AIDS IN A 'SECOND-TIER' CITY
OCTOBER 1, 1993 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 5
Every Monday morning, the first five new clients to call HIT after 9 am are the only new clients taken that week. The roster is usually filled by 9:10.
gaps. Because of its primacy, housing may be the only issue that will bring a client in search of aid. In doing so, they tap into other resources they may not know exist. The numbers are increasing and the dollars are not keeping up. Valentine particularly mourns the "lack of local money, and I don't mean private funding. This is terrible. The money we get from local government may sway what we receive from federal sources. The federal government might ask 'why support you when your local government does not?'
""
The Living Room
Facing the responsibility of self governance is a hard life lesson many people take for granted or would rather ignore altogether. For those living in the spectrum, it's an inevitable confrontation in order for there to be healing. Providing the empowerment to do so is the basic tenet of The Living Room. Run by staffers
and volunteers from
within the HIV com-
The lesbian and gay community has been there on the line from the beginning. But the bottom line is we're an HIV program, not a gay program."
The Living Room offers a multi-media resource library covering a wide range of personal well-being. A bulletin board supplies pertinent information about jobs, events, and housing, without the worry of "status" as an issue. Haircuts are given once a month. Massage and Reiki are offered, providing "complementary healing" to the usual medical approach. Central to Living Room offerings is the balanced mix of open and closed groups. "Having open groups has been a good move. If we only have HIV challenged people, then I'm limiting who I get help from and who I give help to. You could say the point of the Living Room is to get people to where they don't need the Living Room. An open group helps with that.'
munity, the Living "I see people through
Room provides a
unique perspective
beyond the well-
meaning help of pro-
fessionals and other
organizations. It is an
open drop-in center
that is part sanctuary classroom. Program
and part informal
Director Kyle Rose
frequently takes the
HIV message to the
larger public-in
schools, churches,
community centers.
As someone living directly with the challenges of HIV, Rose
the Living Room's front windows walk back and forth,
The growth and acceptance process tends to be in spurts, not systematic, says Rose. There are many ups and downs and an occasional "vacation" is sometimes necessary in order to refocus. Many people seek support with initial fears of "when am I going to die," or "how am I going to die?" The safety of the Living Room is welcoming. "You may need a safe space and that's valid. But it needs to be temporary, not hiding." It's a different message hearing it from someone who's hidden there before. While the time frame always varies depending on the
debating. They may not come in the first time, but they come
back. It's a process. Half the people who come in aren't newly
and fellow volunteers diagnosed."
provide a perspective obviously well-beyond a doctor's approach. Outreach education programs usually involve a pan-
el of three people, representing a mix of communities. One hour is spent reviewing a professional health approach, followed by a more informal hour. "We take an insideout approach. The different tactics and perspectives that HIV people provide really break things down. When a panel from the Living Room comes in it changes everything." Successful outreach efforts have garnered the Living Room wider public attention.
Referrals to the Living Room come from everywhere, doctors, hospitals, HIT, friends. The first drop-in may take some work. “I can see the sidewalk through our front windows," says Rose. "I see people walk back and forth, debating. They may not come in the first time, but they come back. It's a process. Half the people who come in aren't newly diagnosed."
As an arm of the Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center, it's important to remember that the Living Room is for anyone who is HIV challenged. "I think it's healthy that the Center sponsors an open program.
-Kyle Rose individual, Rose is
pleased by the signs of progress that are evident. "A person who initially comes
for help may eventually become a volunteer. I look forward to watching people grow into different roles. People working through the process will find themselves helping, working with others, without realizing they are. It's a necessary part of healing."
Finding healthy, responsible approaches to problems is the main goal of the Living Room. "I want people to take control of their lives, to actively provide input into the care they receive, getting beyond the victim status. You don't have to get AIDS or HIV to start taking care of yourself now."
The lessons of the Living Room extend beyond its special clientele. "Every issue and every problem you could come up with will touch upon AIDS in some way," says Rose. "We need to focus on what personal needs are and what larger community needs are. The Living Room creates an opportunity for everyone to do their own work."
Next issue: how people within the HIV spectrum are coping.
Health Issues Taskforce 621-0766
For new client intake, phone Monday morning, 9 am.
Volunteers are always needed.
AIDS Housing Council-651-6400 to volunteer
and for client services.
The Living Room-522-1998 to volunteer and for client services.
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