""Having just finished my addictions, I had difficulty interacting with people and making social connections," Gilbert said during a recent interview. "The only lifestyle I knew was going to bars, just drinking. I get emotional remembering I was very lonely at the time." Gilbert then started coming to Openhouse and connected with Andrew, a young volunteer in our Friendly Visitor Program where volunteers of all ages are paired with LGBTQ+ older adults for social connection and companionship."
""I love meeting Andrew in the Castro, and we walk to Dolores Park because that's a community I have not been around clean and sober." Since joining the Friendly Visitor Program, Gilbert has boosted his confidence and has even met a boyfriend. According to Gilbert, "that wouldn't have been possible had I not met Andrew. He helped build my self-esteem and motivation, which I hadn't felt for many, many years. Openhouse is my second family where I can be accepted for who I am.""
Gilbert, a gay man in his late 60s, entered sobriety after prolonged substance abuse and struggled to make social connections. He joined Openhouse and was paired with Andrew, a young volunteer in the Friendly Visitor Program. Regular visits, walks in the Castro and Dolores Park, and companionship from the volunteer provided emotional support and helped rebuild Gilbert's self-esteem and motivation. Participation led to increased confidence, new social opportunities, attendance at events like the Openhouse Senior Prom, and the formation of a romantic relationship. Openhouse provides housing and social services for LGBTQ+ older adults and focuses on reducing isolation through intergenerational connection.
Read at San Francisco Bay Times
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