Ali Forney Center

Our mission is to protect LGBTQ+ youth from the harms of homelessness and empower
them with the tools needed to live independently.

Our organization’s namesake, Ali Forney, was a gender-nonconforming teen who fled their
home at 13. They entered the foster care system where Ali was bounced around to several
homes, and was beaten and abused. Ali ended up living on the streets at the age of 15.
Ali was dedicated to helping other young people and publicly advocated for the safety of
homeless LGBTQ youth. Tragically, in December of 1997, Ali was murdered in Harlem—
shot in the head and left for dead.

Committed to saving the lives of LGBTQ+ young people, in 2002 Carl Siciliano founded
the Ali Forney Center (AFC) in memory of Ali. Since AFC’ s launch with just six beds in a
church basement, the organization has grown to become the largest agency dedicated to
LGBTQ+ homeless youth in the country—assisting 2,000 youth per year through a 24-
hour Drop-In Center which provides over 70,000 meals annually, medical and mental
health services through an on-site clinic, and a scattered site housing program.
Our mission is to provide LGBTQ+ young people housing and a continuum of supportive
services to help them thrive and prepare them for independent living.

AFC has been heralded for our full continuum of care approach to services for LGBTQ+
homeless youth. AFC’s founder, Carl Siciliano, was named a White House Champion of
Change by President Obama citing the wide recognition AFC’s programs have received
for their quality and innovation.