Thriving Together

Connecting Volunteers & LGBTQ+ Older Adults

As the first Santa Clara County-led program to bring together Volunteers and LGBTQ+ Older Adults, Thriving Together provides opportunities for building community and social enrichment, as well as help with everyday duties and errands.

In 2021, an in-depth survey of over 3,000 queer and trans elders in Santa Clara County revealed that β…” of respondents lacked companionship and felt isolated, and ΒΌ of respondents reported a desire to engage in more activities that would improve quality of life.

To address this challenge, TurnOut has worked with the Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs in the County of Santa Clara to create the Thriving Together program. Thriving Together connects volunteers with isolated queer and trans elders in Santa Clara County, providing regular companionship, activity buddies, and help with basic chores when needed.

While many cisgender heterosexual folks have the support of their biological families as they enter their later years, many queer and trans folks do not. What we do have is a large and caring community, filled with people of all ages who care about our elders and want to step up. We are thrilled to provide a simple, well-supported program to activate this potential and turn it into real support for older queer and trans adults in our communities. This program is sponsored by the County of Santa Clara Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs.

To learn more about the program email thriving@turnout.org or call 408-337-2778.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Volunteer in the program:

Step 1: Complete the online volunteer survey below

Step 2: Participate in a short phone interview

Step 3: Attend a 2-hour training

Step 4: You will be paired with an Older Adult

Are you an older adult? Get paired with a volunteer:

Step 1: Complete the online older adult survey below

Step 2: Participate in a short phone interview

Step 3: You will be paired with a volunteer