Zebra Foundation for Youth

Tony Shamro has faced many challenges in his short life of 21 years — including frequent moves between multiple states due to his parents’ divorce, 13 facial surgeries resulting from a cleft lip and palate and coming out to his family as a gay youth. Last year, a relative in Central Florida threw Tony out of the house when he reached out to others in the community for support. He was alone and homeless with no support system and nowhere to turn for guidance.  

There are hundreds of others’ stories like Tony’s in our community. In fact, 42 percent of homeless youth are LGBT+ and 26 percent of LGBT+ youth who come out to their parents are told to leave home. Once they are out on the streets alone, their situation leads to many other issues and obstacles to overcome at a very young age.

Fortunately for Tony, and other LGBT+ youth in Central Florida who have faced rejection because of their sexual orientation, the Zebra Coalition is here to offer support when it is needed the most.

The Zebra Coalition is the only organization in Central Florida that can provide a full continuum of services to LGBT+ youth, ages 13 to 24.

It is a unique network of Central Florida social service providers, government agencies, schools, and colleges and universities. Each of the 21 Zebra Coalition member organizations provides essential services in various ways, yet none of them can provide a full continuum of services alone.

For Tony, that support is seen through services such as counseling; food, clothing and emergency and short-term housing; support groups and medical support; education, transportation and employment assistance.

The Zebra Coalition Youth Center, which serves as the organization’s drop-in center, and opened in 2012, offers a safe and supportive environment for LGBT+ youth ages 13 -24. Youth can find case management and mental health counseling; medical services and care; a food, hygiene and clothing bank; drug and alcohol addiction counseling; continuing education and employment assistance; transportation; aftercare and ongoing counseling; and intervention-peer support.

Since it opened last year, 318 individual youth have participated in activities at the drop-in center and 3,570 youth visits have occurred. Since 2010, 169 youth have received housing, case management and counseling services from the Zebra Coalition and since 2012 more than 8,700 youth have received resources and education through outreach programs.

The average direct cost to manage one Zebra Coalition youth for one month who is receiving housing, case management and counseling services is approximately $500.

Your generous support is needed now to help Tony and others like him who have their entire support system ripped out from under them by their own family.

We sincerely thank you for your support to contribute to a local organization that is caring for our youth in Central Florida who have been rejected by their own families.

Youth, like Tony, tell us that their journey with the Zebra Coalition has been a life-changing experience and often remind us that family and home isn’t just a place, it’s the people who support you.

The Zebra Coalition is financially supported by the Zebra Foundation for Youth whose mission is to create and sustain programs that directly support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and all youth (LGBT+), in Central Florida, primarily through the Zebra Coalition. The Zebra Coalition fosters hope, dignity and self-respect in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and all youth (LGBT+) ages 13 to 24, and provides them an opportunity to grow up in a safe, healthy and supportive environment.

All public awareness costs, youth center and facility expenses, and overhead are covered by sponsors, ensuring that 100% of your gift goes to support Zebra Coalition. Your donations, whatever size, will help us reach our goal to support LGBT+ youth at risk or in need.