By Michael Melinger, LBFE Chair of the Board
Throughout this pandemic, Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly has been there for our elders every step of the way.
Our mission of alleviating elder isolation and loneliness is now more important than ever.
Thanks to the leadership of our CEO Simone Mitchell-Peterson and the commitment of staff, volunteers, donors, and partners, outreach to our elders continues in new, creative, and safe ways.
For the Board of Little Brothers, our role is to serve as stewards, ensuring the organization’s financial health and its clear strategic focus. Simply put, our Board is devoted to keeping Little Brothers standing strong so we can continue to serve our elders for our next 60 years and beyond.
All of us take inspiration and wisdom from our elders. Especially during this pandemic we’ve learned so much from elders throughout Chicago about resilience, compassion, gratitude, and joy.
And, in the midst of rightful protests against racism in recent months, we have also turned to our elders for their lessons of history and humanity. Together with our elders, our CEO and leadership team, and the entire LBFE community, we denounce systemic racism and uphold our enduring commitment to treat every person with respect and dignity.
This is an important time for self-reflection. Black and Brown elders make up two-thirds of the elders we serve. We believe we can do more to represent them and to broaden our community with people of all ages and genders, and from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Our pledge is to build more diversity and inclusion on our Board, and we will set goals to accomplish this in the year ahead.
As we cope with this pandemic and embrace a changing world, it will be even more critical for all of us to unite and work together.
We know the power of friendship can alleviate elder isolation and loneliness. We believe the power of friendship can strengthen us all.