MEALS PROGRAMS 355,107 meals served to over 3,100 clients through our home-delivered meals program. 76,811 meals through 12 community meal sites for older adults in Pima County.
LGBTQI+ INITIATIVES/ VISIBILITY MATTERS
24 Visibility Matters Presentations were provided to 538 people.
As LGBTQI+ people age and need supportive services to meet their aging goals, many of them question whether it is safe to share with their providers that they are LGBTQI+ due to stigma they have witnessed and experienced over their lifetimes. The Visibility Matters training helps care providers gain the tools needed to create a safe place for LGBTQI+ people to be their authentic selves so that their unique needs can be met. The training provides information about how to be more aware, sensitive, and responsive to LGBTQI+ older people
PCOA offers the Pima Meals on Wheels program with the help of various community partners. This is a meal delivery program for home-bound older adults and those who live with a disability where cooking poses a challenge. In addition to home delivery, older adults can enjoy an affordable meal and a fun social outing at one of our 12 community meal sites. We are in the process of opening two new community lunch sites through a new partnership with Chicanos Por La Causa. Both sites are primarily Spanish speaking and low-income senior housing apartment complexes offering English as a Second Language and immigration services to their complexes and surrounding area. Meal demands have nearly
and their families. This year, we exponentially improved the training opportunities available to aging care providers in Arizona, including the development of a new suite of video resources and a follow-up system that will foster institutional change. We have extended our expertise to the larger community, incentivizing LGBTQI+ inclusion within the aging care field throughout Arizona. Our Visibility Matters training is getting notice, both locally and nationally. We have presented at the USAging Conference and the National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center, among others. PCOA’s LGBTQI+ Initiatives Specialist was the recipient of the 2022 UAHS LGBTQIA+ Community Leadership Award for their contributions to inclusive and affirming healthcare for LGBTQIA+ patients.
doubled since the beginning of the pandemic and Covid-era funds are coming to a close, but we are continuing to aggressively pursue new funding sources to provide meals for our community’s most vulnerable home-bound older adults.
“I wanted to get out and decided to come to the Senior program. Now I love coming and enjoy the food very much!” –Lunch Program Participant
Aging with Pride
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