Tri-City Proposal to Engage Lgbtq2s+ Older Adults in Reducing Social Isolation

TRI-CITY PROPOSAL TO ENGAGE LGBTQ2S+ OLDER ADULTS IN REDUCING SOCIAL ISOLATION

Submitted by Edmonton Pride Seniors Group, OUTSaskatoon, and [Winnipeg] Rainbow Resource Centre

February 25, 2019

Standard Grant Application for Funding (SGAF)

Program: New Horizons for Seniors Program - Community-based Projects

SECTION B – Part 1 – Organization

A. ORGANIZATION IDENTIFICATION – see Federal template

23. Organization’s Mandate: Each of the three community groups has its own statement but collectively we subscribe to the following overarching mandate:

To provide support, education & resources to foster a proud, resilient, and diverse LGBT2SQ+ community. Our vision is a society in which diverse sexual and gender identities, orientations and expressions are included, valued and celebrated as a result of our active commitment to promote and maintain dignity, human freedoms and human rights.

B. ORGANIZATION CONTACT – see Federal template C. ORGANIZATION CAPACITY 36. Employees: Edmonton: 0 employees, but 15 volunteer members of the Edmonton Pride Seniors Group Saskatoon: 10 Winnipeg: 15

SECTION B – Part 2 - Project

A. PROJECT IDENTIFICATION 39. Project Title: Tri-City Proposal to Engage LGBTQ2S+ Older Adults in Reducing Social Isolation 40. Start: 2019/05/01 41. End: 2020/04/30

B. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2

42. Project Summary

The organizations working for older LGBTQ2S+ person in the three cities of Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton are submitting a proposal with the objective of addressing/preventing social isolation of LGBTQ2S+older adults. This will be accomplished through community-based engagement projects.

More specific project goals are as follows:

1) to support the social participation and inclusion of LGBTQ2S+ seniors in local communities

2) to engage LGBTQ2S+ seniors in local communities through the mentoring of others

3) to promote volunteerism among LGBTQ2S+ seniors and other generations (50- and 60-year-olds)

4) to develop different approaches unique to each city

5) to share project learnings among the three participating groups and with like-minded agencies across Canada.

This tri-city submission requests funding support for three sets of projects designed to help reduce social isolation and stress among LGBTQ2S+ older adults, as well as to improve their safety, mental health, physical health, and well-being, to engage them, to share their history, and to provide queer residents with additional skills and knowledge to age well.

These initiatives would serve as an evaluated pilot that could be used to position the federal ministry for a multi-year program in the future and to seek longer-term funding support for such endeavors to improve social integration among LGBTQ2S+ communities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two- spirit, and queer) and with civil society at large. Throughout the implementation process, periodic teleconference and face-to-face meetings will share progress and information. Outcomes and evaluation methods will be developed for feedback about each project.

The submission is presented by three well-established organizations concerned about integration efforts between urban queer communities and community agencies. The organizations are: Edmonton Seniors Pride Group (ad hoc volunteer group, 2013), OUTSaskatoon, and [Winnipeg] Rainbow Resource Centre (not-for-profit organization, and the longest continually running LGBTQ2S+ resource centre in Canada, 1973).

The need for more and better social integration opportunities for queer seniors is evident. Each of the three organizations making this proposal is working to create a strong, connected, visible senior queer community and culturally-appropriate and safe senior services and residential environments.

A fuller description of the participating groups and proposal details are provided in SECTION B - Part 4 of this submission.

43. Project Activities

Intergenerational activities to alleviate social isolation among LGBTQ seniors will be planned in consultation with other organizations around interactions between them and LGBTQ people and allies in 3 their 50s and 60s. Depending on key priorities identified by LGBTQ seniors and those in their 50s and 60s, activities in the three cities will include, among others, the following.

