See upcoming youth events at Center Calendar: Youth

Nicole Avallone, LMSW
Director

Nicole is a social worker with extensive history providing support and advocacy to the LGBT community. A graduate of NYU, most recently Nicole served as Program Director at the Rainbow Heights Club, the only government funded psychosocial club specifically geared toward serving LGBT adults living with mental illness. Prior to this, she worked as a psychotherapist and later program director at CitiWide Harm Reduction in the Bronx, where she also helped develop and secure funding for the agency's first LGBT-specific programming. Nicole's early professional career included a year-long internship with The Center and she continued facilitating groups for the Center's Gender Identity Project for many years, primarily focusing on support for trans-partners. Nicole is in love with everything about the Y.E.S. program – from the inspiring and creative staff, to the powerful energy of the young people, to the daily joys of being part of a community where LGBTQ and allied people work to create a world where we can all shine!



Natasha Jones
Program Coordinator for Education & Training

Natasha has served as the Coordinator of Education and Training at Y.E.S. since May 2010. She has worked in youth development for over 10 years and before coming to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, she was an Assistant Director for a Universal Pre K program and summer day Camp Director for school age children at Bronx House. She has a passion and background in Theater and graduated from Lehman College with a degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology and minor in Education. She served as a liaison between several community based organizations and the NYC Department of Education to provide children and families with support and guidance. Her experience as a Summer Day camp Director was working with large population from school age to high school, where young people were involved in daily recreational activities on the Henry Kaufman Campgrounds in Rockland County. At Y.E.S. Natasha continues to support young people in their educational goals, artistic creativity and development of their whole self!



Amy Henderson, LMSW
Prevention Social Worker

Amy currently works as the Prevention Social Worker the LGBT Center's Youth Enrichment Services program. Amy is a licensed social worker who provides prevention social work services for youth at the LGBT Center's Youth Enrichment Services program. As part of her role in Y.E.S. she also provides emotional fitness coaching and support for Youth Pride Chorus members in addition to all Y.E.S. members. She holds a BA in Women's & Gender Studies from Smith College as well as a Master's Degree in Social Work from NYU and post MSW training in Clinical Practice with Adolescents at the NYU School of Social Work. Amy has experience working in a diverse range of social services settings in the NYC area focusing on mental health, substance abuse, trauma, development and identity issues. She is very excited to be part of the Y.E.S. & YPC team!



Raul Rivera
Arts & Media Specialist

Raul grew up in New York City and attended Talent Unlimited High School for the Performing Arts, where he majored in theater & dance. Driven to help empower his community Raul volunteered & worked for non-profit agencies such as Gay Men’s Health Crisis, & People of Color in Crisis while attending The Bronx Dance Theater School on scholarship. Raul used this combination of art, and social justice to create and influence several artistic community projects/events and programming that have helped empower, heal, and support LGBT young people. Raul was selected for the TEACH (Technology Exchange and Capacity Building for Community Health) of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health where he was certified as a Community Health Specialist which led to his six year employment at The Hetrick Martin Institute (Home of the Harvey Milk High School). Raul has worked diligently mentoring, advocating, coaching, outreaching and creating an abundance of programming for thousands of New York City LGBT youth and has gained an in depth perspective on LGBT youth concerns; such as gender identity, sexuality, HIV/AIDS prevention, & Queer urban culture.



Skyler Christian Alexander Cruz
Leadership & Learning Lab Specialist

Skyler began working with youth at the age of 17 years old as a part of the PAL (Police Athletic League) through the Summer Youth Employment Program. Due to his passion, commitment, and drive, PAL promoted him a couple of years later from an Afterschool Counselor to Site Coordinator, supervising his first internship In-STEP (In-School Training and Employment Program) for teenagers 18 and under. Although he has a BA in Philosophy from Connecticut College, where he also studied mathematics, German, and French, he is so incredibly moved by youth work that this is the career path he has chosen.

Sky joined the Y.E.S. Program at the LGBT Community Center in early 2008 eager to reach young people in the LGBTQ community and help them grow into successful and confident individuals. He does this by providing them support with resumes, school, leadership opportunities, and interpersonal skills. He also aids in the development of their life skills and self-awareness. Similarly, Skyler believes in his own growth and development and is therefore currently pursuing his Master’s Degree at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. He expects to graduate May 2013. Sky is also an athlete. He has over 15 years of martial arts and ice hockey experience (he presently plays for the New York City Gay Hockey Association- NYCGHA).



Brian M. Smith
Community Organizing Specialist

Brian serves as the Community Organizing Specialist at Y.E.S. Brian grew up in Ann Arbor, MI spending much of his time in community and athletic programs indulging his interests in acting, writing, filmmaking, football, and track. Through these outlets and relationships with his mentors, he developed a passion for mentoring youth and was driven to share the same support he received with young people in his community. While in Michigan he worked as a drama and media literacy instructor for the University of Michigan Gear Up program. Upon moving to New York in 2008, he continued teaching media literacy in various schools and afterschool programs. He became involved in his Harlem community providing media and education services for the Civic Association Serving Harlem and even founding his own organization called What's Left Out in 2009.

Brian arrived at Y.E.S. in early 2010 infusing his media literacy background, transition experience and energy into his role as community organizer. He enjoys mentoring and cultivating future leaders through the Safe Schools, YO! and POL internships he facilitates and finding new ways to encourage critical thinking and creativity during his activity groups.



Olin Winn-Ritzenberg, MSW
Education & Training Specialist

Olin was raised in Washington, DC where a public school education and two public school teachers for parents infused in him a passion for public education and social justice. After completing his undergraduate education at the University of Michigan, Olin worked at a mental health club and was introduced to community-driven services. He received his Masters of Social Work in 2011 from Hunter College School of Social Work, where he studied community organizing with a focus on youth and families. He spent one year interning and organizing for Make The Road NY's LGBTQ project, GLOBE, and one year interning for a public middle/high school in Brooklyn while studying at Hunter. Olin's trans experience connects him deeply to the LGBTQ community and has allied him to similar community struggles for economic and social justice. At the Y.E.S. Program, Olin serves as the Education and Training Specialist. He loves his work supporting LGBTQ and allied youth in their educational/professional goals, and through the Safe Schools Internship. Olin also facilitates the OutSpoken Views Zine Group, The Current, a current events discussion group, Study Hall, and Saturday Community Discussion.



Irene V. Muñiz
Program Coordinator for Arts and Advocacy

Irene V. Muñiz, the Program Coordinator for Arts and Advocacy at Y.E.S., holds an MSW from the University of Maryland. Upon completing her graduate work, Irene was awarded a Community Fellowship from the Open Society Institute in Baltimore, MD. With a background in community organizing and social action, she worked to promote social and economic justice among low-wage workers by facilitating dialogue across race, language and cultural differences. In the past ten years, she has worked on a variety of campaigns/projects such as, The Dream Act, Immigration Reform, HIV Prevention, Marriage Equality, LadyFest Baltimore, and Anti-Death Penalty campaigns. Originally from El Paso, TX, she now currently lives in NJ, where she spends her down time at the beach and dedicates time to her yoga practice. Irene is excited to join the Center and looks forward to working with an organization whose goals are to improve the lives of youth by empowering and inspiring them to develop academically, creatively and socially!

contact us Call 646.556.9300 and ask for the Y.E.S. program (or a specific staff person's name), or email us at YES@gaycenter.org.