heck yes!
The bales are heating and because we are early, we can start our own seeds!
Stay tuned and join us for weekly updates!
Together we can build a stronger Community in 2021….one bale at a time!
by GYCC | Mar 5, 2021 | GYCC
If you are over 55 you may have been impacted by nuclear testing or uranium mining in Arizona/Nevada/Utah/Colorado/New Mexico area in the 50’s and 60’s. The following information and links will help you figure out if you are entitled to compensation for illnesses that arose out of nuclear exposure.
The US government webpage is https://www.justice.gov/civil/common/reca . RECA stands for Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. The reason we are publishing this information is that the deadline for filing is July of 2022 and it may take a while to compile the necessary information.
There is a clinic in Flagstaff that is overseeing screening for Northern Arizona. Here is the link to that site:
https://northcountryhealthcare.org/community-programs/radiation-exposure-screening/
While the nuclear testing happened a long time ago, the affects may occur any time after the exposure period. We hope this may be of help to you.
Following is from the RECA website
Background
The United States conducted nearly 200 atmospheric nuclear weapons development tests from 1945 to 1962. Essential to the nation’s nuclear weapons development was uranium mining and processing, which was carried out by tens of thousands of workers.
Following the conclusion of these activities, lawsuits against the United States alleged failure to warn of exposures to known radiation hazards. These suits were dismissed by the appellate courts. Congress responded by devising a program allowing partial restitution to individuals who developed serious illnesses after presumed exposure to radiation released during the atmospheric nuclear tests or after employment in the uranium industry. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was passed on October 5, 1990. The Act’s scope of coverage was broadened on July 10, 2000.
This unique statute was designed to serve as an expeditious, low-cost alternative to litigation. Significantly, RECA does not require claimants to establish causation. Rather, claimants qualify for compensation by establishing the diagnosis of a listed compensable disease after working or residing in a designated location for a specific period of time. This determination is being done by North Country Healthcare in Flagstaff, which was referenced earlier in a weblink.