Edmonton:

April 2019-June 2019 (first quarter)  Engage seniors and 50s-60s and allies to advance LGBTQ-affirming housing options for seniors  Attend movies as a group of seniors and 50s-60s and allies  Find ways to involve seniors and 50s-60s and allies in sporting events, through Team Edmonton  Partner with the Two-Spirit community to reach out to seniors and 50s-60s and allies

July 2019-September 2019 (second quarter)  Organize a book club for seniors and 50s-60s and allies, through the Edmonton Public Library or an independent book store  Partner with newcomer and ethnic agencies to reach out to seniors and 50s-60s and allies  Identify volunteer positions suitable for seniors to become engaged in non-profit groups and governmental advisory boards and the like, e.g., the Edmonton Arts Council or the Edmonton Police Commission

October 2019-December 2019 (third quarter)  Develop holiday events such as Ukrainian Christmas or Lunar New Year  Facilitate arrangements for 50s-60s and allies to provide support to seniors who need various kinds of assistance, such as grocery shopping or getting to medical appointments

January 2020-March 20120 (fourth quarter)  Identify educational and training programs of interest to seniors and 50s-60s and allies through, for example, a one-day awareness fair presented by Edmonton groups who would explain opportunities for engagement and enlist volunteers

It is envisaged that a number of activities will be coordinated with or through local partners such as the Pride Centre of Edmonton, Prime Timers, Sage (Edmonton), Sage’s Over the Rainbow LGBTQ Senior’s Group, the West End Seniors Association (Edmonton General Hospital), Seniors’ Centre without Walls, and other groups that are identified by seniors 50s-60s-70s and allies.

Saskatoon:

April 2019-June 2019 (first quarter)  Develop an education strategy to provide information to employees of residential care facilities as to how to better support, include, and accept LGBTQ2S residents.  Develop a storytelling/narrative history project in partnership with the History Department at the University of Saskatchewan. This will include storytelling nights and the production of a short film.

July 2019-September 2019 (second quarter)  Weekly programming for LGBTQ2S older adults that include films, speakers, discussion topics, and various educational and social activities. 4

 Engage seniors 55+ and allies to advance LGBTQ2S-affirming housing options.

October 2019-December 2019 (third quarter)  Facilitate arrangements for seniors 55+ and allies to provide support to seniors who need various kinds of assistance, such as grocery shopping or getting to medical appointments.  Partner with the Two-Spirit community to reach out to seniors 55+ and allies.

January 2020-March 20120 (fourth quarter)  Identify volunteer positions suitable for seniors to become engaged in non-profit groups and governmental advisory boards.

OUTSaskatoon’s project will rely on the leadership and guidance of our LGBTQ2S Senior’s group, Coffee Row. With their assistance, our primary activities will be to provide social supports and opportunities to gather and build community, to coordinate a narrative history project that provides opportunities for in-depth interviews with LGBTQ2S older adults, and engagement with local residential care facilities through awareness-raising and training activities.

Winnipeg:

April 2019-June 2019 (first quarter)  Advocacy and outreach to existing Older Adult Housing Providers by engaging seniors 50s-60s- 70s+ and allies to advance LGBTQ-affirming housing options.  Attend documentaries and films showings related to the LGBTQ2S as a group of seniors 50s- 60s-70s+ and allies.

July 2019-September 2019 (second quarter)  Involve seniors 50s-60s-70s+ and allies in sporting events, through Manitoba 55+Games, Manitoba Step-Out Hiking Group, Manitoba LGBTQ2S Curling League and others.  Organize a book club for seniors 50s-60s-70s+ and allies, through the Millennium Library and/or an independent book store.  Partner with the Two-Spirit community to reach out to seniors and 50s-60s-70s+ and allies.

October 2019-December 2019 (third quarter)  Host holiday and special events such as Folklorama, Festival du Voyageur, Ukrainian Christmas, Lunar New Year.  Partner with newcomer and ethnic agencies to reach out to seniors and 50s-60s-70s+ and allies.  Facilitate arrangements for 50s-60s-70s+ and allies to provide support to seniors who need various kinds of assistance, such as grocery shopping, snow clearing and yard maintenance, or getting to medical appointments and security/safety check-in phone calls (Connect with a Senior Program).

January 2020-March 20120 (fourth quarter)  Arrange/conduct educational and training programs of interest to seniors and 50s-60s-70s+ and allies through, for example, a one-day awareness fair presented by Winnipeg Wellness 5

Expo, Universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba Mature Student auditing opportunities, and groups who would explain opportunities for engagement and enlist volunteers.  Identify volunteer positions suitable for seniors to become engaged in non-profit groups and governmental advisory boards and the like, e.g., the Winnipeg and Manitoba Arts Councils, the Winnipeg Access Advisory Committee, Neighbourhood Community Groups, etc.

