To Our Beloved Community,

It is with mixed emotions we are writing to inform you that we are closing our waitlist and will no longer be accepting intakes for Marsha and Marian’s Neighbors. We will continue to serve the youth in our program until the end of our current grant cycle and do the important work we set out to do with everything we’ve got. We’d love to tell you what’s next and the reality is we’re still exploring what that looks like as we transition out of VCU by the end of May 2025.

We’ve navigated unimaginable barriers and the weight of structural violence from the day we opened our doors. There were plenty of folks who told us it was simply impossible for us to succeed. This would never work. We were naïve to approach the world the way we do. None of that ever mattered. We were here to build the world our youth deserve and we did just that.

We are living proof that it is possible to do this work differently and be successful in the process. We’ve had the honor of being a safe place to land for so many LGBTQ+ and/or parenting youth. It’s mattered so much and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished. We’re also navigating our own grief as we grapple with knowing our city’s most vulnerable are losing a valuable resource in a context where there’s so few resources available.  It’s hard and messy and we’re deeply human. Luckily, we have our values to guide us and remind us who we are at each and every step.

This is a chapter of a much larger story and we are so grateful to have experienced it with each and every one of you. Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for trusting us and sending young people our way. Your ongoing support has been felt from the start. We will transition out the same way we came in. Full of hope and possibility for what the next season may bring.

As we figure out what is next for Marsha & Marian’s Neighbors, we will continue to communicate directly and transparently with you.

In Solidarity,

Marsha & Marian’s Neighbors staff