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Hudson County’s only program dedicated to providing direct services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth between the ages of 13-19 is facing a funding crisis, and it is turning to the public for help sustaining operations.

The YouthConnect program, which is run by Hudson Pride Connections Center (HPCC), lost 85 percent of its funding when a $42,500 grant was not renewed. As it faces a huge shortfall, HPCC has set up the Youth Sustainability Fund to accept donations from the community to keep the program running.

The YouthConnect program provides academic tutoring, empowerment workshops, job development assistance, computer access, meals, a social support group, HIV testing and prevention education, and other services to a particularly vulnerable population — half of all new HIV infections occur amongst people under the age of 25. The program serves close to 400 young people each year.

The program did recently receive a bit of good news, however, thanks to Ward E councilman Steven Fulop. Through his outreach, HPCC now has a safety net in the form of a $10,000 gift from local donors.

“The YouthConnect program is a critical part of keeping youth safe and healthy in our community,” Fulop says in a statement. “LGBTQ youth are especially vulnerable … we need to keep programs like YouthConnect open and well-supported.”

But as HPCC executive director Nancy Caamano points out, the program is still on precarious financial footing, and HPCC’s fund-raising work is far from over.

“We’re thrilled that Councilman Fulop has taken such an immediate action to the loss of funding for YouthConnect, but our work is not done,” she says in a statement. “We are grateful for his leadership during these difficult times and hope that many others will join us by giving to our Youth Sustainability Fund.”

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