It is envisaged that a number of activities will be coordinated with or through local partners such as Pride (and New Pride) Winnipeg, Manitoba Association of Seniors Centres, Manitoba Age & Opportunity, Manitoba Alzheimer’s Society, Seniors’ Centre without Walls, and other groups that are identified by seniors and 50s-60s-70s+ and allies.

44. Project Description

Proposal Priority: New Horizons for Seniors Program – Community-based Projects, Employment and Social Development Canada

See SECTION B – Part 4 – below.

46. How Many Individuals will Benefit and How:

Edmonton: Over the past 4 years we have worked with about 220 older GLBTQ2S+ persons and done training sessions with over 125 staff who work delivering services program and housing for seniors in Edmonton. This initiative will likely reach 75 older LGBTQ2S+ persons and 30 younger GLBTQ2S+ individuals.

Saskatoon:

Directly OUTSasktoon’s Senior’s Group, Coffee Row has provided 1011 units of service in the last fiscal year, with 245 unique individuals served. We anticipate that these numbers would go up by about 25% through this project. The project will reach a wide secondary audience through events and education activities (projected at 1500 ppl). Lastly, we anticipate reaching at least 250 individual staff/health care providers through specialized education and training around housing and LGBTQ2S seniors.

Winnipeg: Our current membership includes 126 individuals - 50s-60s-70s+ Older Adults, plus a steady 15 allies in a hosted group in our Older Adult Resource Space. Benefits will derive from reduced isolation and an increased sense of accomplishment and self-worth for our members, and increased community participation on the part of our allies. Benefits for the general population of Winnipeg and Manitoba, including the family and friends of our members and Older Adult Resource Services, will derive from an increased awareness of our LGBTQ2S+ community members, our needs and the contributions we want to make, and are still able to make to society as a whole. 6

47. Community support

Edmonton: Our group, Edmonton Pride Senior Group will be supported by and work with the following local organizations: Pride Centre of Edmonton; Prime Timers; iSMSS, the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services (University of Alberta); Sage (Edmonton); Sage’s Over the Rainbow LGBTQ Senior’s Group; the West End Seniors Association (Edmonton General Hospital); Seniors’ Centre without Walls; as well as other groups that are identified by seniors, pre-seniors (50-60 year olds), and allies.

Saskatoon: Saskatoon Pride Festival; University of Saskatchewan Department of History; University of Saskatchewan Neil Richards Queer Archive; Saskatoon Council on aging; Saskatoon Services for Seniors; Grosvenor Park United Church; St George’s Anglican Church; and various other groups that are identified by Coffee Row.

Winnipeg: Pride Winnipeg and New Pride Winnipeg; Manitoba Association of Seniors Centres; Manitoba Age & Opportunity; Red River Community College; Universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba; Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and Fringe Festival; Theatre Projects Manitoba; Manitoba Moose and Winnipeg Jets sports teams; Manitoba’s Rady Faculty of Medicine including Rehabilitation Sciences and Nursing Colleges; Manitoba Alzheimer’s Society and other groups identified by our members as resources.

48. How Opportunities will be Increased

49. Target Group Involvement

The three community groups in the cities will carry out the respective proposed projects. Edmonton Senior Pride Group which is organizing and implanting the initiative is composed of 80% senior GLBTQ2S+ persons who have been part of design and writing of the application for funding.

50. New Activities and/or Programs, Outputs, and Outcomes

The three community groups will apply the respective project learnings to ongoing activities, projects, and research initiatives. Using the project learnings as appropriate, they will continue to anticipate and respond to the needs of LGBTQ2S+ seniors in their communities through programs and research according to local group mandates. OUTSaskatoon’s projects and activities will be overseen by Coffee Row and seniors 55+, they will have ownership and ensure that these services and programs are for seniors by seniors and will be supported widely.

Outputs:

 2 holiday events organized per city  5-10 new volunteers recruited per city 7

 1-2 new partnerships or networks established per city  2-3 open houses or consultations held per city  2-3 education and awareness sessions held per city  1 best practices report per city  2 meetings, interim and final, to share learnings among the three cities  Final report on results

Outcomes:

 Reduce social isolation of 20-40 LGBTQ2S+ seniors per city  Facilitate easier access to information for 10-20 LGBTQ2S+ seniors per city  Increased intergenerational programming and awareness among 20-40 LGBTQ2S+ seniors and those in their 50s and 60s  Increased engagement and partnership in each city

52. Project activities locations:

There is no “head office” in the usual sense of the term; rather, the [Winnipeg] Rainbow Resource Centre will serve as the funding administrator. The project activities will be undertaken by the three community groups in, respectively, Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg.

