Prime Timers MSP and Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly Collaborative Grant Proposal Introduction The LGBT Aging Initiative Fund has generously allocated monies to support projects and programs that focus on creating community change and systemic change in ways that respond to LGBT aging priorities and which specifically impact LGBTQIA older adults. Two Twin Cities organizations, Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly (LBFE) and Primer Timers MSP (Prime Timers), are seeking a one-time grant of $6,000 from the LGBT Aging Initiative to be used between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014. The partnering organizations have intersecting missions and have chosen to team up to address isolation among gay and bisexual older men in a way that will result in long-term change in our community. Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly The mission of Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly is to reduce social and emotional isolation and promote well-being and independence among older adults ages 60 and older. Founded in France in 1946, LBFE’s Twin Cities Chapter is the second largest and second oldest of the eight U.S. chapters, with eight staff members and an 11-member volunteer Board of Directors. As a 501(c)3 organization, LBFE is dedicated to enhancing the lives of lonely older adults through programs such as:

 Visiting Volunteers: Isolated elders receive regular visits from trained volunteers who are carefully matched according to interests, personality, cultural needs and geography.

 Friendship and Flowers: Homebound elders receive a short visit plus flowers and cookies once a month by a volunteer to help decrease their isolation while increasing their community and social skills.

 Social Engagement: Friendship activities, birthday parties and holiday dinners are scheduled regularly to give older adults opportunities to meet with peers and volunteers to build their informal support system and know they are cared about. LBFE identifies isolated elders’ unmet needs and provides and/or connects them to neighborhood services to foster their independence and quality of life so they may successfully age in place. In fiscal year 2012, Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly served 541 unduplicated elder program participants and an additional 391 community-at-large elders. To help accomplish this, 574 committed volunteers provided 6,726 hours of service. Prime Timers MSP Prime Timers MSP is an organization of gay and bisexual men, ages 50 and over, and their supporters, that provides social, recreational and educational services to members in the metropolitan area, as well as some members in greater Minnesota. The current membership is 179; the organization also has a mailing list of over 200 gay and bisexual men who have at one time been involved in the organization. The organization is a 501(c)7. The 2012-2013 budget, used solely for operating expenses with a 100% volunteer staff, is attached.

1 The Partnership Prime Timers MSP first reached out to Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly in April 2012. Prime Timers board leadership recognized that some of its members had become isolated and lacked the resources to be able to live comfortably in the community. In addition, Prime Timers Board members on occasion had been confronted with situations where isolated Prime Timers members lacked support and community connections, which resulted in unsafe living situations, depression and a sense of hopelessness. Prime Timers turned to LBFE in order to collaboratively address this problem. Over the past nine months, eight Prime Timers stepped forward to join LBFE’s volunteer team, received training and are now participating as Visiting Volunteers for isolated elders. Other members of Prime Timers have attended holiday dinners and other events sponsored by LBFE, and find joy and purpose in engaging in their community while bringing companionship and connectedness to isolated elders. Prime Timers has also used the LBFE community room for its annual meeting in Nov. 2012, and plans are in the works to hold a joint St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at LBFE’s location on Saturday, March 16, 2013. LBFE appreciates the partnership with Prime Timers. Because of its commitment to serving the needs of all members of the community, the partnership will help LBFE better reflect the great diversity of the Twin Cities community in its participant base. Currently, the racial make-up of LBFE’s program participants is 69% Caucasian, 8% African American, 2% Latino and 21% other or not reported. At this time, there is no formal tracking of the sexual orientation of LBFE’s participants, but its participant and volunteer intake process is inclusive of all, regardless of race, sexual orientation or religion. LBFE seeks to welcome a greater number of LGBT elder participants and volunteers by growing the partnership with Prime Timers MSP. Population Served, Issues, Challenges and Opportunities Statistics regarding the risks of isolation that are prevalent in the mature gay community illustrates the need for initiatives that will result in community and systemic change. From the 2012 publication, “Twin Cities LGBT Aging Needs Assessment Survey,” that drew 495 total LGBT respondents:

 “…about half (94) of gay men lived alone, which is significantly greater than what would be expected by chance.”

