With 2005 now upon us, many of us are still making good on our self-improvement resolutions. Research and polling have shown that many people make a New Year’s resolution to volunteer with a community service organization. Hopefully, one of your goals was to be more involved in the San Diego lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Our San Diego LGBT community has a tremendous history of volunteerism and activism as we have worked together to make our city a better place for all. We are a community that had the courage to start a gay center – run by volunteers – more than 30 years ago, at a time when that kind of vision was simply unimaginable. We are a community that responded with concern and action when AIDS began impacting our men two decades ago. We are a community that has fought – and continues to fight – to empower all community members to participate fully and actively in civic life.

Today, The Center board, staff and volunteers carry forward that original vision and the commitment to care for our own community. We carry the courageous spirit of our founders and early pioneers like Jess Jessop, Bernie Michaels, Jeri Dilno, Bridget Wilson and so many others by continuing to strive to create a place – and a community – that is healthier, happier, more prosperous, more free and more powerful than it was the year before.

Our community, both locally and nationally, will be facing many challenges this year, and we will need more people to be involved, active and engaged. One of the ways to get connected is through The Center.

And we need you! As our diverse community continues to grow, we must face the challenge of providing even more support, programs and services. Although The Center continues to receive funding from the city, county and other granting foundations and agencies, it is also critical that The Center be supported and owned by the community it serves. Our members and volunteers serve as the lifeblood of this organization.

This month, it is my great pleasure to welcome all Center members to our 2005 membership meeting on Thursday, Jan. 27, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in The Center’s auditorium. This meeting will be an excellent opportunity for Center members to:

Find out about The Center’s exciting new projects planned for 2005.

Get involved as a volunteer at The Center.

Learn about upcoming programs you will want to be a part of this year.

So please join me, along with The Center board and staff members and Center members from all over San Diego County, for this important gathering. It’s an easy way to get involved, engaged and connected. And, if you don’t find an opportunity that strikes your fancy with us, there are scores of other LGBT organizations who are also happy to receive your service; let us connect you to them!

Your participation in our vibrant, diverse and ever-growing San Diego LGBT community is critical to our collective ability to rise to the challenges and opportunities we will face this year.

I am looking forward to talking with Center members and sharing with them the exciting goals for The Center. LGBT San Diego has so much to be proud of – working together, our community will accomplish amazing things in 2005!