Eight awardees throughout the U.S. will receive financial and technical support from SAGE
New York, NY – SAGE, the world’s largest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ elders, is thrilled to announce the eight recipients of its Equity Innovation Lab program, now in its second year. An external selection panel chose Golden Rainbows of Illinois South, Love Wins NYC Food Pantry, Re-Imagine Legacy, North Durham Famer’s Market, Red River Rainbow Project, Transformations KC, WAVES Ahead Puerto Rico and The Constellations Project, part of Side Street Projects. These recipients were chosen from a competitive pool of elder-serving organizations across the country.
SAGE’s Equity Innovation Lab offers financial and technical support to uplift marginalized and historically under-resourced LGBTQ+ elder communities nationwide. The program provides an $8,000 grant and year-long technical assistance. Additionally, SAGE will facilitate community-building opportunities to foster learning and build trust-based collaborations among the grant recipients.
“We are honored to announce the SAGE Equity Innovation Lab grants to these impactful organizations,” said SAGE CEO Michael Adams. “At SAGE, we work toward sharing resources and power with marginalized LGBTQ+ elder communities nationwide.”
The eight awardees and their projects that will receive support from SAGE’s Equity Innovation Lab:
1. The Golden Rainbows of Illinois South (GRIS), a returning grantee, helps LGBTQ+ individuals who are 50 or older and those living with HIV in Southern Illinois overcome the disparities they face because a lack of equative services. Their GetUp & GetOut program expansion will include hiking, yoga, thai chi, game days, and PhotoVoice workshops.
2. Love Wins NYC Food Pantry, also a returning grantee, is a LGBTQ+ and volunteer-led effort to address food insecurity in New York City. Their LGBTQ+ Older Adult Access Program will offer cooking classes customized to the preferences and requirements of LGBTQ+ elders and will focus on budget-friendly healthy meal preparation and nutritional education.
3. Re-Imagine Legacy is centered around mental health and healing for Black birthing people across the life course. This project will include many programming and experiences, such as a podcast and intergenerational storytelling experiences, community events, workshops, education, community-based provider trainings, wellness events and data collection.
4. The North Durham Farmers’ Market, opened back in April 2024, is held two times a month on Saturdays. The market will center BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities, focus on accessibility to healthy foods, encourage non-stigmatizing use of public benefits, and build community through vendors, performers, artists, and music.
5. The Red River Rainbow Seniors’ Oral History Project will strengthen regional connections and empower TGNBNC “pioneers” to tell their stories. They will conduct five listening sessions, form a TGNBNC planning team, and cultivate relationships in their regional centers.
6. Transformations is a non-profit led by trans women of color that supports transgender communities of color and youth in Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri. They will host “Mothers of the House” for collective liberation strategies for older transgender women of color in the Midwest & Ozarks. They also hope to host a small weekend retreat in celebration of the year’s successful programming and work.
7. WAVES Ahead Puerto Rico will have two support groups that were requested by their participants. “Ramadasa” is a hybrid support group for older trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming and intersex individuals. “Fresas y Chocolate” is a weekly support group for older gay and bisexual men. Participants of these support groups also receive home visits, a case manager, and mental health providers to assist them in their social and individual needs.
8. The Constellations Project, part of Side Street Projects, will honor the lives of LGBTQ+ elders within the community through portraiture, storytelling, and intergenerational engagement. It will begin with a life review process of LGBTQIA+ seniors who have been experiencing isolation or lack of social network. Over a series of 6-7 visits, they will provide companionship while also audio-recording a life review process (a six-week series of questions).
“This year’s grantees are a phenomenal group of passionate people working on incredibly interesting and critical projects across the country. We’re grateful to be able to learn alongside them and bolster their support of LGBTQ+ multigenerational community.” said Elise Hernandez, Director of Research and Impact at SAGE and head of the program. “We’re grateful to be able to learn alongside them and bolster their support of LGBTQ+ multigenerational community.”
SAGE is dedicated to creating a world where LGBTQ+ elders can live with dignity, honor, and respect. Learn more about the SAGE Center of Excellence and SAGE’s Equity and Innovation Lab at https://www.sageusa.org/excellence.
ABOUT SAGE:
SAGE is the world’s oldest organization dedicated to advocacy, services, and innovations to ensure lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and/or questioning (LGBTQ+) elders everywhere age with the dignity and respect they deserve. Founded in 1978, SAGE offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBTQ+ older people and their caregivers, advocates for public policy changes, provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBTQ+ community organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, and cultural competency training through SAGECare. SAGE is headquartered in NYC with collaborative partnerships across the United States and globally. Learn more at sageusa.org.
