LAVENDER SENIORS OF THE EAST BAY
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Mission Statement
Our mission is to improve the quality of life of older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) residents of the East Bay through community building, education and advocacy. We strive to keep older LGBT adults connected to their communities.
About This Cause
Lavender Seniors of the East Bay is a nonprofit organization designed to support members of the LGBT senior community. Isolated members of the community are offered services of a friendly visitor volunteer who regularly visits and spends time with our seniors who may live alone or reside in a residential nursing facility. Our Caring for our Partners therapy sessions provide support to partners and friends who are facing health challenges and issues of aging. Regular events allow these elders to gather in a safe, friendly environment where they may share luncheons, are entertained by LGBT themed films, receive educational information and express themselves in a social setting. Additionally, participants receive a monthly newsletter which includes articles of interest and a current monthly event calendar as well as a biographic profile of a community member. We also have established a training film that can be accessed through the internet to educate health care providers as to who we are and how best to support the LGBT residents and community members. We partner with other social service providers in focus groups on elder issues, workshops, meetings and planning sessions. Outreach includes tabling at health fairs, Pride events, libraries, senior centers and other public places. In March 2020, in response to shelter in place directives due to the COVID 19 pandemic, our Friendly Visitor Program found it necessary to pivot from providing regular in person visits to those seniors who lived alone or in residential care facilities to conducting meetings through Zoom. This has presented special challenges for some of our less technically savvy LGBT seniors. We are now focusing on a new program, "Communication Relieves Isolation" to collaborate with smart device representatives, Wi-Fi representatives, residential care facility administrators, and with isolated LGBT seniors living alone. Our focus is on the increasing number of seniors who would benefit by the provision of smart devices and training which addresses individual need. Many seniors have hearing, eye sight, or mobility concerns and to be successful any device must address their specific need. Measurable success would be reflected by an increase in participation in our Zoom meetings, increased telehealth utilization and a reduction of overall isolation. As a non-profit organization, Lavender Senior services are provided to our LGBT seniors without cost. For over 25 years we believe that communication support is the most significant factor in reducing isolation. Given the current environment of pandemic proportions, this is true now more than ever.