(from left to right) – Loren Albertson – Director, Tom Bradley – Volunteer, Ed Pfeifle – Volunteer, Pete Pedersen – President
In a recent meeting with Pete Pedersen, president of New Horizon Nevada Incorporated, I was honored to take a tour of their facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pete and Loren Albertson are the founders of this wonderful non-profit organization. They founded New Horizons Nevada in 2014 and their purpose is to help LGBTQIA+ senior citizens become aware of themselves as human beings, accept their lifestyles, and upgrade their lives through active and supportive programs that meet their educational, health, and emotional being. They are in the midst of developing an affordable retirement community for LGBTQIA+ seniors.
The building itself will be built in downtown Las Vegas, in the art district, where it will have easy access to transportation, shopping, and cinemas. This is a great opportunity for senior citizens to be able to live on their own, with their loved one, and have the independence and security they need and deserve. This is a great help to the senior citizens who have no one they can count on this kind of support (statistically 68%). Here, the senior citizens have the opportunity to live their lives as they wish without the worries of being accepted at home, by their children, or by their employers.
Times are changing and we must change with them. I may only be 45 years old, and I really never thought about growing old. What would happen to me? Many things can change in 20 years, but we need changes now for senior citizens. This is one great opportunity.
However, only a few cities have low-income housing for the LGBTQIA+ senior citizens. With due time, many more cities will follow close behind. Remember: at one time in the future we may need a service like this. They didn’t think they would when they were young. Of course, this phenomenon was not foreseen either.
New Horizons Nevada, Inc. is a non-profit company and would welcome your donation. There are many ways you can give. www.newhorizons-nv.com. If you are planning to visit Las Vegas anytime soon, try to make it during the first week of May 2016. They will be presenting “Las Vegas May Fun Festival,” fundraiser. This five-day event will have Seminars, Bar Crawls, Entertainment, Shows, Meet and Greets, and it’s a great way to meet new people.
I hope to see you guys there. If you do get a chance to make it, find me and say ‘hi.’ I’ll introduce you to Pete and Loren.
