The Pop Luck Club, a non-profit organization that supports gay fathers throughout Southern California, has announced the launch of its Raise a Child ad campaign. The campaign’s goal is to raise community awareness, support and understanding of gay fathers and their families.
The campaign also aims to inspire and aid prospective gay fathers as they explore the many routes to creating families, including surrogacy, foster parenting and adoption. Both the radio public service announcements (PSA’s) and bus shelter ads feature family portraits of Pop Luck Club members. The ads run throughout January across the Los Angeles region, as well Orange County.
Richard Valenza, co-president of the Pop Luck Club said, “We make lunches for our kids, get them to music and karate lessons… just like every family. With this campaign, we are putting a real face on gay parenting.”
Since its founding in 1998, the Pop Luck Club has grown from a handful of fathers to over 500 members. It facilitates monthly “pot luck” play dates, discussions and support groups, online resources and news groups, as well as family events and mentorship programs for prospective fathers.
Some gay fathers have found a perfect match through fostering and public adoption. “Nationwide, over 200,000 children are awaiting families,” said Dr. Tony Zimbardi, a Pop Luck Club board member. “It is our hope that more gay men will be inspired and enabled to create the loving families they deserve.”
The group’s members overwhelmingly report that raising children has affected them deeply. “Growing up, many of us felt sadness that coming out as gay would end our dreams of parenting,” says John Ireland, a Pop Luck Club board member. “I now know that becoming a father and providing a loving home for our child is the most important and rewarding thing I have ever done.”
For more information, visit www.popluckclub.org.