SECTION B – Part 3 – Funding

A. ANTICIPATED SOURCES OF FUNDING

53. Source Name 54. Source Type 55. Cash 56. In-kind 57.Confirmed Cash In-kind Edmonton: ESDC ESDC 33,000 33,000 Sage Edmonton 3,100 3,100 Pride Centre of Edmonton 300 300 TOTAL 33,000 3,400 33,000 3,400

Saskatoon: ESDC ESDC 33,000 33,000 OUTSaskatoon 3,000 3,000 *University of Saskatchewan 5,000* 5,000* TOTAL 41,000 41,000 *to be confirmed

Winnipeg: ESDC ESDC 33,000 33,000 Rainbow Resource Centre 3,200 3,200 Manitoba Association of Seniors Centres 200 200 TOTAL 33,000 3,400 33,000 3,400 8

COMBINED COMMUNITIES: ESDC ESDC 99,000 99,000 Local contributions 8,000* 6,800 8,000* 6,800 GRAND TOTAL 107,000 6,800 107,000 6,800

B. BUDGET

58. Cost Category Planned Expenditures 59. ESDC 60. Other Cash 61. Other - In-kind

Edmonton: Staff (contract) 16,700 Professional fees (legal, accounting) 1,660 Operation (rental, hospitality) 2,200 840 Project Cost 8,300 900 **Communication, travel, accommodation 5,800 TOTAL 33,000 3,400

Saskatoon: Staff 25,116 (21 hrs/wk @ 20/hr+benefits) Professional fees 384 (legal, accounting) Operation 2,000 (rentals, hospitality) Project Cost UofS – research, grad student 5,000* Film production 3,000 Supplies 500 Honouraria 1,000 **Communication, travel accommodation 4,000 TOTAL 33,000 8,000

Winnipeg: Staff 14,920 Professional fees (legal, accounting) 1,660 Operation (rental, hospitality) 2,200 840 Project Cost 10,280 900 **Communication, travel, accommodation 5,600 TOTAL 33,000 3,400 9

COMBINED COMMUNITIES: Staff (contract) 56,736 Professional fees (legal, accounting) 384 3,320 Operation (rental, hospitality) 6,400 1,680 Project Cost 20,080 8,000 1,800 **Communication, travel, accommodation 15,400 GRAND TOTAL 99,000 8,000 6,800

GRAND TOTAL ALL SOURCES 113,800

**Travel plans anticipated include one mid-project meeting to discuss/compare/learn from the activities, challenges and successes to date, plus a larger end of project meeting to wind-up, report on activities, and propose any ideas that might be considered for years following.

SECTION B – Part 4 – Additional Information

Overview This tri-city submission requests funding support for three projects designed to help reduce social isolation and stress among LGBTQ2S+ older adults in urban Canada, as well as to improve their safety, mental health, physical health, and well-being, to engage them, to share their history, and to provide queer residents with additional skills and knowledge to age well.

These initiatives would serve as an evaluated pilot that could be used to position the federal ministry for a multi-year program in the future and to seek longer-term funding support for such endeavors to improve social integration among LGBTQ2S+ communities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two- spirit, and queer) and with civil society at large. Throughout the implementation process, periodic teleconference meetings will share progress and information. Outcomes and evaluation methods will be developed for feedback about each project.

Systemic Barriers and Challenges Tri-city initiatives past and proposed are built on research evidence locally and from across Canada and the U.S. that reveals many LGBTQ2S+ older adults face critical barriers and challenges created by discrimination and systemic bias, persistent bullying and even violence, deep societal misunderstanding and public ostracism, widespread false beliefs and pseudo-science, deleterious health and mental health conditions, invisibility, income disparities, insufficient inclusion of needs by policy and program planners, and lifetimes of pervasive silence and fear. "Social Isolation of Seniors – A Focus on LGBTQ Seniors in 10

Canada" (Supplement to the Social Isolation of Seniors toolkit, Employment and Social Development Canada, Government of Canada, ESDC catalogue no. SSD-214-10-18E, 2018, https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/seniors/forum/social-isolation- lgbtq.html) identifies and summarizes the key consequences of social isolation and the effects of loneliness in LGBTQ seniors (pp. 12-13).

