The Spahr Center, a nonprofit organization serving Marin’s LGBTQ+ and HIV-affected communities, announced Friday that it is suspending services indefinitely due to ongoing financial issues. Most of the staff members were laid off on Thursday, according to an email from the organization.
The Ryan White HIV services will continue operating for another week as clients are transitioned to the County of Marin for continued support. The center’s food pantry will be open on Feb. 21-23.
The closure comes as a blow to the hundreds of people that the Spahr Center serves annually. In addition to the food bank and HIV services, the center ran dozens of support groups for LGBTQ+ teens and adults and their families.
The Spahr Center also provided a vital countywide harm reduction program that distributed clean syringes, Narcan and fentanyl test strips to substance users.
While no details were given, an email from Joe Tuohy, the center’s executive director, and Amy Schroeder, chairperson of the board of directors, indicated that they have begun discussions with a community partner about forging a strategic alliance.
The Spahr Center did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Founded in 2016, the Spahr Center was created by the merger of Spectrum LGBT Center and the Marin AIDS Project, two organizations founded in the 1980s by Rev. Jane Spahr.
