SMILE BIG! Amarillo’s New Youth Organization Will Launch on April 1st

Smile BIG! Your future is right this way.

Reading that makes you feel safe and secure, doesn't it? That's exactly the purpose of the organization Smile Big!, an organization formed to provide relief to the soaring number of homeless LGBTQ+ youth of today.

When a young person comes out to friends and family and is shunned for it, there is a devastating ripple effect that takes place. And I can think of no better way to put it than the Smile Big's mission statement: "All confidence has been shaken, the feeling of uselessness come alive, they may turn to drugs, their mental health has been damaged and many have no place to go."

This is a community problem, and Smile Big provides a solution that is a shimmering glimpse of hope for many of our youth. The organization's mission is "to provide resources to the LGBTQ+....these resources will include therapeutic counseling, shelter, clothes, food, job placement, life skills, rehab, transgender financial help, and college funding."

Their vision is to eventually open across all 50 states and in the first five years they will operate on local and national donations along with state and local funding. They will employ up to 20 individuals and retain a minimum of 120 active volunteers. This is an organization that will meet the needs of a huge portion of our community and fill a growing void that badly needs it.

But what does this mean locally? A launch party!

Smile Big will officially launch April 1st!

The event will take place from 8pm-11pm at 4100 FM-1151 Amarillo, Texas 79118. There will be raffles with various prizes, a drag show and a live DJ! The event will be kid friendly, BYOB, and open to all.

And Smile Big! hopes to see you there.