 “… only 31% (74) of gay men lived with a significant other/partner or spouse.”

 “The percentage of gay men who had children (23%)/43 … is significantly less than what would be expected by chance.”

 “Twenty-seven percent of gay men indicated that they did not have an available caregiver for them…” Other studies, to be presented at a Prime Timers forum on Feb. 9, 2013, provide a clear picture of the issues for LGBTQIA seniors; e.g., SHAPE 2010 “Adult Survey on the Health of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender) Adults in Hennepin County,” presented in Oct. 2012 by the Hennepin County Human Service and Public Health Department and LGBT Data Forum Planning Committee; “Still Out, Still Aging: The MetLife Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and

2 Transgender Baby Boomers” (March 2010); and "The Aging and Health Report: Disparities and Resilience among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Older Adults," (2011). The experience of members of the Prime Timers Board includes some problematic situations brought to their attention. For example, the following is a story of a member who experienced a stroke and found Prime Timers to be a positive support system: I found Prime Timers MSP late June of 2010 during the Gay Pride festival. Actually, they found me. I had just left the hospital after a three month recovery from a near-fatal stroke. I needed to understand what had become of my life. Noticing that I didn’t look well (due to the heat), they got me to the first-aid station. In gratitude for their help, I soon joined. These last three years have been a journey of fun and friendships as well as self-discovery. I have come to understand that there are no simple answers, because even though we may share the same sexual orientation, we are also individuals who must find our own unique way. Besides the social and fraternal aspects of Prime Timers, this group of nearly 200 men is a treasury of life experiences and goodwill to learn from. Thank you Prime Timers MSP. There are other stories that have come to the attention of the Board: (1) a member’s home became unlivable because of the inability of the member to care for himself; (2) a member was trapped in his bathtub for days because of lack of connection with other members; and (3) a member who received chemotherapy went home where he lived by himself, and collapsed in a pool of blood. There are many more isolated older gay and bisexual men in the Twin Cities who are not members of Prime Timers and have no other community connection. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there are 1,152,425 Hennepin County residents (source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/ qfd/states/27/27053.html). In the Hennepin County 2010 S.H.A.P.E. study, where Hennepin County residents were sampled (heterosexual or straight: 6247, LGBT: 485):  4.4% of the population considered themselves to be lesbian, gay or homosexual;

 1.7% of the population considered themselves to be bisexual,

 .2% considered themselves to be transsexual; and

 .5% of the respondents put themselves into two or more of the above categories. Total of all four above categories (6.8% of Hennepin population) =78,365. Of the LGBT population:  8.6% fall into the 45-54 age range (6739)

 3.9% fall into the 55-64 age range (3056)

 2.0% fall into the 65 (+) age range (1567) (Source: http://www.hennepin.us/files/HennepinUS/HSPHD/Public%20Health%20Protection/Assessment/ SHAPE/2010/Presentations/shape2010adult_LGBTHealth_PartAB_20121018.pdf) Prime Timers aspires to establish strong, empowering and life-saving connections with its members, as well as others in the LGBTQIA community in the Twin Cities, but lacks the ability to accomplish these goals because all of its resources are dedicated to existing programming.

3 While the need is there, the organization does not have the means to reach those who could benefit from its social, recreational, educational and health access capabilities. Purpose of the Grant Proceeds from the grant will seek to reduce isolation and build connections for members of the LGBTQIA community in the Twin Cities. This would be accomplished by enhancing the partnership between LBFE and Prime Timers, which in turn would increase awareness of the risks of elder isolation in the community, and build participation and volunteerism through a bundled program that would consist of the following:

