GLT » Community Service Award: Todd Gloria

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Community Service Award: Todd Gloria

Published Thursday, 28-Jul-2005 in issue 918

Todd Gloria holds a host of community positions, including chair of The Center’s fund-raising committee, and several additional volunteer posts. He works as the district director for Congressmember Susan A. Davis.

A committee member for GLBT organizations including Mama’s Kitchen, the Harvey Milk Scholarship Fund, the San Diego Democratic Club and the Nicky Awards Board of Governors, Gloria still finds time to battle urban crime in City Heights as a panelist on the Mid City Prostitution Impact Panel (PIP).

The PIP program presents prostitution offenders with personal stories that dispel the myth that prostitution is a victimless crime, and features talks from police officers, former prostitutes, social workers who counsel sex workers and health care workers trained specifically in STDs and their prevention.

Gloria is also an active member of the San Diego Housing Commission’s Loan Committee, which approves finance deals for affordable housing developments throughout the city.

“Recognition means a lot, and always a whole lot more when it comes from your own community, and that is why this community service award is so gratifying to me,” he said.

While Gloria believes strongly in all the community organizations he works with, he said his work at The Center is what he is most proud of.

“I feel so strongly about what The Center does in terms of addressing a lot of our community’s needs, whether that be mental health, our youth, our seniors. That has been a great place for me to kind of plug into the LBGT community here in San Diego and be able to touch people’s lives.

“What makes this award this year so sweet is because it coincides with our youth affordable housing project, which was just approved [last] Tuesday,” he added, referring to The Center’s efforts to provide affordable housing designed to specifically include GLBT, questioning and HIV-positive youth.