CHICAGO – Chicago Leather Club is proud to announce a new partnership with Center on Halstead to benefit the Center’s Senior Programs in 2013.
With the wonderful attention that various groups and organizations have brought to the needs of the LGBTQ youth in the Chicago area in 2012, we looked for other groups that may need similar attention and support. One area that doesn’t get a lot of publicity is the LGBTQ senior population. To that end, we researched which programs would benefit from our support and we found the SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders) programs through the Center on Halstead.
Center on Halsted’s Senior Programs serve Chicagoland’s LGBTQ older adult population with a comprehensive set of services designed to enhance their medical, mental, financial, and social well-being. Offerings include health benefit checkups and referrals, a constituent advocacy group, wellness programming, thrice-weekly congregate meals, vocational programs and recreational classes. For many senior program participants, Center on Halsted is the only place where they can safely express their sexual orientations and gender identities.
The Center’s Senior Programs also run a homesharing program for LGBTQ seniors and a friendly visitor program to provide companionship to older adults who may be homebound. Finally, in 2013 the Center will be breaking ground on the Midwest’s first affordable income housing facility targeted to LGBTQ older adults. The Center’s Senior Programs provides a vulnerable population with multi-faceted support and a sense of community.
We will be partnering with Center on Halsted’s Senior Programs in several ways. Our Bar Night fundraisers will provide important financial support to the Senior Programs and the nearly 500 seniors the Center serves each year. We will also support our Senior Programs through volunteerism; participating in activities with senior program participants like skill-building workshops or socialization programs.
We also want to encourage all our associate and honorary members to join us by supporting our ongoing Senior Program volunteer efforts, such as our lunch program or special events throughout the year. Individual members are also encouraged to join the Center’s Community Circle and Director’s Circle donor programs to help further the Center’s mission.
Our partnership with the Center in 2013 will help ensure that the Center can continue to offer our Senior Programs, support older LGBTQ adults, and create a thriving and inclusive LGBTQ community.
If you have any questions on our partnership, or our plans for 2013, please contact any of the CLC officers. Hope we’ll see you all helping out in 2013!
Chicago Leather Club
