New Team, New Mission
Here’s a bunch of information about the team and everything you’re going to need to know about the new mission:
Dignity Seniors Society was originally the Dignity House Advisory Committee (DHAC) which was founded as a Master of Social Work project of Alex Sangha in September 2012. We are so grateful to all the people who have dedicated time and resources to the project over the years. many of the Board members have moved on to work and volunteer with organizations dedicated to GSD work.
In 2018 the DHAC applied for, and secured, society status under the BC Society Act forming Dignity Seniors Society. The Board of the Society worked hard through 2017/18 to develop a strategic plan that would be effective over the short term, and target the long-term goals of the organization, such as developing GSD senior’s housing projects. The current mission of DSS is:
“DSS strives to provide unique, tailored advocacy and information on health, housing and social supports for seniors in our Gender and Sexually Diverse (2019: GSD; 2024: 2SLGBTQIA+) communities that meet their financial, social and security needs by offering multiple opportunities.”
The strategic focus of DSS is 3-fold:
1. Advocacy for individuals and our communities – develop position papers on housing/ finance/ health which highlight the unique needs and qualities of GSD seniors.
2. Disseminate information for gender and sexually diverse seniors and allies on housing/ finance/ health and end of life planning. Leverage exiting platforms and build collaborative provincial and national networks.
3. Build collaborative links between organizations serving seniors, advocating for the inclusion of gender and sexually diverse seniors - work closely with existing services for gender and sexually diverse seniors such as QMUNITY, WESN, HIM etc. Advocate for gender and sexually diversity training in all organizations serving seniors.
The DSS Board will continue to work with the government, BC Housing, city, developers, non-profits and our communities to explore housing opportunities for GSD seniors in BC, especially subsidized and supported projects. We also realize that housing is a primary concern in BC and are committed to providing community members with information on a range of seniors housing options.