This report echoes an earlier one published by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, “Guidelines for Comprehensive Mental Health Services for Older Adults in Canada,” that indicates individuals or groups such as LGBTQ2S+ people “may face additional health risks due to a socio-economic environment, which is largely determined by dominant cultural values that contribute to the perpetuation of conditions such as marginalization stigmatization, loss or devaluation of language and culture and lack of access to culturally appropriate health care and services” (MacCourt, Wilson, and Tourigny-Rivard, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 2011, p. 76, https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/sites/default/files/2018-10/ Senior_Care_Guideline_2018_eng.pdf).

There is general alarm at the prospect of being forced back into the closet, again, as LGBTQ2S+ seniors age, whether staying in place and utilizing home care services or living in residential facilities. Two of the groups, independently of each other, in Edmonton and Winnipeg, have recently received funding to study LGBTQ2S+ seniors’ housing needs and options in each city.

Key research patterns are echoed time and again in studies across the continent that show LGBTQ2S+ seniors consider it essential to be able to be “out of the closet” in their housing environments and social interactions. Majorities are concerned about being able to move to seniors’ housing and participate in community functions in which they and their partners and friends are respected, cared for, included in decision-making, and accepted by staff, other residents, and residence management and policy-makers. Many LGBTQ2S+ older adults speak about being socially isolated, and many come looking for social support after losing a significant other and wanting to reconnect with community. Such concerns and fears are intensified and magnified in hard-to-reach LGBTQ2S+ sub-groupings – Two-Spirit, transgender, disabled, ethnicities, immigrants, and homeless. These patterns and conditions are virtually identical in the three urban centres represented here, and they are echoed in many other jurisdictions across Canada.

The need for more and better social integration opportunities for queer seniors is evident. Each of the three organizations making this proposal is working to create, paraphrasing the Ottawa mission statement, a strong, connected, visible senior queer community and culturally-appropriate and safe senior services and residential environments.

Proposed Tri-City Funding Initiatives

The Edmonton Pride Seniors Group requests funding support to strengthen advocacy and ‘self- advocacy’ among older LGBTQ2S+ residents by re-engaging the LGBTQ2S+ community at large with our elders, providing social support and care, and promoting among younger and middle-aged community members an interest in and respect for aging in today’s society. Currently, LGBTQ2S+ older adults are both forgotten and dismissed even though they all bring with them an understanding of the past and experiences untold of difficult and fearful lives, histories, and struggles for human rights and equality. 11

Working with other local groups, the Edmonton Pride Centre, the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services (iSMSS) at the University of Alberta, the Sage Seniors Association [Edmonton], and other groups, project goals will be to help younger people relate more fully to LGBTQ2S+ seniors, reduce ageism, and to promote more inclusive initiatives and programs by the LGBTQ2S+ community that acknowledge, support, and care for their elders. Through a series of facilitated dialogues, workshops, and charrettes, we will explore and discover the barriers that the LGBTQ2S+ community faces in relating to aging in the middle years (50-65), with a particular focus on attitudes towards youth and aging. Based on initial findings, selected roundtables will explore ways to diminish barriers and rethink and reconstruct how attitudes on aging might be changed for the better. A further phase will be facilitated interactive discussions and supported recreational activities with LGBTQ2S+ elders that positively include them within the larger queer community, e.g., an inclusive (free) Pride Week dance.

OUTSaskatoon requests funding in support of LGBTQ2S Senior’s initiatives in Saskatoon and across the province of Saskatchewan. These initiatives include a weekly social and support group, advocacy activities in terms of supporting a needs assessment for LGBTQ2S and ally Senior’s housing, developing A Queer History – a storytelling and knowledge sharing project which includes storytelling events and the production of a short film in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan.

As stated in the overview, OUTSaskatoon and Coffee Row are trying to meet the needs of the existing older LGBTQ2S community. A number of the individuals who access Coffee Row are have experienced ageism with in the queer community and homophobia/transphobia with in the larger mainstream community. The initiatives of Coffee Row and OUTSaskatoon will work to reduce social isolation, improve mental health and physical well-being among folks 55+ as well as building social connection and increasing quality of life. All of the initiatives will be by and for seniors and will include building education and training on working with seniors, develop and implement supportive and inclusive housing policies, developing strategy around building supportive community partnerships to help remove barriers to services and supports. Finally, in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan, department of History, Coffee Row will run a Storytelling and knowledge sharing project which will include an account of the queer rights movement in Saskatchewan, in-depth interviews with members of the community, and sharing of these histories through storytelling nights and the development of a short film.

