The Center is seeking nominations of local women who have made significant contributions to the GLBT community. Those selected will be recognized at The Center’s annual Women’s Night, set for Saturday, May 6, at the new NTC Promenade in Point Loma.

Nomination forms are available online at www.thecentersd.org. The deadline for submissions is March 10. Nominations are being accepted in the areas of business, art/theater, politics, science/medicine/health, education, social service and philanthropy.

Tickets to the annual Women’s Night are $125 per person, $250 VIP or $1,500 for a VIP table. For more information about The Center’s annual Women’s Night, contact Jennifer Jones, director of development, at (619) 692-2077 ext. 204 or e-mail jjones@thecentersd.org.

The Center will host “Red Hot Valentine: A Women’s Nightclub,” from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11. The evening will provide San Diego women with an opportunity to celebrate Valentine’s weekend, as well as socialize and dance.

Red Hot Valentine will feature dance music, door prizes, a no-host bar and a pass to the after-party at The Flame. The event will take place at The Center, located at 3909 Centre St. Admission is $5 per person, and tickets will be sold at the door.

“An event like Red Hot Valentine is a wonderful way for San Diego women to connect and celebrate Valentine’s Day – with or without a date,” said Claudia Lucero, coordinator of The Center’s Women’s Resource Center. “This is a true celebration of the diversity of our women’s community.”

The official after-party will take place at The Flame, located at 3780 Park Blvd. Red attire is encouraged, and women of all ages are welcome. This event is sponsored by The Center’s Women’s Resource Center, Lavender Lens and The Flame.

For more information about Red Hot Valentine or the Women’s Resource Center, contact Claudia Lucero at (619) 692-2077 ext. 206 or e-mail clucero@thecentersd.org.

Odyssey Hospice of San Diego will be offering a new, free support group to the GLBT community. The support group will be an ongoing program to assist the GLBT community with the challenges of bereavement (suffering from the loss of a loved one). The group will meet the third Tuesday of each month at David’s Coffee House on Fifth Avenue (across the street from Rite-Aid) in Hillcrest at 7:00 p.m. For more information, contact Rev. Reggie Avant at Odyssey Hospice at (858) 565-2499.

“Living With …” is an ongoing support and education group for men living with HIV/AIDS. The Center’s Health Services currently has three groups available – two in the evenings and one in the afternoons. The groups are confidential and led by a licensed psychologist. There is no cost to attend. For more information about the groups, or to set up an initial interview, contact Caroline Higgins, intake and referral specialist, at (619) 260-6380 ext. 105 or e-mail chiggins@thecentersd.org.

The Center’s ongoing Men’s Coming Out Group will now feature a speakers series each month. The Men’s Coming Out Group, a staple of The Center’s discussion groups, takes place every Thursday from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. at The Center, located at 3909 Centre St. in Hillcrest.

“Our hope is to bring in speakers each month that will inspire and inform the men that participate in this group,” said Eddie Valtierra, volunteer coordinator for The Center. “Meetings of the Men’s Coming Out Group are open to all men experiencing the issues and challenges of coming out, or being out. With our new speakers series, we want to attract even more men within the community who might benefit from this group.”

In January, the first featured speaker was Fernando Lopez of Equality California. Upcoming speakers include Dr. Davey Smith, who will discuss HIV/AIDS and other STDs on Thursday, Feb. 16; and therapist and author Michael Kimmel on Thursday, March 16.

For more information on the Men’s Coming Out Group, contact Eddie Valtierra at (619) 692-2077 ext. 111 or e-mail evaltierra@thecentersd.org.

Individual and group counseling is available for crystal meth users who want to reduce or quit using.

Support is approached from a SMART Recovery model, which is an alternative to more traditional 12-step programs. The SMART model aims to assist users with identifying cravings and urges, learning healthier coping skills and developing strong support systems.

For more information, contact Tom Wall, marriage and family therapist intern, at (619) 708-7126, e-mail tom@livecompassion.com or visit www.livecompassion.com.

California Cub 2005 Jeffrey Redondo has been selected as a contestant for International Bear Rendezvous (IBR), taking place in San Francisco, Feb. 16-20.

The event, hosted by Bears of San Francisco, raises money for agencies serving the gay and HIV/AIDS communities at the local, state and national level. Fund-raising is accomplished primarily through raffles, auctions and direct donations from participants and the community. More than $290,000 has been donated to these organizations since the first Rendezvous in 1995.

“This is an opportunity to show the international bear community that San Diego has a vibrant and active bear population,” Redondo said. “I am looking forward to demonstrating that California, more specifically San Diego, is very important to the bear movement.”

Redondo has volunteered at the American Veterans for Equal Rights national conference, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Creating Change Conference in San Diego, San Diego LGBT Pride as the parade coordinator, San Diego Latin Pride as the vendor and ticket coordinator, and served as president of the LGBT Student Union at San Diego State University.

For more information on International Bear Rendezvous or Cubs Club of California, contact Eric Crow at daddycuberic@aol.com or call (619) 281-1770.

The San Diego Foundation for Change is now accepting grant applications for the spring 2006 funding cycle. Grant amounts range from $500 to $7,000 per group. Proposals must either be postmarked or received in the SDFC office by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15.

Since 1983, SDFC has awarded 317 seed grants totaling nearly $734,000. The foundation promotes positive, permanent change by funding and supporting small and emerging community-based grassroots organizations working for social, economic and environmental justice in San Diego County and the Tijuana, Mexico, border region. Their concerns cover a range of issues, including: eliminating discrimination in any form, ending environmental pollution, promoting peace, expanding immigrant rights, improving neighborhoods and workplaces, addressing domestic violence, developing youth empowerment projects and increasing women’s rights.

In addition to general funding for various issues, SDFC awards several grants each year from the two special funds. Organizations that promote GLBT rights will be considered for these awards by submitting a general application on or before the March 15 deadline. Each year, the SDFC distributes proceeds from San Diego’s LGBT Pride festival to support groups that promote the civil rights of GLBT people. Generally, three to six Pride awards are made each year during the regular funding cycle.

Free grant writing workshops will take place Tuesday, Feb. 7, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at The Center, located at 3909 Centre St., and on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Jacobs Center for Nonprofit Innovation, located at 5160 Federal Blvd.

Registration is required. Contact Jean at (619) 692-0527 or e-mail jean@foundation4change.org for more information or to register.