Happy Older Americans Month from One Roof Chicago!
Happy Older Americans Month from One Roof Chicago!
May 2021 Newsletter
Upcoming Events
Craving queer connection? Curious about what liberatory LGBTQ+ housing and community can look like in Chicago? Celebrate Older Americans Month (and get an early start to Pride Month!) with other LGBTQ+ folks throughout Chicago and to learn more about our incredibly exciting emerging initiative: One Roof Chicago. One Roof Chicago is building an LGBTQ+-centered inter-generational community and housing complex for older adults and young people most in need of affirming housing and meaningful connection. Come as you are and join us to connect, to be joyful, supportive, and compassionate in our queerness together, and to learn about how you can be a part of this groundbreaking new project.
ORC Board Co-Chair Jacqueline Boyd will be participating in this installment of the Reimagine Festival's Table Talk series on Tuesday, May 25, which will showcase examples of elder housing initiatives that are realized or currently in development and reflect values of affordability and inclusivity of all sexualities and gender expressions. This Table Talk is co-hosted by SAGE, Openhouse, Mary's House for Older Adults, and One Roof Chicago.
In early February, Valerie Tobin, MS, PMHCNS-BC, a clinical nurse specialist in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Rush University and Robert wood Johnson Future of Nursing Scholar in the College of Nursing passed away of cancer at age 48.
She devoted much of her life's work to children and especially, later on, to supporting transgender youth. While at Rush, Tobin provided mental health services, including individual therapy and medication management, to adolescents/young adults. She was also involved in the LGBTQ+ Leadership Council and was a leader of Rush Pride as a student.
"Valerie's patients and their families adored her. Not only was she extremely knowledgeable, but she approached her work with so much heart," says Matt Vail, manager of social work services for Affirm: The Rush Center for Gender, Sexuality and Reproductive Health. "Trans youth struggle to access this kind of competent and compassionate care. This is a huge loss, not just for the Rush community, but for the larger community of LGBTQ+ providers across the country."
To honor Tobin for all the wonderful work she did for Rush and Affirm, the Affirm team gathered $750 in personal donations in her name and sent the gift to One roof Chicago. The one-time gift will help One Roof with the development stages of the building.
As her husband Rodrigo Diaz-Tobin writes of Valerie, "The world was a better place with her in it, she left it better for her being in it, and we are all at a loss with her passing. Her life was too short."
One Roof Chicago appreciates the intention and vision with which Valerie Tobin cared for our shared community and thanks the Affirm team for this generous gift.
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. Want to get involved? Email cathy at cknight@oneroofchicago.org with questions or interest.