Blog

Our volunteers are essential to ensuring our community receives the proper support it deserves! We are so grateful for each and every one of you. Today, we are spotlighting two of our recent interns: India Butler and Sophia Zion. India and Sophia are Hunter College students whose coursework required them to intern at a human service charity, and they chose SAGE.

India and Sophia worked at our Edie Windsor, Stonewall, and Harlem Centers. Their main project was to support community outreach — drawing in more individuals who would want to support SAGE through volunteerism. They had a special focus on supporting our SAGE Bronx, SAGE Harlem, and SAGE Stonewall Centers. They did amazing work on SAGE’s behalf by helping increase the number of new registered volunteers and community partners! Please take a moment to read about their experiences below. 

 

INDIA BUTLER

1. How did you first hear about SAGE?

I first heard of SAGE through my college, who connected me to this nonprofit for an internship position. The same month I was accepted at SAGE, I saw their float at the New York City Pride Parade. It was good to know that I would soon be working for such a proud and lively community.

2. How long have you been volunteering at SAGE?

I started my internship in late September of this year. Even though it is coming to an end soon, I would love to stay on as a volunteer in the future!

3. What does Volunteering at SAGE USA mean to you?

It is important as an LGBTQ+ young person to give back to the community that fought so much for our rights. I wouldn’t be able to be so open and accepting of my sexuality if it weren’t for their contributions, so it is important to me that they feel appreciated and seen.

4. What has been your favorite part?

I love getting to know our members! I have heard a lot of members’ stories that will stay with me for a long time.

5. How has your experience volunteering with our older adult members enriched your understanding of LGBTQIA+ community?

I have learned that having a community to support and lean on is imperative, especially later in life. I look forward to potentially becoming a SAGE member when I grow older.

 

SOPHIA ZION

1. What does Volunteering at SAGE USA mean to you?

Volunteering at SAGE USA to me has been extremely important to my queer identity and it is a way for me to give back to our community. It is so important to protect and care for our LGBTQ+ elders, to nurture the roots of our freedom, because we have benefited so much from their resistance and advocacy. We need to continue that fight. Just as children take care of their parents when they’re older, queer youth must continue to learn and foster positive connections between generations so we can stay strong as a collective against discrimination and hate.

2. What has been your favorite part?

My favorite part of volunteering with SAGE has definitely been developing friendships with the members. The conversations I have with the members at any of the centers are either incredibly insightful, filled with laughter, or just extremely peaceful. Every member has an insanely rich backstory and future still left to explore. I’m so honored when they decide to take me on that journey with them, even if just for a little bit.

3. How has your experience volunteering with our older adult members enriched your understanding of LGBTQIA+ community?

My understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community has changed as it has become wider to encompass the perspectives of our elders. Their young adult lives were exponentially different from the reality I am experiencing now, and so much of that is thanks to their activism to fight for our rights. They understand on a deeper level what it feels like to have to hide their true selves from the entire world — to exist in a space where their own identities were simply forbidden to exist. They know what it feels like to slowly overcome that legal and social stigma through defiance and will. We as a community are extremely resilient, and it is clear to me now more than ever that we cannot stop fighting for ourselves and each other.

4. How do you balance volunteering with SAGE and other parts of your life?

It has been hard at times to balance volunteering with SAGE and other responsibilities, like my job and classes. One thing I found that helps me a lot is changing my mindset. So, that even with having a responsibility as a volunteer, I try to see it as an opportunity for socialization and relaxation instead. Volunteering at a SAGE center is often a period of destressing from the demands of school by having conversations with SAGE members and focusing on how I can help them to have a better, more fulfilling day.

5. How can others get involved?

Others can get involved by contacting volunteer@sageusa.org and signing up for the next volunteer orientation to get started. All a potential volunteer needs is to be passionate about helping others and bring whatever special skills they may have to the table. We appreciate all the help we can get, and if you are not able to volunteer, we also would appreciate any other form of outreach! Spread the word to your friends because it’s a great opportunity to get to know the leaders and pioneers of our community.