One-in-Teen, Nashville’s only program for GLBT youth, is growing having secured a larger meeting place for the teens that access its services.

One-In-Teen Youth Services, Inc., has moved from its previous location at 1700 Hayes Street to its location, 109 29 th Avenue North, Suite 8 . The new location is just off West End Avenue near Centennial Park .

The new meeting space almost doubles its previous space, allowing its programs to serve more teens.

One-In-Teen is Tennessee ’s oldest social service agency for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and questioning youth. Formally incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1994, One-In-Teen serves sexual minority youth between the ages of 14 and 21. Its services have expanded since its inception from a weekly support group to now include support for school-based Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs), community education, scholarships, and developing alternative social activities for youth, the most successful of which is the annual Gay/Lesbian Prom. Until the fall of 2003, One-In-Teen rented space from The Center for Gay and Lesbian Community Services and its successor, The Rainbow Community Center.

“This move will allow the agency to serve a greater number of Middle Tennessee young people,” said DeWayne Fulton, program director for One-In-Teen. “We are very excited about this move,”

Fulton, who has been with the program since 1990, said the nonprofit corporation had shared space with other organizations until the move to Hayes Street in 2004.

“The youth and board membership decided last year that to achieve our mission of providing a safe space for sexual minority youth we needed our own space,” Fulton explained. “The board made the commitment to fund a budget that would allow us to do this.”

One-In-Teen continues to seek financial support from the greater Nashville community.

“We are very pleased and grateful to the many individuals and businesses that have supported us. We will continue to need your help,” explained OIT board treasurer, Julia Tate, J.D., LCSW.

One-In-Teen board member Robert McNamara hosted a house party on August 14, 2005 , which raised $1,100. Board member Frances Bledsoe, LCSW, will be hosting another fundraiser on Saturday, September 17, 2005 , from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. , at her home, 211 Cantrell Avenue . In October, One-In-Teen will also begin its annual membership drive.

For more information on One-In-Teen please visit their website at www.one-in-teen.org.