As the pandemic escalates once again, we’re continuing to partner with organizations doing amazing things for communities in need. Our latest grant is going to the AIDS Committee of North Bay & Area (ACNBA). Since 1990 they’ve been supporting vulnerable populations affected or infected by HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C through education, awareness, outreach strategies, and treatment. In 2020 the New Horizons for 2S-LGTBQ+ Older Adults Program began and is housed within ACNBA. This program aims to address the isolation and discrimination of Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (2S-LGBTQ+) seniors over 50 by developing and facilitating social programs, offering support services and advocacy, and engaging the
public in educational strategies. Support and programming are offered to all who wish to have access regardless of HIV or hepatitis C status.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic it has become clear that the need for connection, support, and
accessibility is critical among 2S-LGBTQ+ seniors, with queer seniors being twice as likely to live alone and experience isolation. The Technology Lending Program, funded in part by The Home Front, will help 2S-LGBTQ+ seniors access the many support services that have been forced to go virtual so they can continue to be included. Participants will be able to borrow devices with internet or WIFI capabilities for specific amounts of time, and the program will offer technological literacy training and support to seniors who need help accessing online counseling, support groups, social events, and more. In our current world climate, access
to the internet is not a privilege, but a human right and a necessity of life, physical health, and mental health.
Contact ACNBANewHorizons@gmail.com or 705-471-7044 for more information or to find out how to register for the program.