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How a phone buddy program is helping LGBTQ seniors stay connected

Katie Haney, a member of Rainbow Seniors ROC, prepares and serves meals for the organization’s weekly Tuesday luncheons. The menu on a Tuesday in April consisted of pulled pork sandwiches, pasta salad and a variety of snacks.
Justice Marbury
/
Democrat and Chronicle
Katie Haney, a member of Rainbow Seniors ROC, prepares and serves meals for the organization’s weekly Tuesday luncheons. The menu on a Tuesday in April consisted of pulled pork sandwiches, pasta salad and a variety of snacks.

A program that was born out of the early weeks of the pandemic has paired LGBTQ elders with volunteers in the community for more than three years.

Like most people, many older members of the LGBTQ community were feeling isolated as stay-at-home orders kept everyone inside, said Christina Da Costa, who was part of the team at SAGE USA that launched the free program in the first few months of the pandemic. SAGE is a national advocacy group for LGBTQ seniors.

SAGEConnect is a phone buddy program that matches LGBTQ elders and volunteers to make or receive a friendly check-in call, at least once a week for at least six weeks.

“People feel connected,” Da Costa said. “People do not feel alone. People feel as though they have a friendly voice to speak with.”

Why LGBTQ seniors?

Senior members of the LGBTQ community are twice as likely to be single and live alone, Da Costa said. They’re four times less likely to have children and are less likely to have access to caregiving support than their heterosexual peers. Those circumstances compound the loneliness and isolation for this population.

How are the pairs matched?

Anyone in the United States can participate.

LGBTQ elders and volunteers apply to become phone buddies through the SAGE website, and the agency’s volunteer coordinator vets all applicants — to make sure they are who they say they are, and to learn their preferences and what they hope to gain from the program.

Some elders want to speak with a younger volunteer in the same geographical area, while others wish to be paired with someone with similar interests or of the same gender, sexual orientation or race.

It typically takes several weeks to “make the best match.”

How is success measured?

Since the start of the program — which launched in April 2020 — more than 940 pairs have been matched, Da Costa said.

The goal is to have matched pairs form relationships and for both partners to enjoy the conversation. SAGE measures the program’s success on participants’ feedback.

How do the phone calls work?

Elders who register for the program receive one 30-minute call per week for at least six weeks.

What participants talk about varies. Some share life experiences and advice, others talk about hobbies and interests or book and movie recommendations.

The matched partners both call into a SAGE phone number at a predetermined time and are connected through the California-based technology company Mon Ami. Personal phone numbers are not exchanged between the buddies.

How can someone join?

Interested participants can go to SAGEConnect's website: sageusa.org/x2-sageconnect. Both elders and volunteers can register there for the program.

Volunteer recruitment was paused for the spring, but will resume this summer, Da Costa said.

With no Rochester hotline, is there another way for LGBTQ seniors to find support?

For a more local connection, nonprofit Rainbow Seniors ROC is an advocacy, service and social group for Rochester-area LGBTQ adults who are 50 or older.

Rainbow Seniors ROC meets regularly for events including weekly luncheons, yoga and other social gatherings.

Caregiving Solutions Reporter Justice Marbury contributed to this report.

This story was produced through the New York & Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations and universities dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about successful responses to social problems. The group is supported by the Solutions Journalism Network.

The collaborative’s first series, Invisible Army: Caregivers on the Front Lines, focuses on potential solutions to challenges facing caregivers of older adults.