Program managers Mo Butler and Rachel Greenberg (left to right) tabling for OMM Sept. 30, day 1 of the All Things Go Festival!

omm collaborates with local organizations to support lgbtq+ youth

On Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, OMM Team members — Mo, Rachel, Julia and Mikal — tabled at Spotify and The Ally Coalition’s (TAC) All Things Go festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

The two-day event invited community members to stop and chat with local organizations tabling at the festival, collecting items to build hygiene kits along the way. The kits — which included essentials like toothbrushes and soap — were donated to LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness. The event surpassed its goal of 200 kits donated within the first day of the festival, with at least 300 more kits being packaged and donated on day two.

Founded in 2013, The Ally Coalition is dedicated to bettering the lives of LGBTQ+ youth through music tours, social media campaigns, and partnering with LGBTQ+ youth-centric organizations. Led by musician and producer Jack Antanoff and fashion designer Rachel Antanoff, the Coalition often collaborates with people in the music industry in working toward their mission.

Festival attendees picked up OMM care cards, stickers, and Crisis Text Line info.

This year, TAC partnered with Spotify to create the All Things Go “Impact Village.” Participating organizations included: 

• Calling All Crows — collaborates with musicians, festivals and venues to educate audiences about feminist movements/social issues.
• HeadCount — nonpartisan organization that encourages people to get registered to vote through tabling/engagement at concerts, festivals, and community and online events.
• SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders) — supports and empowers LGBTQ+ youth in the DC metro area through leadership, volunteering, and advocacy among other community engagement opportunities.
• DC Environmental Network — working toward long term economic and environmental sustainability for DC communities. 
• Baltimore Safe Haven — trans-led drop-in wellness center offering services to TLGBQ people living in survival mode.

Within the Impact Village, attendees also had access to a sensory-sensitive area away from the main part of the festival — equipped with beanbag chairs and Spotify-curated meditative music and soundscapes. 

OMM gratitude poster that invited festival attendees to share what gives them hope.

About 500 attendees stopped at OMM’s table and received resources such as our self care cards, pronoun stickers, and Crisis Text Line information. About 275 attendees also shared what they value and what gives them hope on OMM’s gratitude posters. Some responses included everyday kindness, favorite musicians, and LGBTQ+ spaces. TAC and Spotify have made a $8,000 donation in support of OMM and our continued efforts to support LGBTQ+ youth. 

You can get a glimpse of the festivities @allthingsgo on Instagram! 

Many thanks to Spotify and The Ally Coalition for uniting local organizations and community members to support LGBTQ+ youth!💚