1. Present a community forum: “The Isolation of LGBT Elders: Concerns, Risks and Solutions.” The forum would merge the resources of LBFE and Prime Timers. It would be open to the community, with a special emphasis on recruiting and educating volunteers, plus referring LGBT persons who are isolated and without community support. 2. Hold a multi-media event, reaching out to the community with documentaries that illustrate the risks of aging and isolation in the LGBTQIA community. 3. Underwrite Prime Timer’s 2013 Pride booth participation, registering two tables, while promoting LBFE partnership. 4. Secure a spot in the 2013 Pride Parade, which would include a vehicle permit, an automobile, and volunteer walkers to distribute literature to increase name recognition among the target community. 5. Purchase advertising space in Lavender Magazine, One Voice Mixed Chorus and Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus concert programs to promote the partnership as well as the community forum and multi-media event. * A robust interactive presence is critical because the LGBT community is more likely to be internet-savvy vs. their straight counterparts. Source: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/PressReleases/tabid/446/mid/ 1506/articleId/435/ctl/ReadCustom%20Default/Default.aspx The community forum will be a joint effort between LBFE and Prime Timers. The program will include:  Welcome and overview of LBFE’s services to isolated elders, plus comments about the collaboration with Prime Timers, presented by Greg Voss, LBFE’s Executive Director.  Overview of Prime Timers and more information about the collaboration, presented by Harry Hartigan, Prime Timers’ Past President and LBFE Liaison.  Presentations by one or more experts addressing the social, emotional and health risks of elder isolation in the LGBTQIA community.  Personal testimonial(s) about elder isolation by member(s) of Prime Timers.  Explanation of LBFE’s elder referral process and Visiting Volunteer program.

Although LBFE and Prime Timers has already collaborated through LBFE’s services and have jointly used LBFE’s community room for small gatherings, the community forum is a much more ambitious initiative and requires funds that are not within either organization’s budgeting capacity. LBFE’s community room is limited to groups of no more than 50 people, yet we anticipate attendance of 100 or more. The forum will be a free community education event. Outside support is necessary to fund speaker fees, facility rental and promotional expenses.

4 The above investments would add both short- and long-term benefits to the organizations and the elders they serve, including:  Increasing awareness in the community of the unique problems that stem from LGBTQIA elder isolation.

 Reaching more isolated LGBTQIA persons and connecting them to community through the ongoing presence of a more robust Prime Timers website.

 Increasing diversity of LBFE elder participant and volunteer base.

 Providing an opportunity to train LBFE volunteers in understanding the issues and needs of LGBTQIA persons as they age so the volunteers can be more effective and increase their level of comfort.

 Maximizing the training resources, materials and broad volunteer base available through LBFE for Prime Timers members.

 Building capacity for Prime Timers by enabling the organization to apply the $750 normally earmarked for Pride activities toward one or both of the following objectives: a) establishing Prime Timers MSP as a 501(c)3 at an estimated cost of $1,000 and/or b) obtaining liability protection through Directors’ insurance (estimated cost of $1,000 or less, dependent upon second estimate).  Continued building of the partnership between LBFE and Prime Timers, with cross-referrals perpetuating the new growth initiated by the grant.

Leadership from both LBFE and Prime Timers will meet quarterly to ensure the components of the bundled program will be serving the partnership through cross-referrals while strengthening each organization’s participant and volunteer base. Evaluation To measure the success of the partnership, Prime Timers and LBFE will apply the following metrics:  Number of new Prime Timers members referred by LBFE  Number of new Prime Timers members referred by the following promotional efforts: Website search, Pride 2013 booth, Pride 2013 parade, LBFE/Prime Timers brochure, concert program ads  Number of new LBFE volunteers referred by Prime Timers  Number of new LBFE elder participant referrals by Prime Timers In addition, LBFE currently utilizes a variety of evaluation tools to measure whether it has been successful in decreasing a sense of isolation among our participants, including pre and post assessments comparing UCLA Loneliness Scale and Eco Maps at start of services and then over time to see if elders are and perceive themselves to be less isolated. Starting in September 2012, LBFE began refining its evaluation approach with the help of an evaluation consultant, the Improve Group. LBFE was fortunate to receive grant support from two foundations to help in this capacity-building effort. Project completion is targeted for summer 2013.

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