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Register by June 18 for Pride month celebration at the Lodge

Senior living community training in LGBT+ cultural competency
June 13, 2021

The Lodge at Truitt Homestead senior lifestyle community announced it is working toward becoming Platinum certified by SAGECare, an LGBT+ senior advocacy and services group, and part of the nation’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT+ older adults.

This credential will recognize the Lodge’s engagement in cultural competency staff training and commitment to serving the LGBT+ community. Management at the community and corporate level recently took the first step toward becoming SAGECare certified by attending online and virtual cultural competency training provided by one of SAGECare’s expert trainers.

Once staff has completed the training, projected by the end of June, the Lodge at Truitt Homestead team looks forward to celebrating its Platinum status, the highest SAGECare credential. No other senior living community in the entire state of Delaware or the Eastern Shore of Maryland has earned this designation at the time of this release.

“Rehoboth Beach and the greater region are so inclusive, and really celebrate and embrace diversity in so many ways, especially the LGBT+ community. The Lodge at Truitt Homestead strives to embody that inclusive spirit as well,” said Kate Sammler, vice president of sales and marketing at Vantage Point Retirement Living, owners and managers of the Lodge. “The SAGECare credential will clearly show the efforts we put forth daily to celebrate the uniqueness of every person who lives, works, and plays at the Lodge. It’s not enough to simply ‘talk the talk.’ By moving toward this certification, we’ll be ‘walking the walk’ and embodying our values of inclusion, diversity, and respect.”

Due to a lifetime of discrimination, LGBT older adults are more likely to hide who they are because they are afraid of mistreatment and isolation, according to the SAGECare website.

The Lodge team members agree it’s fitting that the community is finishing up the certification process during Pride month, a time to promote equality, celebrate culture, uplift voices and champion LGBT+ rights.

The Lodge will host a Summer Solstice event from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, June 26, to celebrate Pride month in style and raise money to benefit CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. Tickets are $50 and registration is open until Friday, June 18.

“It will be a great event with an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, and 50/50 raffle that will really celebrate and honor our LGBT+ community within the Lodge and greater community. The icing on the cake will be to also celebrate earning our SAGECare Platinum credential,” said Cheryl Evans, executive director at the Lodge. “We want anyone who walks through the doors of the Lodge to feel seen, heard and celebrated. This certification is a small step in a broader journey we look forward to taking. In addition to the LGBT+ cultural competency training, the Lodge will routinely expand its inclusivity and diversity programs so anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, or orientation, will feel safe and comfortable making the Lodge their home.”

For more information on The Lodge at Truitt Homestead and its efforts toward creating inclusive and diverse communities, go to truittlodge.com or call 302-232-6372. The community is located at 36233 Farm Lane, Rehoboth Beach.

To register for the Lodge’s summer solstice event, go to eventbrite.com and search Summer Solstice on the Terrace.

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