UPPER DARBY (KYW Newsradio) — The nonprofit U.D.T.J., an acronym for Understanding, Devotion, Take Action and Justice, has been making waves for some time.
But now, the nonprofit is opening the first facility of its kind to support LGBTQ+ and BIPOC youth in Delaware County.
U.D.T.J. Director of Operations Kyle McIntyre said first and foremost it’s about having a physical space for those youth in Delaware County.
“We’ve been doing a lot of work when it comes to building community and connecting groups with resources and now we’re taking it to the next level,” he said.
As for the services offered in the center, they tackle things like mental health, disability, immigration, housing, and more. With the new physical space, more room for peer support groups, community building activities, and workshops is also now available.
The center’s location in Upper Darby also allows U.D.T.J. to reach communities the organization never could before.
“For so often have our resources been 30 minutes to an hour away,” said McIntyre. “You’d have to go either all the way into Center City or you’d have to go to Montgomery County or Chester County and for so many people, that has just been inaccessible.”
LGBTQ+ youth are still the target of a majority of U.D.T.J.’s services, but that too is expanding.
“It’s for all youth,” said McIntyre. “It’s for our BIPOC community, our Black, our Indigenous, our people of color. We really wanted to provide a space that was intersectional, that anyone can feel welcome.”