At about 2:30 p.m. today, this reporter knocked on the door of 955 Washington Place SW, a two-story blue house located in a residential neighborhood near Joseph Lowery Boulevard and near the Ashby MARTA station. YouthPride Executive Director Terence McPhaul answered the door slightly and said, “Hello. How can I help you?”
“I was just coming by to see how YouthPride was doing?”
“OK. Well, thank you but I’m not available right now,” he said.
“But this is obviously where YouthPride is now located?” he was asked.
McPhaul then shut the door.
The address on YouthPride’s Facebook page lists 599 Washington Place as its new location, but that address does not exist.
McPhaul and YouthPride board members have refused to answer questions about where YouthPride was moving after it was forced to move from its location in Inman Park over nonpayment of rent.
YouthPride leaders stated first stated via the group’s website that it would announce its new location and reopen for its regular hours on June 4. They finally posted to its website that it would reopen for regular hours on June 18.
Hours are listed as Mondays through Fridays from 3-8 p.m. and Saturdays 3-6 p.m.
There is also a posting on the website that volunteers are needed in several areas.
“Volunteer recruitment is still ongoing. There are still openings in the following areas: group facilitator, center host, movie night host, special event host, clerical, HIV testing,” the website states.
Also posted to the YouthPride website: “Please pardon us for the disruptions to scheduling during the past 10 days of the transition. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thanks for all of your calls of support and renewed interest as well. Youth and/or current volunteers can feel free to call Terence at 404-502-8431, if you have pressing questions. Those accessing COUNSELING services, please follow the instructions given you by your COUNSELOR. However, you too may call Terence at the number listed above.”
The YouthPride website still lists its main number as 404-521-9711. However, when calling the main number a recorded message states the number has been changed to 404-502-8431 — McPhaul’s cellphone number.