Who We Are & What We Do
From our Founding Director
Dear members of Barnegat Pride,
Happy New Year and welcome to 2025!
Barnegat Pride has been busy the past 10 months ensuring we provide resources and comradery for our Barnegat and Beyond Community.
It is with absolute pleasure that we are officially going to hold our 1st Annual Barnegat Pride, "Kick off to Pride" festival on Saturday, May 31st, 2025 at the Old Edwards School field on Rte 9 with parking off of Water St.- across from the firehouse.
In our 10 months, we have also expanded our youth outreach program to include an Executive Director of Youth Programs along with our Youth Director to ensure we protect, listen to and always consider our most vulnerable children.
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Barnegat Pride came about after living here for 16 years and not having any local outlets for the LGBTQIA+ community. If one wants comraderies, they have to travel. Or, most importantly, when I think of the LGBTQIA+ children and teens of our community, I am heartbroken by the bullying and lack of board of education protection. I continually worry about what might happen to a student of the community who has no resources or community to go to for help. It is this daily passion that a friend and ally, pushed me to start Barnegat Pride on March 29th, 2024 by donating the funds to start a legitimate non-profit. On April 9th, 2024, we proudly received our 501c3 non profit status, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team that came together to get us where we are today. A growing group of board members, 700+Facebook members, a regular monthly meeting group forum and we are involved in numerous upcoming events.
In our first few months since March 29th, we have attended Toms River Pride as an organization, held a meet and greet with award winning Author, Ashley T. Brundage, alongside partner member New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce. We have partnered with ACQA (Atlantic County Queer Alliance) , became members of the Barnegat Rotarian Club and rely greatly on the resources and assistance from Garden State Equality. Barnegat Pride held a summer party and had the best reception from teens. On September 28th, 2024 we held our 1st annual night out dinner and raffle fundraiser, which was a highlight of the community with over 122 attendees. Members left feeling happy, rewarded, refreshed, open and a part of something good. That is love to me. Love is love. We all love and require love to succeed as humans. I’m proud to have started a group where friendship, family and love for one another is paramount.
Please keep coming back to see what’s new and to be a vital member of our community, You are always welcome here.
Best,
Carrie Diona - Founding Director
At Barnegat Pride, our nonprofit organization is one that provides a safe space for vulnerable children, teens, adults and families who are primarily members or allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. We strive to provide community outreach to ensure that members of the LGBTQIA+ community in Barnegat and Beyond are provided services, community forums, including a true accepting community for all.
Our ultimate goal for this 1st year was met, we will be able to have our own Barnegat Pride Celebration on may 31st, ,2025 @ the Old Edwards School and field, 1000 Route 9, Barnegat, NJ 08005. It our hope that will become an annual event. With a flag raising.
Our goal for the 2nd year, is lofty, we know. But, by the responses we have received thus far from local businesses and community members of Barnegat and Beyond, our aim is to have our own self standing Barnegat Pride Center where our community members can go to not only feel safe but have a sense of community and family on a daily basis.
