November, 1990

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Page 3

AIDS Housing

Continued from page 1

Pianka's ward, and there is no school "anywhere near it," according to Valentine. Activity is now picking up to finalize the purchase of the property and turn it into a group home with a full-time manager.

The AHC was recently notified that their HUD grant was conditionally approved; all that remains is to show matching funds and complete the formal paperwork. Those matching funds had started with private contributions, volunteer hours, and a grant from the Ohio Department of Development. The major donation from NOCI is the fulfillment of that effort so that now the federal funds can be released and the home purchased.

NOCI and the AHC have been in touch frequently over the years as each site was considered. As Witts said, "We were happy to work with Louise since we are an allvolunteer organization which raises funds for the community. We don't know how to run a hospice but the AHC can." NOCI is

Play House

and art center events to mark AIDS day

The World Health Organization's Third Annual AIDS Awareness Day, on Saturday, December 1, is a national day of action and mourning in response to the AIDS crisis. The Cleveland Play House, the Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, and the Health Issues Taskforce will recognize this day with several artistic and educational events.

The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on view in the rotunda of the Play House November 26 through December 2. During this time there will be an AIDS information display from the Cleveland Health Education Museum in the Drury Lobby.

A special exhibition of photographs, "Breath! Women, Children, and AIDS” by Ann Meredith, will be shown at the

Letters

Shoot the editor

To the Editor:

No doubt I have been spoiled by the editors of Lesbian Contradiction, A Journal of Irreverent Feminism, 584 Castro Street, #263, San Francisco, CA 94114, to whom I sent the first two articles I wrote. They treated me and my work with a respect seldom given writers by the mainstream media. Their editing was competent, correct, and to the point.

Not so your newspaper, to which I sent my third article for the September, 1990 issue.

I included my professional initials, and you neglected to print two-thirds of them. I am not an MT. I am an MT(ASCP). Discarding my last four initials is the same as leaving the R off RN, or the M off MD. Because I am a radical lesbian feminist, I chose to spell the word for my gender W-O-M-O-N, so it will not have the word man in it. I don't want a man in me. I am a dyke. The same reasoning applies to the word humon. And I spell wimmin just as it sounds, so it will not have the word men in it. These new spellings are not my idea. They are quite common in the free literature of free wimmin. Where have you been for the last twenty years?

Other aspects of your editing were equally stupid. In two cases, you changed a sentence which was grammatically correct to one which was not. Also you changed "Most people get AIDS by injection" to

committed to continue raising funds for the ongoing expenses of the hospice.

Valentine has also been happy with their relationship. "It's always been very comfortable talking to NOCI. They let us know that when the time was right-when we found the right place-they'd be there." The AHC executive director is optimistic about the way things are developing, stating that, "For the first time, I feel we're on track. Support continues to come in."

The plan is to assist the current boarders in finding other housing, remodel some of the rooms and open the group home in January. It will house ten residents in individual rooms who can choose to live apart or interact with the group. There will be several community rooms and structured activities during the day. At least one daily meal will be prepared for the group and food will also be available for individual meals. Nursing service will be provided as needed and staff will be on hand to help those who need assistance with daily living activities.

While there will be a paid live-in man-

Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art November 16 through January 18. Throughout the day on December 1, the award-winning video Common Threads will be shown in Studio One of the Play House.

In addition on December 1, the following events will be presented in the Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art:

11:00a.m. Touch Me Before I Die, a performance ritual to those who have died and those who are living with AIDS. Performed by eMCee.

1:30 p.m. "Living with AIDS", a panel discussion with people who are HIV positive.

3:00 p.m. A Woman Who, dance performed by Laura Chapman, featuring slides by Joel Hauserman.

5:00 p.m. Excerpts from Elegies for Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens, an AIDS anthology inspired by the Quilt; by Bill Russell with music by Janet Hood, performed by The Cleveland Play House Lab Company.

These events are free and open to the public. For more information contact John Beres at Health Issues Taskforce, 621-0766.▼

read "Most people get AIDS by infection," implying that AIDS is as easy to get as the flu, which it is not. AIDS by injection was a most important idea.

(However, in one case, you moved my sentence, "Never put vodka in your vagina or up your ass!" to a better location, for which I am grateful. It is the only thing you did right. But I do wish you hadn't cut the exclamation point.)

I realize that my original title, "An Alternative to Dental Dams (For Those Who Can't Stand the Taste of Latex)" was too long, but calling the article "The latex alternative" was truly incompetent. "An Alternative to Latex" would have been a sensible, accurate contraction. "The latex alternative" is exactly the opposite of what my article was about. How many people didn't read it because the title was incorrect?

