REDUCING SOCIAL ISOLATION: THE GOAL BEHIND COUNTY CONSULTATIONS BY WINDSOR-ESSEX PRIDE FEST
The Windsor-Essex Pride Fest is reaching out to residents in Essex County.
It is holding community engagement sessions in different county municipalities to try and engage the gay-lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender community in the county.
Given the lack of regional transportation, Windsor-Essex Pride Fest President David Lenz says people in the county may feel more isolated.
“Especially in youth who don’t have networks to be able to connect with other people,” he says. “They feel more isolated than others and that leads into drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, depression, things like that.”
A community engagement session took place Tuesday night in Essex where 30 people attended and Lenz says it’s about catering to the needs in different communities.
“We would rather visit those areas that we are going to be at and find out exactly, what are the people in Essex looking for a GSA or looking for painting classes.”
Windsor-Essex Pride Fest received $450,000 over three years from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to help reduce isolation in the LGBT community.
Another session takes place January 31 in Amherstburg
