Decisions
Dear Editor:
It was bad enough that Center on Halsted management decided to nix the name SAGE ( Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders ) from LGBT programming for us senior patrons of the Center on Addison.
We were never consulted. Many of us are up [in] arms over that. We should not be shut us off from the decision-making process if the Center on Halsted and the Center on Addison bill themselves as institutions that truly embrace community.
Now that Troy Johnson is leaving as senior services manager at Center on Addison, it would be great if we seniors could be included in the decision-making process in finding a replacement. We have nothing against the young, and certainly Mr. Johnson will be missed, but in choosing someone more our age, that person will already know what is like to be LGBT senior. Let us have a hand in who works with us next.
Craig Teichen
Chicago
Center on Halsted CEO Modesto "Tico" Valle responded:
Center on Halsted is a large, very well-connected organization with a long history of doing much of what SAGE offers to its affiliates.
We found that our ability to fund our workand, thus, provide excellent services to our communitywas better served by being independent of SAGE in terms of affiliation. We continue to be involved with SAGE opportunities such as SAGEWorks and to partner with them on public policy efforts locally and nationally and consider SAGE a partner.
Regarding our newly open staff position, as many people in historically oppressed communities will appreciate, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ( EEOC ) has worked hard to ensure that employers adhere strictly to a set of guidelines when hiring. Within these parameters, we also understand that there are unique needs within our LGBTQ community including finding someone who has knowledge of LGBTQ aging needs and who has the credentials to meet these needs.
Britta Larson, director of senior services, will be meeting with patrons to talk about the hiring process and to receive feedback from them so that we are certain to have a well-informed, community engaged process. While the Center cannot discriminate in the hiring process, given how integrated this person will be in the living and social spaces of our residents, we also want to ensure that we have the best possible fit for the range of residents and patron in our Senior Service Program.