NISC Programs of Excellence 

• Year Awarded: 2023
• Programs of Excellence Name: Pride in the Park
• Hosting Organization: Center in the Park, Philadelphia
• Philadelphia Population: 1,584,064
• 60+ Population: 316,478
• Senior Center Members: 2,456

About Pride in the Park

Center in the Park (CIP) hosted Pride in the Park in June 2023 to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ older adults and allies who are part of the CIP community. The Pride celebration featured live music, drag performances, resource tables from local LGBTQ-serving nonprofits, free giveaways, a Pride-themed photo booth, and a speaker from the Mayor's Office.

The day's festivities were planned by a self-directed volunteer team of CIP members who developed the vision for the event, hired the entertainers, coordinated logistics, and conducted outreach to nonprofit partners. Collaborators included the Mayor's Office of LGBT Affairs, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, and the William Way LGBT Community Center.

Pride in the Park was a culmination of many years of work to develop Center in the Park's LGBTQ+ cultural sensitivity and inclusivity. Over the past 15+ years, CIP has formalized having LGBTQ+ training for staff as part of its annually required trainings, formed relationships with LGBTQ-serving community organizations, and introduced LGBTQ-focused content into center programs. These intentional steps led to the point of being able to have a dedicated group of LGBTQ+ senior center members planning and implementing a day of Pride festivities with support and affirmation from CIP's staff and center membership.

Attendees were welcome to come through at their leisure and engage with the resource tables, watch the performances, socialize with friends, and snack on pretzels and water ice.

A significant detail: CIP's membership is 91% African American, with many having deep ties to their faith communities. CIP's demographics are much different than what one would see in the "Gayborhood" or at the city's Pride events. One of the factors that contributed to the event's success was CIP's longstanding commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusivity and gradually introducing LGBTQ+ programming over the past decade. Additionally, having the event planned by CIP members helped to establish greater buy-in from CIP's overall membership.

One significant outcome: the Pride in the Park volunteer team transitioned into a team dedicated to planning LGBTQ-focused programming at CIP beyond the annual Pride celebration. This group has been meeting bi-weekly throughout the year to brainstorm new LGBTQ-focused programs and opportunities to engage straight CIP members in education about LGBTQ+ identities. The group has also conducted outreach throughout Northwest Philadelphia to invite LGBTQ+ older adults not already engaged at CIP to join the volunteer and participate in their programs and events.

Key takeaways from Pride in the Park:

• Having the event planned by senior center members helped to establish greater buy-in from  overall membership.
• A self-directed volunteer team was key to the event's success and ongoing LGBTQ+ focused programming.
• Pride in the Park helped to attract older adults who were not already senior center members. Several of the musicians and drag performers, who were older adults themselves, brought friends and followers to the event.

About the Center in the Park

Center in the Park has a vision that "The experience and wisdom of older people will continue to become more fully respected and engaged such that their contributions will be sought after and their needs addressed, as articulated by them." The Philadelphia-based senior center "fosters respect, independence, and personal growth for each individual. As a community resource, it provides access to supportive services and activities."