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RI has recently been involved in a number of activities in cooperation with both LGBT organizations and senior service providers. RI Pride representatives attended the April LGBT Café to discuss ways of achieving the goal of an inclusive and age -friendly PrideFest. The Imperial Court of RI Coronation offered SAGE -RI members an opportunity to take part in festivities while supporting an indispensable organization.
SAGE- RI was represented at the annual Trans Health Conference held at Rhode Island College on May 8. A display table offered literature on caregiving, as well as SAGE/USA
guide books on inclusive health care and social services. The following day, International Family Equality Day at the Hank Soars Athletic Complex
in Pawtucket provided the relaxing atmosphere of a family picnic to share information and network with many other community organizations.
Workshops were conducted by SAGE/USA’s New England SAGE/ Care representative at the Rhode Island Assisted Living Association Conference. SAGE-RI continues its collaboration with the Rhode Island Health Care Association. The Rhode Island Division of Elderly Affairs has committed to work collaboratively with community partners, including SAGE-RI,to better understand the needs of LGBT+ elders and
to provide programs and services intended for this underserved community. LGBT+ elders have been included as a “targeted population” in the 2020-2024 State Plan on Aging which governs the allocation of Older Americans Act funding.
The June 1 Walk for Life gave SAGE-RI members and friends an opportunity to contribute toward funding for HIV services. Older adults now comprise 50% of those living with AIDS. Volunteers staffed a table displaying useful resource information.
SAGE-RI will be participating in the 2019 Rhode Island Pride Festival as it has in most years since its founding in 1995. Please plan to stop by. And if you can volunteer, email sageriinfo@gmail.com. Help with setting up and staffing is appreciated, and visitors to the SAGE-RI booth are always welcome.
An important caregiver survey is being conducted online in cooperation with
SAGE/USA and the Diverse Elders Coalition. Please respond if you are providing support to a spouse, partner, parent, grandparent, friend, neighbor, or other family member. Tell us about your experiences at www.diverseelders.org/survey. This anonymous survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, and will be used by the Diverse Elders Coalition to develop tools to better meet he needs of caregivers in our communities. Respondents are eligible to win a $25 Target gift card. This research is generously supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation, and has been developed in partnership with the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. This survey shares goals with SAGE-RI in aiming to identify the unique needs of the LGBT community, to facilitate training of healthcare and social service providers, as well as to offer essential information to caregivers themselves. It is part of a larger project to identify and address the needs of family caregivers in racially and ethnically diverse communities. Please share this survey with our community’s many caregivers.
SAGE/RI is very pleased to be attending the Pride at Pawsox event on July 19, which will include a parade, block party, and tabling opportunities. Please join us for what promises to be a wonderful time.
Our next SAGETable Intergenerational dinner is in its planning stages. So far we’re anticipating a catered taco buffet sometime in August. This event is aimed at bridging gaps in understanding between generations while celebrating diversity and community solidarity. Stay tuned for more details.
Cathy Gorman is a member of theSAGE-RI Steering Committee
SAGE-RI(Services& Advocacy for GLBT Elders) addresses issues of concern to LGBT elders and is an organization of diverse people of all ages. For information on programs or to join SAGE-RI, drop us a line at sageriinfo@gmail.com; find us on
Facebook as SAGE-Rhode Island; or send correspondence to our address SAGE-RI c/o Church of the Transfiguration, 1665 Broad Street, Cranston, RI 02905.
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