Pride Fort Lauderdale presented $15,000 in community grants to 15 South Florida organizations, funded from proceeds of the 2018 festival held on Fort Lauderdale Beach at an awards reception in June.

Each of the recipients is a non-profit organization that offers outreach or services to the local LGBT community. Twelve were first-time recipients.

The grants will fund projects ranging from HIV/AIDS awareness/prevention and health care to legal services, education, arts and culture and youth.

Recipients include:

Deliver the Dream: will develop two HIV/AIDS components for the organization’s retreat program that enables families experiencing serious illness or crisis to regain strength, mend spirits and just be families again.

High Impacto: will utilize the funds for its HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs for men-having-sex-with-men in Broward County’s Latinx community.

Health Awareness for Life: will use the funds to subsidize the production costs of 12 episodes of the organization’s radio show, “Mas Alla de Tu Nariz,” focusing on health, education, immigration and family topics.

Pet Project for Pets: will provide food, supplies and medication for pets serving as companions to patients with terminal illnesses or disabilities, senior citizens and owners in financial need.

Safe Schools South Florida: will fund its Youth Speaker Program,

Stonewall National Museum & Archives: will use the funds to underwrite special exhibitions and film screenings.

SunServe: will direct the funds toward reaching LGBT families and those wishing to start families.

Broward Navy Days: will use the grant to hold a reception for LGBT military service members visiting South Florida during Fleet Week Port Everglades in 2019.

Five of the 15 grants were earmarked specifically for projects within the transgender community and were funded from sponsorships and beverage sales at the first South Florida Trans Pride celebration. Recipients of 2018 South Florida Trans Pride Grants include:

Arianna’s Center: will use its funds for its monthly “Goddesses of Florida” parties and other outreach programs to the Latinx trans community.

Legal Aid Service of Broward County: will provide legal services.

Poverello: will assemble and distribute 80 healthy food packs to members of the local trans community in need.

The South Florida Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence: will fund and distribute HIV-education and social outreach materials with a focus on the local trans community.

Unity Coalition: will use the funds to produce its fifth annual TransArt exhibition and conference in January 2019.

Next year’s Pride Fort Lauderdale will take plaFeb. 21-24. Visit PrideFortLauderdale.org for more information.