Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/171519
Rainbow Fund at the end of Retirement is looking a little brighter for LGBT seniors in need Bill and Manny are enjoying their retirement. They both worked hard and invested their money wisely – Bill was a chartered accountant, and Manny (who trained as a miner in Germany) worked in the mining industry, and eventually liquor distribution. Now, at 68 and 72, they are reaping the benefits: a beautiful apartment where they live comfortably – not ostentatiously – and the chance to indulge their mutual interest in travel, gardening, opera and art. Bill and Manny love to travel. They have taken dozens of cruises together, and are planning their next trip – to circumnavigate Australia this year. Their apartment is filled with photo albums and memories of their voyages. They are a delightful couple. Bill usually does most of the talking, as Manny is more reserved. But bring up cruising the Aegean or visiting Luxor and Manny lights up with stories of their trips together. With a shock of white hair and his tanned healthy face, Manny is suddenly incandescent. Bill laughs and ribs him for it. There is still genuine affection between the two, even after almost 40 years together. Life is good. But both men have friends, and friends of friends, who are not having an easy time. Singles and couples, straight and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, who have not made even the most basic preparations for their "golden years" and are now struggling financially. "That's why we decided to start the Rainbow Fund," says Bill. "It started with our first Will together, on November 6, 1994." (He rattles off the details as if it were yesterday). "We had made money on a couple of properties, and were thinking ahead about what happens to this money when we die. "We have no children, and we didn't want to give money to relatives who we rarely see. We thought of setting up a private page 22 I Vancouver Foundation l Fall 2012 p22-25_Rainbow-Granola.indd 22 12-10-16 11:28 AM