THANK YOU TO OUR CURRENT MEMBERS FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATIONS:

Nancy Anderson

Mary Nicolini

Aimee Saulnier

Sue Searles

This is how we began:

The journey towards the Cape Cod LGBTQ+ Senior Friends began in 2018 at a listening session sponsored by the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Aging. It was here that the need for dedicated grief support within the Cape Cod LGBTQ+ senior community became strikingly clear.

Over the following years, local agencies like Helping Our Women, Sharing Kindness, Elder Services, Orleans ,Barnstable and Yarmouth Senior Centers and Fenway Health stepped in to offer vital grief support groups, demonstrating the existing need and the power of community collaboration.

A significant turning point arrived in 2022 when the Yarmouth Senior Center secured a grant to initiate a senior social group. This provided a physical space for LGBTQ+ seniors to connect, and a dedicated group began meeting monthly at the center. The success of these initial gatherings, further supported by three more years of funding from the Senior Center, highlighted the growing desire for connection and community.

Recognizing the increasing interest and the clear need for broader services, the original planning group evolved into a working board. Collaborating with other agencies like the Bourne Senior Center, First Parish Church Brewster and the Family Table Collaborative, the group expanded offerings to include Life Changes Support Groups, joyful events like a Holiday Party and a Concert Party, and vibrant Pride Celebrations each June. Throughout this growth, the essential grief support groups continue to thrive, a testament to the initial advocacy and ongoing community partnerships.

Building on this momentum and recognizing the long term vision, the original informal group concluded in early 2025 that establishing a dedicated non-profit organization was essential to fully realize their mission of ending isolation and providing social and emotional support. As they embark on this new chapter, Cape Cod LGBTQ+ Senior Friends remains grateful for the invaluable contributions and continued partnerships of their friends and neighbors in the Cape Cod Community,