The LGBT Aging Project, a program of Boston-based Fenway Health, received a $10,000 grant from Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation to help older LGBTQIA+ people stay connected to their communities and support their networks virtually.
“The LGBT Aging Project is grateful to Eastern Bank for their support of our COVID-19 related efforts to support LGBTQIA+ older adults during this pandemic,” said Lisa Krinsky, director of the Aging Project, in a press release, which said:
Many seniors are facing increased isolation during this time of quarantine and social distancing, and having the option to engage with each other through technology like Zoom has become a true lifeline. …
As Krinsky explained, the Aging Project has been are hosting weekly Zoom drop in groups since the spring, to offer support to the community and provide a means of social connection during a time when so many older adults are socially isolated.
“For those who already have access to technology like computers, smartphones, and webcams, we’ve been able to coach many of them to set up and use Zoom as a way to stay connected to their community,” she said. “For those who do not have their own technology, we have used some of the Eastern Bank funds to purchase tablets to loan. We’ve been teaching folks how to set up and use this equipment to engage in the virtual world that is sustaining so many of us these days.”
EBCF is providing a total of $8 million in COVID-19 philanthropic support in the communities it serves.
“Evidence of the impact of this virus outbreak on our neighbors, families, and small businesses is everywhere,” said Nancy Huntington Stager, President and CEO of Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation. “And, we also see the resiliency, sheer will, and hope of people across our region as they band together to help one another. The need for assistance continues to grow, and we will do what we can to give back and support the most vulnerable populations in our communities as well as encourage those who are able to do so to join us.”
The LGBT Aging Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender older adults have equal access to the life-prolonging benefits, protections, services and institutions that their heterosexual neighbors take for granted.
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