At the beginning of September, we joined together with *25*(!!!) community members to have a conversation about the values that will guide One Roof Chicago: People, Pride, and Possibilities; Care, Healing, and Liberation; and Inclusion, Intersections, and Accountability.We heard about the importance of care that is truly responsive to each person's needs, the difficulty of agreeing on shared values among people of different experiences, and the need to cultivate trust, safety, candor, dialogue, and love, in the course of enacting our values.
We will continue this conversation on Tuesday, November 9th, at 5PM CST, as we discuss how to live our values as we envision multiple generations building community under one roof. Please join us!
Check out these fabulous events!
Table Talk, a series created by and for people of color, LGBTQ+ folks, and other underrepresented communities, is an honest, lively, and unscripted conversation among health professionals, spiritual and faith-based leaders, artists, and other creative individuals to address this central question: What does it mean to live and die well in our respective communities?
In this Table Talk, Rev. Dr. Maria Cristina Vlassidis Burgoa and Dr. Wilfred Labiosa provide their responses to these additional questions:
--What are we grieving?
--How do we grieve?
--From a spiritual perspective, how does our community support those experiencing grief or trauma?
--What other actions can we take to support ourselves and our loved ones?
Save the date for the LGBTQ+ Elder Housing Services Virtual Symposium, co-hosted by Openhouse and SAGE, on Thursday, November 4th and Friday, November 5th. The two-day Openhouse + SAGE symposium event will include:
--Panel discussions with established figures in the fight to address the housing crisis in the LGBTQ+ aging community
--Conversations highlighting the challenges and best practices for social service provision: Speakers will underline a holistic approach in offering resources to allow LGBTQ+ seniors the opportunity to thrive by addressing the impact of systemic and interpersonal trauma, and accessing clinical support services.
--Community members’ stories, highlighting the immense impact Openhouse and SAGE have had on their very own communities
--Facilitated workshop discussions to provide audience members an opportunity to engage with the speakers on their topics of expertise.
Want to learn more about intergenerational housing? One of our fantastic partners, H.O.M.E. (Housing Opportunities & Maintenance for the Elderly), has operated two intergenerational communities in Chicago for the past 20+ years! Learn more about intergenerational housing at their website.
About One Roof Chicago
One Roof Chicago is a new initiative to build an LGBTQ+-centered intergenerational community for older adults and young people most in need of affirming housing, meaningful connection, and career development. This project is the first of its kind nationwide and the fact that it’s happening here, in our home of Chicago, is a huge source of excitement and pride. As we build together, we do so informed by frameworks of Black Liberation, Harm Reduction, Healing Justice, Restorative Justice, Housing First, Positive Youth Development, and Trauma-Informed Care. We lead with intentional relationships, thoughtful practices, and community collaboration. Want to get involved? Email cathy at cknight@oneroofchicago.org with questions or interest.
