NetworQ’s mission is to support, educate, and serve the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community, their friends, families, and allies. NetworQ will raise awareness for social, economic, cultural, health, educational and political issues affecting the people of Lawrence and Douglas County, Kansas.
How does NetworQ Work?
Despite NetworQ’s young age, we have our traditions. January is our
Birthday, complete with a cake. Each spring we host the Douglas
County Aids Project fundraiser walk and run, and we serve a huge hot
breakfast to over 200 walkers. In the summer we have community
picnics in South Park and provide the burgers and hot dogs. In October
we throw a Halloween party with cash prizes for the best costumes.
November is our community Thanksgiving feast, complete with turkey,
gravy, and potatoes. Every December is the ever popular White Elephant
gift exchange.
Along with these traditions, we also bring to our community other fun,
inspiring, and educational events such as Bingo, Trivia, and people
who tell us more about the larger community we live in (and learn more
about ours).
So that is a little about what we do.
This is how we do it: it is all done by volunteers!
There is a volunteer Board of Directors that meets monthly.
It is the board that discusses and decides what to do, and then makes the ideas
a reality. Usually events involve advertising, set up, operating
(including the music), and clean up. All of this is done by
volunteers.
Events also take money (to buy the food and supplies, rent a venue, etc.).
NetworQ makes money from member dues, tickets to
the Halloween dance, and volunteers working for “in kind” dollars. We
have two in kind dollar sources: delivering Liberty Press to pay for
advertising in the magazine, and working catering events at Maceli’s
to pay for the use of it as a venue for many of our events.
Like all volunteer organizations, NetworQ is run by those who participate.
Would you like to have a say in what NetworQ is and does?
Would you like to be more involved – and help NetworQ become more involved –
in our community?
Please consider volunteering.
We make it as fun as can be, and we’d love to have fun with you.
Contact NetworQ President Paula Schumacher via email:
We are new to Lawrence and I am really excited to see this organization is well and thriving. Hopefully we can attend some of the next get-to-gethers so that we can meet some new people and perhaps make some new friends. It’s hard to be new to a community and not know anyone.
We look forward to seeing you at upcoming events, Jamie!
Fortunately I just heard about “NetworQ” today, unfortunately I missed the July 15th event (it was my birthday)! I am new to Lawrence and am interested in meeting some of my counter-parts in the community. Looking forward to attending future events.