AHC board president Tom Flanigan (center) accepts Hospice Fund check from NOCI president Gene Witts, as NOCI treasurer Paul Richards (right), AHC director Louise Valentine, and housing specialist Richard Priebe look on.

ager, Valentine stressed the importance of volunteers to make this project work. “The grants cover the major expenses such as insurance and staff salaries," she said. "So many services are needed-transportation, cooking, activities coordinator, personal assistance for the residents-that have to

be volunteer. We are asking the community to help with their time. The more we have, the lighter the load."

The AIDS Housing Council, located at 7901 Detroit Ave, can be reached at 6516400.▼

The AIDS Housing Council: an overview

by Richard Priebe AHC Housing Specialist

The AIDS Housing Council was formed in 1986 by a group of concerned individuals who volunteered their time and resources to assist people with AIDS who were homeless. These hardy, dedicated individuals laid the groundwork and set the standards for today's organization. All funding has come through individual donations and local foundation grants.

The mission of the council is to strengthen the community's ability to care for people with AIDS and HIV-related illnesses by providing necessary housing, support and referral services. Additionally, the council maintains contact with all persons served, and provides support services including psychosocial counseling, transportation, assistance with cutting red tape, budgeting, and referral to other community resources. Clients may themselves seek help from the Council, or they may be referred by hospitals, by the Health Issues Taskforce, or by friends.

The AIDS Housing Council now provides three levels of service and is adding a fourth:

1. Assistance in locating apartments for independent living. This often requires enlisting the aid of the Department of Human Services, the Red Cross, the Social Security system, and the Health Issues Taskforce, as well as actually searching for apartments, working with rental agents, and assisting with moving.

2. The council maintains several apartments for independent living which were originally intended as group living facilities. A family of seven now resides in one of these. Two others are efficiency suites for individuals, and one is a two-person apartment. These, with the exception of the family facility, are now reserved for those who are not yet able to receive Social Security and therefore do not have enough income to live independently.

3. The council can provide, on a very limited basis, sleeping quarters in emergency situations.

Finally, since I don't as yet live in CleveNo-don't shoot land, I asked you to send me the Chronicle in which my article appeared. You did not even have the common decency to do that. Have you no understanding of sisterhood?

I send you well-written, free copy for your publication, and you treat it, and me, like toilet paper. I hear you desire more lesbian participation in your newspaper. This is not the way to get it!

Barbara Louise MT(ASCP)

The Chronicle does not use alternative spellings. We regret the typesetting errors, which were not deliberate, and that you did not receive the copy we sent.-Ed.

To the Editor:

Congratulations on your Ozzie! You are truly a role model for both the women and men of our community.

4. The council is purchasing and renovating a building to be used as a supportive living home for those who are no longer able to live independently. Its name, Kamana Place, is taken from a South American Indian word meaning "caring."

The house will provide room for eight to ten men and women who, for physical or mental reasons, require support, supervision, or assistance. Meals and assistance in the tasks of daily living will be provided. Funding for this project is coming from a $172,415 grant from HUD, through the Ohio Department of Development, over a two year period, with matching funds from the local community.

The AIDS Housing Council is governed by a 21-member volunteer board of directors; Tim Flanigan, M.D. is board president. It is staffed by executive director Louise Valentine, ACSW LISW; this writer, housing specialist/case manager Richard Priebe, LSW; and volunteers from the community.

When the group living facility becomes operational, the Council will add a house manager. Volunteers are an integral part of the program, and will be needed to assist in many phases of the operation of the program. Holistic healing groups, counseling groups, support groups, and art/music therapy groups will all meet at Kamana Place. Recreational activities for the residents and others in the spectrum will be planned and conducted in addition to the daily living assistance.

As of the first of October, 1990, the AIDS Housing Council has served a total of 87 persons in the HIV spectrum. It can be anticipated that the number will increase more rapidly in the future, as more persons enter the known HIV spectrum: HIV-positive, ARC, or AIDS. Only recently have intravenous drug users and their consorts become visible in the council's caseload. This is increasing the heterosexual component of the caseload, and these people frequently need assistance beyond that available from the council's paid staff.

The AIDS Housing Council of Greater Cleveland would like to thank all those whose hard work have made the programs possible. We would like to thank all donors and volunteers. We would also like to thank those in other agencies whose cooperation makes our work easier. Their help includes, but is not limited to: the "buddy system," food bank, clothing, counseling, and limited financial assistance.

We also need to state that the HUD grant Benita Chernyk depends upon matching local funds becoming available. The matching funds may include volunteer time, contributions of needed goods, or money. In order to operate Kamana Place, many dedicated volunteers will be needed to assist the residents.▼

The Chronicle encourages everyone to write and express their opinion about the paper or life in general. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. We will print your name unless you specifically ask us

not to.

Address letters to the Chronicle, P.O. Box 5426, Cleveland Ohio 44101