SAGE Blog

Beyond the Balsamic BBQ Chicken, The SAGE Center Dinners Offer Camaraderie

This is a guest post by Devin Madden, MPH, Project Manager at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the Department of Health Evidence and Policy

Older adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) have long had needs that were made invisible or ignored.

In 2012, the Department for the Aging (DFTA) and Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) joined forces to change that. Two summers ago, Mayor Bloomberg’s call for an “age-friendly” New York City for its 1.3 million seniors made headlines. In response, DFTA funded eight Innovative Senior Centers (ISC) throughout the five boroughs.

SAGE’s ISC in Chelsea (also known as The SAGE Center) is serving LGBT seniors facing a unique set of health disparities. Among many culturally sensitive programs and activities for LGBT seniors over the age of 60, the center offers nutritionally balanced hot meals every Monday through Friday, from 5-6:30pm (for a softly suggested donation of $2). So far 1,100 participants have registered. Charles Cole, a diner and a SAGE Center receptionist, notes that, “For a lot of the people here, this will be their one healthy meal of the day.”

The SAGE Center: addressing nutritional challenges of older LGBT New Yorkers

Sarah Savino,The SAGE Center Program Manager

The following is a guest post by Sarah Savino, The SAGE Center Program Manager and Al Rosenberg, The SAGE Center Food Service Coordinator. This article was originally published by The National Foundation to End Senior Hunger  for their Rooftops newsletter.

One of the best times of day at The SAGE Center, the nation’s first full-time senior center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, is dinner time. Our Great Room fills up each weeknight with laughter and conversation from the LGBT older people who visit our center, as staff and volunteers set up the evening’s meal.

Housed in a beautifully renovated, loft-like space with views over New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, The SAGE Center is a wonderful space for LGBT older people to gather. The early dinner is at the core of The SAGE Center Healthy Food Program, our nutritional plan designed to meet the specific needs of LGBT elders. The SAGE Center, which began serving meals in January 2012, offers an outstanding program of classes and events for a community with a range of needs – from those seeking fun and companionship in a culturally diverse setting, to those who face severe economic and nutritional challenges.  The SAGE Center Healthy Food Program is designed to welcome them all.

Easy Changes for a Healthier Sandwich

The following is a guest post from Visiting Nurse Services of New York (VNSNY). VNSNY has partnered with SAGE over the last few years to bring nurse services and health programming to both The SAGE Center and SAGE Harlem. SAGE is committed to the health and well-being of all LGBT older people and we strive to share important health information with our community. We thank VNSNY for an informative blog post around eating healthier.

Is one of your New Year’s resolutions about eating better or losing weight? If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of renovating all of your favorite recipes, it might help to start small. Research shows that when it comes to a healthier lifestyle, small and gradual changes are easier for us to make and ones we’re more likely to stick with. Take your lunchtime sandwich—rather than reject it altogether,  try these tips to make your next one more healthful—but still delicious.