MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE USA) is proud to announce the launch of SAGE Miami, established in partnership with Jewish Community Services of South Florida (JCS). As the newest member of SAGE USA’s national network of 30 affiliates across twenty states and the District of Columbia, SAGE Miami is positioned to rapidly implement and customize local services and programming that can meet the unique needs of LGBT older adults in the Miami-Dade area.
In addition to broad-ranging social services, JCS has focused on meeting the needs of older adults since it was established in 1920. In 2010, JCS began offering services specifically to meet the needs of LGBT older adults.
“JCS’s affiliation with SAGE is a natural evolution of our mission and of the work we do every day in Miami with the LGBT community and with senior adults. SAGE Miami will enable JCS to reach an underserved community whose members are often isolated with culturally sensitive and much needed programming in a welcoming and inclusive environment,” said Fred Stock, JCS President & CEO.
Offering programs in both English and Spanish, SAGE Miami will provide opportunities for elders to gather, cultivate new friendships, support one another and learn together. One such opportunity is made possible by SAGE Miami’s partnership with Pridelines, a South Florida grassroots organization rooted in a peer-led/adult-facilitated youth group model. As a SAGE affiliate, SAGE Miami is also part of a national initiative called SAGECare that works to ensure LGBT older adults have access to welcoming and discrimination-free services and care throughout the community. In connection with that effort, SAGE Miami now has a SAGECare certified trainer on staff, ready to provide training to elder care and service providers in the Miami area so that they can work more effectively with LGBT older adults.
“SAGE is delighted to begin this new chapter of our work in Miami in partnership with a trusted organization like JCS,” said Michael Adams, Chief Executive Officer of SAGE. “The impact of SAGE’s national training, advocacy and community education efforts combined with the local services provided by SAGE Miami under JCS’ auspices will make a huge difference for LGBT older people in Miami-Dade.”
ABOUT SAGE
Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) is the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older adults and their caregivers, advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT older people, and provides training for aging providers and LGBT organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBT Aging. With offices in New York City, Washington, DC and Chicago, SAGE coordinates a growing network of 30 SAGE affiliates in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Learn more at sageusa.org and lgbtagingcenter.org.
ABOUT JCS OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Jewish Community Services’ mission is to improve the quality of life and self-sufficiency of the Jewish and broader communities throughout South Florida in accordance with Jewish values. Since 1920, Jewish Community Services of South Florida has remained true to its original mission of providing exemplary human services through compassionate and comprehensive programs that promote health and productivity. JCS is a Beneficiary Agency of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, and an Impact Partner of United Way of Miami-Dade. For more information, please visit www.JCSFL.org or call 305.576.6550.