NAPERVILLE, Ill., August 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Youth Outlook, Illinois’ first and longest-running social services agency dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth, announced that Adam Scachette (he/him), Co-Program Leader of Youth Outlook’s Peoria Drop-In Center, has been recognized with the Lucchesi Community Growth Award from River City Pride. The award, created last year in honor of Peoria Proud president and River City Pride co-chair Cassie Lucchesi, celebrates individuals whose work strengthens LGBTQ+ belonging across the greater Peoria area.
Adam has been part of Youth Outlook since the Peoria Drop-In Center opened in May 2023, first as a volunteer and, since fall 2025, as one of the site’s Co-Program Leaders. In that role, he helps create the safe, welcoming, and celebratory space that LGBTQ+ young people in the greater Peoria area walk into each week. In this space, they can build community, explore identity, and connect with peers and trusted adults who see them fully.
Outside of Youth Outlook, Adam serves as a Youth Services Librarian at the Peoria Public Library, where he organizes queer young adult book clubs, promotes diverse literature, and helps ensure that LGBTQ+ young people see themselves reflected on the shelves and in the programming of their local library. His nominator described him as “a librarian, an advocate, an educator, and a community builder” whose work is driven by kindness and conviction.
“Adam is exactly the kind of leader LGBTQ+ young people in Peoria deserve,” said Nancy Mullen, Executive Director of Youth Outlook. “Whether he is welcoming a young person into our Drop-In Center for the first time, connecting a teen with a book that helps them understand who they are, or showing up for our broader community, Adam brings his whole heart to this work. This recognition from River City Pride reflects what we see every week: an advocate whose care and commitment make it possible for young people to belong.”
Youth Outlook’s Peoria Drop-In Center meets Mondays from 6:30 – 9:00 PM and is part of a statewide network of affirming programs. Across Youth Outlook’s Drop-In Centers, 87% of participants return each week, a return rate that reflects the trust young people build in these spaces and the relationships they find with staff and peers who understand them.
Youth Outlook congratulates Adam on this well-earned recognition and thanks Peoria Proud and River City Pride for uplifting the leaders who make central Illinois a more affirming place for LGBTQ+ youth.
About Youth Outlook
Founded in 1998, Youth Outlook is Illinois’ first and longest-running social services agency dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth. We provide the care and community LGBTQ+ young people need to thrive, offering statewide services that include virtual and in-person programs for youth and young adults ages 5-24, caregiver and parent support, health and wellness navigation, and community education and professional development. Youth Outlook is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. youth-outlook.org
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