Local PFLAG chapter gets corporate partner with Boston Scientific Valencia

Cyril Rosario, left, and Steve Iland, right, join other PFLAG of Santa Clarita Valley volunteers as they assemble information folders at Boston Scientific in Valencia on Wednesday. Dan Watson/The Signal
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Boston Scientific Valencia employees joined volunteers from PFLAG Santa Clarita Valley on Wednesday to assemble information packets for distribution to schools, libraries, parents of LGBTQ children and other community members.

Boston Scientific donated about $1,000 in resources to the chapter to print the literature because they wanted to help the community, said senior Boston Scientific engineer Stephen Smith.

Sheila Lewis, a Boston Scientific diversity recruiter and co-captain of the employee relations group People Accepting and Celebrating Equality, said the money would help free up resources for PFLAG to continue hosting seminars and speaking to local elementary schools and community groups about the importance of helping the LGBTQ community.

“Each folder has a little under 300 pages of information in both English and Spanish,” Lewis said, pointing to booklets about trans children and how to help a teenager if they were considering their sexuality.

“We want to try and empower youth with information to prevent bullying and promote acceptance of others,” Smith said.

Malcolm Blue, secretary of the local PFLAG chapter, said this was the first time PFLAG has had a local company help out.

In total, the team put together a little more than 800 pamphlets with knowledge, helpful tips and first-person stories about LGBTQ issues.

Jeffrey Stabile, co-founder of PFLAG Santa Clarita Valley, said the move was a great sign for the community.

“It means, in a sense, we’ve arrived,” he said. “We’ve been here in the SCV for over 30 years, but word hasn’t spread, yet, but this will definitely help our visibility. And the employees from Boston Scientific can also spread the word on how to help the LGBTQ youth in our community.”

For more information about PFLAG, click here for the group’s website, and here for the group’s Facebook page.

PFLAG is the United States’ largest organization for parents, families, friends, and allies united with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning their sexual orientation.  PFLAG now has more than 400 chapters in communities throughout the country including the Santa Clarita Valley chapter.


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