Post by Jerry on Jul 12, 2012 22:40:36 GMT -5
I am re posting Tom Webers notes on last Tuesday's community meeting to a new tread and a more prominent place on the board..
I want to thank Tom for sharing his thoughts..
here is his posting...
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Thanks for supplying this message board, Jerry. I hope I am submitting correctly. Here goes..
I am reporting from notes I took at the drop-in community meeting on Tuesday, July 10th.
This is what I thought I heard expressed as the main issues on the part of users of the SAGE drop-in room. I am open to additions/corrections from anyone else who attended the meeting:
• I opened the meeting by stating that the SAGE drop-in room, in its current location, will definitely be operating through the end of September, the date when the LGBT Center told us they will start their demolition and construction. This means that the drop-in itself, plus other SAGE programs currently meeting there, could continue to meet there through that same time period.
• I stated that the SAGE office at the LGBT Community Center will be closing this weekend and the staff moving out this Sunday.
• I stated that there is an open meeting of the SAGE NYC Communities Advisory Council next Thursday, July 19th, at 6 pm at the SAGE Center. Everyone is welcome and invited to attend and bring their issues and concerns. Both Michael Adams, SAGE Executive Director, and Catherine Thurston, Senior Director of Programs, will be at this meeting.
• A lot of outrage and anger was expressed about the decision to close the drop-in center, because of historic ties to the LGBT Community Center and the neighborhood. People want to make sure that SAGE and seniors are still represented at the LGBT Center.
• People wanted to know who made the decision to close the SAGE drop-in room at the Center. I told them the decision was made primarily for budget reasons and could only be made at the highest levels of the organization. Michael Adams, Executive Director of SAGE, has taken responsibility for this decision.
• People made it very evident that they would like another SAGE drop-in room at the LGBT Community Center and wanted to know what the plan is for beyond September 30th. I told them there is no definite plan at this time because things are still being investigated and worked out. There would probably be more to say about this by next week’s meeting, July 19th.
• People stated that they would like and would participate in a fundraising campaign to keep the drop-in open. If this is a question of economics, did SAGE and the LGBT Center discuss this to see if there were a way for SAGE to continue to have the drop-in room at the Center?
• People stated that if SAGE were to leave the LGBT Community Center, it would risk becoming irrelevant to LGBT older adults. They also stated they had been talking with financial backers of SAGE and were ready to go to the media if their demands for a drop-in room at the LGBT Center were not met.
• There was a demand for much better communication from SAGE and also consultation before some big decisions are made which directly impact program participants. People thought SAGE was much better at sending fundraising letters than communicating important information.
• People wondered about SAGE expansion to outer boroughs and how SAGE had money for that when it was closing the drop-in. I explained that outer borough expansion was a completely separate pool of money which could not be used for anything else, and had nothing to do with the decision to close the drop-in center. SAGE also has a mission to serve under-served LGBT older adults throughout the city, including the other boroughs, where there are much fewer or no services currently in place.
As a program director at SAGE, I must take responsibility for my share of poor communication. Although I strive to be as clear, up-to-date and transparent as possible, treat people fairly, and maintain good relations, things could always be improved and I welcome feedback and constructive criticism.
These notes respectfully submitted by Tom Weber, Director of Community Services at SAGE
I want to thank Tom for sharing his thoughts..
here is his posting...
.
.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for supplying this message board, Jerry. I hope I am submitting correctly. Here goes..
I am reporting from notes I took at the drop-in community meeting on Tuesday, July 10th.
This is what I thought I heard expressed as the main issues on the part of users of the SAGE drop-in room. I am open to additions/corrections from anyone else who attended the meeting:
• I opened the meeting by stating that the SAGE drop-in room, in its current location, will definitely be operating through the end of September, the date when the LGBT Center told us they will start their demolition and construction. This means that the drop-in itself, plus other SAGE programs currently meeting there, could continue to meet there through that same time period.
• I stated that the SAGE office at the LGBT Community Center will be closing this weekend and the staff moving out this Sunday.
• I stated that there is an open meeting of the SAGE NYC Communities Advisory Council next Thursday, July 19th, at 6 pm at the SAGE Center. Everyone is welcome and invited to attend and bring their issues and concerns. Both Michael Adams, SAGE Executive Director, and Catherine Thurston, Senior Director of Programs, will be at this meeting.
• A lot of outrage and anger was expressed about the decision to close the drop-in center, because of historic ties to the LGBT Community Center and the neighborhood. People want to make sure that SAGE and seniors are still represented at the LGBT Center.
• People wanted to know who made the decision to close the SAGE drop-in room at the Center. I told them the decision was made primarily for budget reasons and could only be made at the highest levels of the organization. Michael Adams, Executive Director of SAGE, has taken responsibility for this decision.
• People made it very evident that they would like another SAGE drop-in room at the LGBT Community Center and wanted to know what the plan is for beyond September 30th. I told them there is no definite plan at this time because things are still being investigated and worked out. There would probably be more to say about this by next week’s meeting, July 19th.
• People stated that they would like and would participate in a fundraising campaign to keep the drop-in open. If this is a question of economics, did SAGE and the LGBT Center discuss this to see if there were a way for SAGE to continue to have the drop-in room at the Center?
• People stated that if SAGE were to leave the LGBT Community Center, it would risk becoming irrelevant to LGBT older adults. They also stated they had been talking with financial backers of SAGE and were ready to go to the media if their demands for a drop-in room at the LGBT Center were not met.
• There was a demand for much better communication from SAGE and also consultation before some big decisions are made which directly impact program participants. People thought SAGE was much better at sending fundraising letters than communicating important information.
• People wondered about SAGE expansion to outer boroughs and how SAGE had money for that when it was closing the drop-in. I explained that outer borough expansion was a completely separate pool of money which could not be used for anything else, and had nothing to do with the decision to close the drop-in center. SAGE also has a mission to serve under-served LGBT older adults throughout the city, including the other boroughs, where there are much fewer or no services currently in place.
As a program director at SAGE, I must take responsibility for my share of poor communication. Although I strive to be as clear, up-to-date and transparent as possible, treat people fairly, and maintain good relations, things could always be improved and I welcome feedback and constructive criticism.
These notes respectfully submitted by Tom Weber, Director of Community Services at SAGE