Belchertown Rainbow Social Hour
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Second Wednesday, each month
From 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
At the Belchertown Senior Center
60 State Street
Belchertown, MA 01007
Every year, the month of June is considered Pride Month and is a celebration of the contributions made by the LGBTQ+ community to society, history, and cultures all over the world. This year, the Belchertown Police Officers Association will be selling Pride Patches in honor of Pride Month. Some of our officers will also be wearing the patches on their uniforms for the entire month of June.
Part of the proceeds from the patches will go to the Belchertown Rainbow Social Hour, a local LGBTQ+ group that promotes inclusivity, provides support, and promotes awareness within the LGBTQ+ community in Belchertown.
The patches are on sale now and are $10 each. Patches can be payable via cash or check made out to the Belchertown Police Officers Association. Patches will be available at the Belchertown Police Department or you can contact Officer Vinnie Daponte at vdaponte@belchertown.org.
Our 1 year Anniversary Party 6-14-2023!
New INFO & watch for more later on! 👍
"Making Space for the Fiber-Curious is a free fiber arts space in Belchertown, MA for self-identified LGBTQ+ folks. This space is for folks who want to learn the basics of weaving, using a floor loom, knitting, crochet, mending and other fiber crafts; and who are interested in working in community. Attendees are encouraged to share skills and knowledge with each other. Together we can problem-solve, create, and share the cool things we know about fiber. The space will be open spring and fall of 2023, dates TBD. Check out tinyurl.com/fiber2023 for the sign up form!"
GREAT news!
The Rainbow Coffee Hour Continues on!
ELAINE HAS OFFERED TO HEAD UP THE GROUP FOR THE FUTURE! THANK YOU SO MUCH ELAINE!
THE SENIOR CENTER IS DELIGHTED THAT THE GROUP IS CONTINUING, AND LOOKS FORWARD TO ASSISTING IN ANY WAY!
Elaine has already started working on some topics for future meetings. If you have a topic in mind please let her know by replying to this email, it will go directly to her. Thank you.
It's been my great pleasure to get this group together and the successes accomplished so far...
I won't be far away and I'll be in close contact, with visits from time to time!
Please support Elaine and help her to continue the successes into the future.
Thank you all for your support and encouragement!
Remember, "United we stand, divided we fall"
Much Love,
Marc
(L to R) Elaine, Stephanie, Programs & Volunteer Coordinator, Marc
(seated) Colleen DuroShea - Vice Chair of Council on Aging Advisory Board
A teaching moment, about our flag!
We are everywhere! Articles about the group (see below)
Article from: The Reminder Aug 8, 2022
Rainbow Coffee Hour forging camaraderie and conversation at Belchertown's Senior Center
Aug. 8, 2022 | Miasha Lee
Rainbow Coffee Hour takes place once a month at the Belchertown Senior Center.
BELCHERTOWN — The Rainbow Coffee Hour is a new LGBTQIA+ social coffee group that meets the second Wednesday of every month from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Belchertown Senior Center for ages 50 and above.
Founder Marc Barrette said, “We opened it up to the public. We just meet; it’s no format, no agenda, we just get together for an hour once a month to be able to chat and socialize with each other. The idea is to just give people a place to meet and feel comfortable. There’s no judgment or discrimination.”
Katy Martin, administrative assistant at Belchertown Senior Center added, “We are always happy to add additional community programming within the center. Our goal is to always welcome as many community members as possible in whatever way they’re most comfortable in attending.”
She continued, “We’re always willing to listen to ideas and thoughts of those in the community that would like to come in and have access to the center in one way or the other. We’re always willing to create new programming based on what’s being requested.”
Barrette is a Belchertown resident and retiree who teaches technology at the Belchertown Senior Center. He originally came up with the idea in the month of June, which is Pride Month for the LGBTQIA+ communities.
“I’ve lived in several places in the United States where they’ve had big Pride festivals, but here in Belchertown, a smaller town, we had nothing.” Barrette explained. In 2022, he thought this was a perfect time to give the opportunity for a lot of the older people of the LGBTQIA+ community a chance to get to know each other. He presented the idea to the director of the senior center and the rest is history.
“My premise of starting the Rainbow Coffee Hour Group was to give each other a chance to meet,” Barrette said. “Once we get to know each other, we could start to have frank, undisturbed conversations about the past, how we were treated, how things went and how things have changed over the years.”
Barrette told Reminder Publishing they have allies that come to the meetings. Over 50 people attended their very first meeting which Barrette admitted he was taken aback by the amount of people that showed up. He said the other people in the room were taken aback as well because they never knew so many people were in the area.
The Rainbow Coffee Hour has been averaging about 25 people per meeting. So far, without any planning, select board members from the town have come to their meetings, along with Jake Olivera running for state representative, Yvonne Gittelson, running for Hampshire County sheriff, and Aaron Saunders for state representative.
“As a catalyst for change, I just saw the opportunity and I took it,” Barrette said. “We’re not trying to set a political agenda; we just want these gatherings to be free flowing so that if you do come and just want to have a cup of coffee and talk to somebody, that’s fine.”
He continued, “We needed a place where we can meet and not have any of the outside factors become a factor. Just a human-to-human conversation and that’s why I started this group. My hope is that Rainbow Coffee Hour will blossom, and Belchertown will continue to grow in spirit and mind and be even more accepting.”
To learn more about the Rainbow Coffee Hour, visit the website at www.rainbowcoffeehour.com The Belchertown Senior Center is located on 60 State St., and is open Mondays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Tuesdays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Photo from our first meeting in June 2022
Article from: THE SENTINEL · Thursday, June 2, 2022 on Page 5
New LGBTQIA+ senior social coffee group
KIMBERLY PALMUCCI Interim Editor sentinel@furley.com
BELCHERTOWN - A new LGBTQIA+ social coffee group will meet next week on Wednesday, June 8, at the Belchertown Senior Center.
The Senior Center is located at 60 State Street; the event is slated to run from 10 - 11 a.m.
“June is a month to acknowledge the contributions and sacrifices that members of our community have made to better a greater society," said Marc Barrette, a member of the Belchertown community who said he organized the coffee-hour event, adding that June is Pride Month. “As part of the greater society of humans to humans, we all add to the total of humanity.” Barrette, who said he also serves as a member of the Belchertown Housing Authority, along with offering technical assistance to the Senior Center for cell phones and computers, said the event is important for the community.
“As a senior member of the LGBTQIA+ community I have seen and experienced over the years the discrimination, hatred, and non-acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ members of our community,” Barrette said. "Things have changed somewhat but there is still a long way to go to win the hearts and minds of others.”
Barrette said he started this social group as a means for the community and allies “to gather and support each other” in their golden years.
“Other organizations such as Sage, Human Rights Campaign, AARP, and other groups have also made it part of their mission to include the needs of elders. Some seniors are very concerned as to how they will/would be treated if they have to go into a facility,” Barrette said. “These are genuine concerns and by forming this social group it allows topics such as these to be discussed.”
https://sentinel.turley.com/sn-archives/BEL060222.pdf (page 5)
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