By Nicole Long, MSW, LICSW
CEO of Old Colony Elder Services
The 1969 Stonewall Uprising served as a catalyst for the global movement for LGBTQIA+ rights.
In June, we celebrate Pride Month commemorating this important time in history. Diversity enriches our community. Old Colony Elder Services (OCES) supports the independence and dignity of older adults and individuals with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy, safe living. OCES aspires to be a culturally diverse and inclusive organization that removes barriers creating equity for all by empowering individuals and communities to thrive, age in place, and reach their highest potential.
OCES supports everyone without exception. There is “no wrong door” when it comes to supporting all. Through more than 20 different programs, OCES offers significant life-supporting care, contributing to an individual’s ability to live within the community as independently as possible for as long as possible while preserving dignity and quality of life. With a service area of 23 communities, OCES is the largest provider of these in-home and community-based services for older adults and people living with disabilities in Southeastern Massachusetts.
One example of OCES’s in-home and community-based services is the nutrition program. This program enhances the quality of life for older adults by providing nutritionally sound and satisfying meals through Meals on Wheels (home-delivered meals) and through community dining meal sites located throughout OCES’s service area.
Community dining meal sites enable older adults to gather, enjoy a nutritionally balanced meal, and socialize. Community dining sites are open to all older adults and provide noontime meals Monday through Friday. These community dining sites offer safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Nutrition education presentations, activities, or entertainment may also be offered during mealtimes at community dining sites. Special meals such as barbecues, A traveling chef, holiday meals, and “grab and go” meals may be featured at select community dining sites. An LGBTQIA+ senior luncheon is offered monthly at the Bridgewater senior center and features singo, an exciting game similar to bingo but with a musical spin.
Meal reservations are required at all community dining sites. For more information about OCES’s nutrition program and to locate a community dining site, visit https://ocesma.org.
OCES is proud to participate in this year’s Plymouth Pride Festival that will feature music, entertainment, food trucks, a pet contest, craft and retail vendors, and resources. Visit OCES’s booth during the event on Sunday, June 29, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Nelson Memorial Park, 235 Water Street in Plymouth. For more information, visit www.plymouthprideinc.com/pride2025.
OCES is dedicated to creating better futures for everyone we serve and communities at large. To learn more about programming at OCES, visit www.ocesma.org. If you need services, contact OCES’s Information and Referral Department at 508-584-1561.
About the Author: Nicole Long is the Chief Executive Officer of Old Colony Elder Services (OCES). Founded in 1974, OCES is a private, non-profit organization proudly serving greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities. OCES is designated as one of 25 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCES’s mission is to support the independence and dignity of older adults and individuals with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy and safe living. The agency offers a number of programs to serve older adults, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org.
