December 2019 Newsletter for Rainbow Elders

The 19^th annual Lavender Gala was a success with over 100 people attending the holiday celebration of Boulder County’s LGBTQ+ older adult community on Sunday, Dec. 1. Thanks to Nissi’s in Lafayette for a great venue and excellent food. Special thanks to musician Patty Jackson for performing and DJ Susie Pringle for leading the dance!

Also thanks to the Planning Committee who have been meeting since May to plan the event. AAA staff: Erica Corson, Teresa DeAnni, Maggie Benton, Juliette Kershner, Rebekah Van Sweden, and Ali Hasert; Community members: Judith Blair, Diana Mapes, and Dana Samani.

Extra special thanks to Maggie Benton and Nancy Grimes for raising the money for the gift cards! Also thanks to our door prize donors: Free Mom Hugs-Oklahoma, Homewatch Caregivers, Louisville Senior Center, Seniors Blue Book, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Leslie Haase, Nancy Grimes, and Sue Anderson and our sponsorship donors: Ana Arias, Cheryl Taylor, Emily Lewis, Francine Gindi, Julie McShane, Mart Eldrenkamp, and Sara Beery.

Finally, thanks for the support from staff and volunteers at the event! From the AAA, Christine Vogel, Teresa DeAnni, Erica Corson, Juliette Kershner, Rebekah Van Sweden, Lindsay Parsons, Kari Middleton, Jane Ireland, and Roberto Rivero. From other divisions within Community Services: Maciel Leon (Community Action Programs), Mary Eldred (Community Justice Services), Desiree Firle (Workforce), and Stacy Fujieda (Head Start) in addition to community members Fabiola Mora and Joshua Van Hansen.

If you are interested in joining the 20th annual Lavender Gala planning committee, please email Michael Chifalo.

We are pleased to announce that our Rainbow Connections volunteer program was selected to receive funding from the Open Door Grant of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church of Boulder! This money will help us expand the program so we are able to hire and train more volunteers to match with more LGBTQ+ older adults in need of companionship, connection, and community. This relationship is exciting for us to highlight as folks seek out affirming faith-based communities who welcome and accept LGBTQ+ individuals and families. We are currently recruiting for both volunteers and recipients. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please apply here. If you are interested in being matched with a volunteer, please email Michael Chifalo.

Our traveling Coffee Klatch was successful in 2019 with discussions about Nutrition, Medicare, Advance Care Planning, End of Life Planning, Caregiving, Dementia Safe Homes, Trans* Inclusivity, and Surviving the Holidays, in addition to collaborations with OASOS and Out Boulder County.

We are wondering what you would like Coffee Klatch to look like in 2020. Do you want to continue meeting monthly at different times throughout the County following a schedule of topics? Would you rather meet at the same time every month and just change locations? Would you rather morph into a quarterly educational series that's a half-day and only four times a year? What topics are you interested in learning more about? Please complete a short survey at this link to provide feedback about how Coffee Klatch could benefit you in 2020.