Merced LGBT Community Center to close, group says, citing funding and staffing issues

The Merced LGBT Community Center will close, according to its staff, who cited difficulty in funding the center and keeping it staffed.

The announcement was made Monday on a blog maintained by Fresno-based Gay Central Valley, a nonprofit that acted as the center’s parent group. The blog was posted by Chris Jarvis, the president of Gay Central Valley, who touted some of the work the center has done in the past two years.

“However, operating a full time community center is an expensive and staff intensive venture,” the post said. “Everyone that works for the Merced LGBTQ Alliance, as well as Gay Central Valley, are volunteers, and maintaining that base of operations over time is difficult.”

The center at 1744 G St. was meant to be a place where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other marginalized groups could go to feel welcome. It opened with a flag-raising ceremony Aug. 30, 2014.

Keeping the center open has been difficult for staffers, who shuttered the doors for about a month in 2015 after several staff members moved out of the area.

“The cost of running an LGBT Center in Merced averages about $1,200 per month, just to keep the doors open and the lights on,” the post said. “That does not include the price of events, infrastructure, etc.”

The Merced LGBTQ Alliance and Gay Central Valley plan to continue to work in Merced, according to the post. Their plans this year include Pride in the Park, speaker forums and a youth scholarship program, as well as working with other groups and events.

In August, the groups organized Merced’s first gay pride event.

This story was originally published January 30, 2017 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Merced LGBT Community Center to close, group says, citing funding and staffing issues."