Programs and Services

Sage Upstate holds several programs, both at the Sage Upstate Center (501 James St. in the First English Lutheran Church in Syracuse) and off-site. Programs include regular support and social groups, as well as rotating classes and special health and wellness programs. Sage also holds a monthly potluck event, as well as monthly gatherings in Cortland, Jefferson, Oneida, and Oswego Counties.

Second Sunday Potlucks

Sage Upstate Second Sunday Potlucks draw an average of 70 participants per month, and more than twice that in November, our annual Thanksgiving feast. Each month a program is offered that is informative and entertaining. Past potluck programs have included Gay Syracuse of the past, legal issues, local history, an intergenerational panel, cooking classes, and travel stories. Potlucks are held in the First English Lutheran Church, just down the stairs from the Sage Upstate office.

Support Groups(all meeting in the Sage Upstate Center)

Coming Out Later in Life: meets the on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 7 pm. Members in the group meet to share their experiences and to work to find support and direction through each other.

HERS Group for Women: facilitated by Susan White, MA, meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6 pm to discuss women's aging issues. The group explores the ways that women can nurture the whole self physically, emotionally, spiritually and psychologically.

Men's Empowerment Group: facilitated by David Bullard, MA, meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at 6 pm. The group offers a safe space for gay, bisexual and transgender men to share concerns and receive support. Group generated issues have included isolation, facing discrimination, coming out, and the loss of a partner.

Monday Night Men's Group: closed support group for men; it meets every Monday at 6 pm. The group takes new members twice yearly.

Social Groups (all meeting at the Sage Upstate Center)

60+ Circle of Friends: a social group for participants who are sixty or older. The group meets twice each month, on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, in the afternoon at the Center. The 2nd Wednesday meeting features discussion and sometime health related programming. The 4th meeting features lunch at a local restaurant, or a trip off-site.

Men's Night Out: meets on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 6 pm. This social event includes games, movies, conversation and opportunities for gay, bisexual and transgender men to come together to build social support networks.

Uzuri: social group for LGBTQ people of color meets the 2nd Friday of each month at 6:30 pm. The group offers an opportunity for aging LGBT people of color to meet new friends, socialize and find connections in a friendly and supportive environment.

Women's Coffeehouse: meets the 4th Friday of each month at 6:30 pm. The coffeehouse is an opportunity for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women to meet for coffee, cards, and conversation and to build social support networks.

Member-led classes

Often Sage Upstate members share their skills by offering classes to other members. These take place in the Sage Upstate Center and other location

Knitting Circle: Sage Upstate member Deborah Hardy leads a knitting circle at the Sage Upstate Center on Wednesday nights at 7 pm. The group is open to knitters with all levels of experience and is a place where participants can come to learn to knit or to join other experienced knitters in a welcoming environment.

Dance Classes: Sage Upstate member Susan Shockey offers Dance Classes at the at the Sage Upstate Center on Fridays in April.

Other classes, including Spanish, American Sign Language, and Dance are offered throughout the year