Rainbow Village

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This day is for youth ages 11-14 years old who identify as lesbian, gay, queer, bisexual, pansexual, non-binary, transgender, Two Spirit and within the broader rainbow village community. We also welcome youth who are questioning their identities.

We will gather indoors at a location in Eureka area (specific details will be shared upon registration) on Sunday, April 2nd from 10:30am to 4:30pm with lunch provided. The location is ADA accessible and please reach out for specific accommodations or questions. 

We are keeping this group small with up to 15 youth for optimum community-building and bonding.

Our intention for this day is:

• To cultivate a sense of community and peer support
• To guide conversations around tough topics like: alcohol/substance use, healthy relationships, safer sex, discrimination and a positive sense of self. 
• To empower youth to advocate for themselves and each other locally and federally
• To build accessible coping skills to ease stress
• To have fun! 

This event is proudly sponsored by Queer Humboldt and is supported by College of the Redwoods MultiCultural & Equity Center and Cal Poly Humboldt Transgender & Gender Diverse Task Force. We have such gratitude for the community support! If you found your way to this webpage to support our scholarship and supply fund in order to help keep this event accessible to all local youth, thank you! Please click the button below to go directly to the form.

This day long is co-facilitated by two local therapists, Larissa Hul-Galasek, LMFT and Abigail Hudson-Crim, LCSW. We both identify as part of the rainbow village and understand the importance of supporting youth at this age. Queer and trans youth are at higher risk of substance abuse, homelessness, mental health issues and suicide. What helps tremendously is having a caring and supportive network of adults in their lives. If you are an adult reading this, you are a big part of that network, thank you! We aim for this day to help build resiliency in our community. 

We received wonderful feedback from our first rainbow village in July, 2022 and we are committed to continue the level of offering every time we gather.

Thank you, Lost Coast Outpost for the coverage of the first rainbow village. Read here.

That being said, we want to be clear that this isn't a therapy group, but we strive to cultivate an atmosphere of celebration, support and pride!

We will be gathering at a location indoors in southern Eureka. The exact location and detail will be shared upon registration. Here is an overview of what the day might look like, but it is subject to change:

10:30am-11:30am: Arrival/check-in, getting to know each other, setting agreements

11:30am-12:45pm: Common myths of the LGBTQ+ community discussion

12:45pm-1:15pm: Yummy and healthy lunch provided

1:15pm-2:30pm: Nature walk or movement & nature immersion

2:30pm-3:15pm: Circle conversation about topics youth want to discuss. Topics may include alcohol/substance use, safe sex, navigating relationships and discrimination

3:15pm-4:00pm: Expressive arts/nature activity

4:00pm-4:30pm: Closing appreciations, prize picks and resource share

While the CA State of Emergency due to the pandemic ended on February, 28, 2023, we continue to strive to have this event feel safe for participants and their families. We will be spending portions of the day inside and if the weather allows, part of the day outdoors. While indoors, we will have as much ventilation as possible in addition to air purifiers running. We ask that if participants are ill at time of the event, that they stay home and we will offer refunds. All facilitators are  vaccinated with boosters and we ask that participants are vaccinated as well. At this time, masks are optional but if any participant or family member needs masks to be mandated due to health vulnerability, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate.

After you register, we'll be sending a list as we get closer to the date, but we wanted to give you a sense of what might be useful to have:

• A water bottle
• Snacks
• Clothing and layers for coastal climate 
• A blanket/towel to sit on
• An object that is meaningful to them for our centerpiece

We strive for this offering to be accessible and have several reduced rates/free spots for youth who may need them. We are dedicated to creating a safe and diverse space and especially welcome BIPOC youth. We also create opportunities for those who recognize their areas of privilege to contribute to scholarship funds.

Pre-registration is required.

Thanks to generous contributions from our community, we have fully funded scholarship spots available. Please fill out the form with "scholarship" in the contribution amount to be considered. (Disclosure: we aren't going to turn anyone away)

Payment Options:  

We accept checks addressed to: Larissa Hul-Galasek at 665 F St. Suite C Arcata, CA 95521

We also have the option for debit and credit card payment including Visa, Mastercard, Amex through IvyPay. If you prefer to pay by card, you will receive a text prompting you to input your card information for a one-time payment. IvyPay is a secure and encrypted payment platform. IvyPay: terms of service. 

Early Bird Rates (register before March 10, 2022)

$75 for the daylong including lunch and materials

For those who recognize their privilege and are able to contribute to scholarship funds:

$95 daylong cost with $20 to scholarship funds

$115 daylong cost with $40 to scholarship funds

$150 daylong cost with a full scholarship 

Rates (register after March 10, 2022 until close of registration on March 30, 2022 5pm)

$80 for the daylong including lunch and materials

For those who recognize their privilege and are able to contribute to scholarship funds:

$100 daylong cost with $20 to scholarship funds 

$120 daylong cost with $40 to scholarship funds 

$160 daylong cost with a full scholarship 

Again, if you would like to be considered for scholarship, please indicate that in the registration form by writing "scholarship" in the contribution amount space. 

If you would like to contribute to the scholarship fund without registering a child for the event, thank you! Your support to the community is valued. There is a link under the registration form that you can click on to provide information. You can also mail a check addressed to: Larissa Hul-Galasek at 665 F St. Suite C Arcata, CA 95521. Please indicate in the memo that it is for "Rainbow Village Scholarship Fund"

Please, reach out if you have questions or would like to discuss options.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. You can contact Larissa at 707-572-6541 or lhgcounseling@protonmail.com