The Rainbow Resource Centre [Winnipeg] requests funding support to expand services from one day a week (Thursdays from 10:00am to 5:00pm) to two days per week (adding Thursdays from 10:00noon to 8:00pm), that will provide LGBTQ2S+ older community members with additional programs, activities and events in a safe place to meet, socialize and attend workshops and activities geared to the community, in addition to the current movie & documentary matinee showings and evening potluck events, with programming to include a mix of informal and formal activities. This second day per week will afford access to those LGBTQ2S+ Older Adults with prior commitments and/or employment obligations on our current Thursday meetings day. Wednesday is also a regular weekly meeting day for our Youth Programs in an adjacent space within our centre, as well as a stated preferred day of the week for our LGBTQ2S+ Newcomers to Canada group. Our additional program offering to isolated older adults will take advantage of the two inter-related groups in participation in Inter-Generational activities and events with our 50s-60s-70s+ membership in our Over the Rainbow, Older Adults group.

Activities will include coffee and chat on both days; recreational activities – fitness & flexibility, stretching & exercises, cross-cultural cooking classes, movie and documentaries matinee showings, police academy, wills & estates, Prevent Elder Abuse, healthy aging and tax clinics, along with workshops 12 and presentations of particular importance: Rights & Discrimination, Social Media and Sexual Health; as well as LGBTQ2S+ Older Adults engaged outreach presentations to Manitoba Association of Seniors Centres and other older adult serving organizations to increase awareness of resources for LGBTQ2S+ Older Adults, their identities and realities; and finally, to support the annual Over the Rainbow & Youth Program Intergenerational.

Background on the Participating Groups

Edmonton Pride Seniors Group The Group’s mission is to address housing and service issues and barriers affecting the growing population of LGBTQ2S+ older adults in the Edmonton area. The Sage Seniors Association [Edmonton] provides meeting space and manages grant funding for the Group. To date, the Edmonton Group has undertaken several key initiatives: Multi-faceted survey of LGBTQ2S+ seniors in Edmonton and a Symposium to discuss and publish survey findings; Annotated bibliography of research and professional literature, published; Education and awareness training module, presented to more than 25 agencies and groups; Marginalized and underrepresented populations engagement proposal; LGBTQ2S+ Seniors Advocate Proposal for the Government of Alberta; LGBTQ2S+ housing feasibility study; Pride intergenerational learnings project: LGBTQ2S+ older adults and queer youth; Community conversations: older and younger LGBTQ2S+; website development; and informal advocacy with government officials and staff as well as with care provider organizations and services.

OUTSaskatoon OUTSaskatoon builds community for LGBTQ2S+ people of all ages and backgrounds. We provide peer support and counselling, queer-specific education and resources, outreach, social gatherings and events, community referrals, and sexual health services. In addition, we operate Pride Home, a long-term home for LGBTQ2S+ youth ages 16-21. Through these programs OUTSaskatoon supports body, mind and spirit within a growing and changing community. OUTSaskatoon are sustained by our dedicated volunteers, staff, and board members, as well as by partnerships with all levels of government, charitable organizations, community foundations, corporations, and individual stakeholders. Coffee Row is OUTSaskatoon’s 55+ senior’s social and support group that is currently facilitated weekly by volunteers and has a regular attendance between 17-25 ppl per week. Coffee Row works to reduce social isolation, improve mental health and physical well-being among folks 55+ as well as building social connection and increasing quality of life.

Rainbow Resource Centre [Winnipeg] The Centre is Manitoba’s only LGBTQ2S+ community centre, working to provide support, education, and resources to foster a proud, resilient, and diverse LGBTQ2S+ community. The Centre offers social support groups and counseling to individuals and diverse families of all ages; provides assessments, policy review, and training on LGBTQ2S+ equity and inclusion; provides a coffee group twice a month, a monthly movie matinee, and monthly potluck to seniors through the ‘Over the Rainbow’ program; and its older adult programming currently has a Facebook group membership of over 85 older adults and a contact list of over 200, with approximately 20 older adults participating in an activity at least monthly.

SECTION B – Part 5 – Signatures – see Federal template