A call to participate

Please join us for one of four focus groups to determine how best to serve the area's growing elder LGBT community. Your voice is important to us and to the community as a whole.

Your participation in this focus group is critical and will provide us with valuable information that we can use to create programs for our community to help the mature LGBT population. We want to be certain that we are heading in the right direction in terms of what types of services and activities you would like the initiative to develop and encourage. We appreciate your willingness to take time out of your busy lives to participate in this important endeavor.

The focus groups will be 90 minutes to 2 hours with groups of 8 to 10 participants. Ice cream sundaes and other refreshments will be served as a thank-you for your time and dedication and as a way to let us enjoy each other's company before the session begins.

The responses from our survey indicate that the top four issues of most interest to the gay and gray LGBT community are social, legal, health, and housing.

After all the focus groups have been held, we will collate the results and create a final prioritization of the desired activities and services. So come relaxed and willing to share your ideas and desires regarding these topics.

The focus groups will be held at the new, spacious location of the LGBT Center of Raleigh at 411 Hillsborough St. in Raleigh on the following dates:

1. Sunday, September 18, 2011 from 2 - 4 PM
2. Monday, October 10, 2011 from 6:30 - 8: 30 PM

We look forward to seeing you and having you share your ideas and desires. Please respond with your first preference of the group you can attend, and with your second and third preference in case the groups fill up. If you respond that you would like to participate in one of the groups and it is already full, your name will be held for any future sessions we may schedule.

Please let us know which group you are able to attend. We look forward to getting together with you to discuss our futures. If you know of anyone who might be interested in attending but is not on our email list, or who does not use a computer, we urge you to let us know so that we may send a written invitation in the mail.

Send all RSVP's to Vince Newton at , or you can call him at 828-545-6910.

Thank you from your friends at the Gay & Gray Initiative.