The Empowering Spirits Foundation held its first annual nationwide service-oriented event to promote LGBT rights called "Proud Hearts Reach Out" in conjunction with National Coming Out Day October 9, 2009. The nationwide event was created in response to the California Supreme Court decision to uphold Proposition 8. Roughly 5,000 volunteers attended the ESF service events held across 36 states, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, MyOutSpirit.com, the American Cancer Society, and the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society.
