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Union County to Host LGBT Older Adults Focus Group

Union County, NJ – (12 pt.) Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to host a focus group for LGBT adults 55 years and older, presented by Garden State Equality as part of their ‘Pledge and Protect’ initiative.

Presented in collaboration with Union County’s Office of LGBTQ Services, Garden State Equality – New Jersey’s largest LGBT Organization – will facilitate a 90-minute focus group for LGBT adults 55 years or older on Friday, August 10, 2018 at Warinanco Sports Center in Warinanco Park, located at 1 Park Drive, Roselle. Space is limited.

Registration is required online at gardenstateequality.org/focusgroup_unioncounty.

“The Freeholder Board is proud to collaborate with organizations and stakeholders that share our commitment to recognize, advocate for and address the needs of LGBT older adults in Union County,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “With the immoral attacks on the LGBTQ community from the current administration in Washington, I believe that we – county, state and municipal elected officials – have to be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to support and protect our LGBTQ community in Union County and throughout the state.”

The focus group for LGBT older adults encourages those in the LGBT community to share their experiences and help identify the needs for housing and access to social and healthcare services.

Developed and administered by Garden State Equality’s Health & Wellness Coordinator, Bianca Chanel Mayes, the LGBT Older Adult Focus Groups are an essential part to developing a quality need assessment which Garden State Equality will distribute statewide in the future.

Garden State Equality is offering additional focus groups for LGBT older adults in five other counties throughout New Jersey. To find a focus group near you and register visit gardenstateequality.org./focusgroup. To qualify for these focus groups, you have to be age 55 or older as well as identify as LGBT. Garden State Equality can provide reasonable modifications for people with disabilities upon request. Please contact Bianca Mayes at Mayes@GardenStateEquality.org or call 973-509-5426.

“Sometimes the most effective route to change is by sharing stories of impacted individuals,” said Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, liaison to the Union County LGBTQ Ad Hoc Committee. “These focus groups are an important opportunity for LGBT older adults to share their experiences and help identify needs and set priorities for programs and services to support LGBT older adults.”

Established as part of Chairman Granados’ 2018 Moving Union County Forward initiatives, the Office of LGBTQ Services, under the Division of Outreach and Advocacy in the Department of Human Services, is the first County government office of its kind in the State of New Jersey. It provides a platform for leadership and collaboration to support equality, serving as a catalyst for advocacy, awareness and action.

For more information about the Office of LGBTQ Services, contact Danni Newbury, coordinator, at 908-527-4742 or dnewbury@ucnj.org or visit ucnj.org/lgbtq.

 

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