Melissa with her award at Loudoun Pride 2024!

Pride in Our Community Award

Melissa Long, our Director of Education and Support, was honored with a 2024 Equality Loudoun Pride Award for mission in service to the queer community and the Loudoun community! She is the recipient of the EQLOCO Pride in our Community – Community Leader award. Congratulations Melissa, and all the 2024 award winners!

Melissa has made it her mission to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community of Northern Virginia who are living with dementia. Her work aims to ensure that everyone with dementia feels comfortable seeking the resources they need to care for their loved ones safely and free from judgement.

Melissa was instrumental in establishing the first LGBTQ+ support group for those caring for their partner with dementia. The virtual group has been operating for more than a year now and provides a valuable touch point for these care partners. From that group, Melissa wanted to continue to invite people in and after working with a couple in the group, she facilitated a seven part blog series called Our Story. The series written by a lesbian care partner documents her journey in Northern Virginia caring for her partner with dementia after 41 years together.  Sharing their story this way encourages others to seek out the support they need despite the barriers they fear exist.

Melissa has also taken time this year to bring free education opportunities to the community both virtual and in person, partnering with organizations like AARP and the Alzheimer’s Association to have frank and open discussions about the challenges for anyone living with dementia.  These include screenings and discussion of the movie “Gen Silent,” an author discussion with Tim R. Johnston, author of Welcoming LGBT Residents, and Care Partner Trainings including Resources for Aging LGBTQ+: Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity with Older Adults, and the upcoming Who’s In Your Circle? to highlight the importance of creating social circles in the LGBTQ+ community.

Her compassion and empathy is part of her personality but for those she works with each day, it is so much more. It’s finding hope on a journey that so often doesn’t offer any. An LBGTQ+ couple came to Insight looking for support after one partner was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. While all Insight staff receive annual training with SAGECare, the diagnosed partner was still very adamant in her reluctance to join Insight’s Reconnections program or other supportive care. Melissa recognized this reluctance and took time to develop a rapport with her, establishing a trusting relationship. Eventually she agreed to a trial day at the Reconnections program in Sterling. When Melissa saw her the next day, she was all smiles and shared with her “I have found my people!” During her almost six months participating weekly in the Reconnections program she formed a close friendship with another female participant. Their disease progression was on a similar timeline and both were ready for the transition to the Day Center program. They transferred together making what can be a challenging transition to a higher level of care far easier on them and their loved ones. Their friendship has continued and they are both thriving in their new program, all because of the connection they found in Insight’s early stage Reconnections program and Melissa’s compassion.

Melissa goes above and beyond for all who come to her for education, support or just general information. She is an asset to the Insight community and truly walks the walk each and every day to make our community more inclusive, tolerant and supportive for all!

Equality Loudoun offers a number of awards aimed at recognizing the incredible people who go above and beyond to support the ideas of equality, inclusion, and pride in our community. The Pride in Our Community award is designed to recognize a member of the community who has soared above all in their dedication to the tenets of Advocacy, Community, Education, Inclusion, and Defense in support of the LGBTQ+ and all communities in Loudoun County. Awards were presented at the Loudoun Pride Festival on June 2nd.