North Texas Giving Day Booster: Coalition For Aging LGBT – My Sweet Charity
According to Coalition for Aging LGBT Board of Directors Chair Chris Wallace,
“The critical work of improving and protecting the quality of life of older LGBT adults in North Texas begins with the Coalition for aging LGBT.
“According to the Texas Demographic Center, one in five Texans will be 65 years of age and older by the year 2030. Research in North Texas indicates that the older lesbian and gay population will increase by as much as 40% by 2030 (Williams Institute and UCLA School of Law). This estimate does not include bisexual or transgender individuals. Often referred to as the ‘Silver Tsunami,’ North Texas braces itself for a complex array of challenges as society ages, including increasingly ‘out’ individuals and multi-sexually-oriented diverse communities.
“The work we are doing today at the Coalition for Aging LGBT is not only directly impacting our North Texas seniors, but also laying the groundwork to support all future generations of the LGBT North Texas community as they age. Our Board of Directors, staff, and dedicated volunteers are passionate about the work we are doing in our communities and eagerly looking forward to the ways we can continue to build bridges across partner organizations to support our mission – and the annual North Texas Giving Day event is an integral part of that.
“North Texas Giving Day is when we energize the community to support our community and their growing needs. The aging LGBTQ population has endured generations of discrimination, and each decade has posed discriminatory policies and behaviors that systematically disadvantaged this group. The National Council on Aging finds that 59% of LGBT older adults report that they lack companionship, and 53% feel isolated. Legal barriers for partners to provide the same level of care as a heterosexual spouse and limited access to services that provide culturally competent care compound these challenges. Furthermore, the state of Texas provides no protection against discrimination related to housing or insurance based on sexual orientation.
“As the growing population of LGBT individuals age, it is critical that we evaluate the existing systems that meet the diverse needs of older LGBT adults. The Coalition for Aging LGBT directly addresses these systems by focusing on housing, health, social connectivity, and advocacy support for LGBT seniors in North Texas.
“We aim to identify safe, welcoming LGBT competent environments for senior retirement community housing, hospice care and home health care; increase LGBT competent care training of medical professionals, support food insecurities in the senior LGBT community, create safe social spaces; educate on topics that impact LGBT legal and civil rights, health, finances and other personal needs.
“The Coalition for Aging LGBT is proud to continue to be a critical part to serving LGBT seniors of North Texas. Our work ensures that all LGBT seniors have access to supportive and inclusive resources for the benefit of their health, housing needs, financial security, and mental well-being; and we are honored to be the only organization in our region doing this important work.”
* Graphic/photo provided by Coalition for Aging LGBT
Communities Foundation of Texas’ NTX Giving Day helps build awareness and support for nonprofits like nothing else. In 2021, $66 million was raised through 103,000 donors benefiting over 3,300 local nonprofits, bringing the 13-year total to over $441 million for our community. NTx Giving Day is the largest community-wide giving event in the nation.
On Thursday, September 22, support the Coalition for Aging LGBT by linking here and spreading the word. #NTxGivingDay