GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE JANUARY 14, 1994

Cleveland gets its FACTs from Lakewood

by Charlton Harper

Would you cross the street for a meal? Ed Magiste and Sue Liber do, regularly. They're part of Lakewood's FACT (Facing the AIDS Challenge Together) program. Now in its second year, FACT provides hot food to people with AIDS who need a little help maintaining daily regular hot meals. Recognizing that the need for such services is not geographically limited, the FACT program has recently crossed the street, West 117th Street that is, and into Cleveland. But the FACT program plans to cross other streets as well and into new areas where a helping hand and transportation can mean as much as three squares a day.

While both Magiste and Liber are new to the program, they're old pros at people work. "We're two burned-out chemical

dependency workers,” laughs Liber. “It occurred to me there might be other fish to fry," she says, happy to find herself providing a service in more direct contact with clients.

Though the FACT program was initially a service for Lakewood residents, there was an obvious demonstrated need for its presence in the Cleveland border areas, principally the Edgewater Park area. Since Lakewood already provides some services to that area's senior citizens, it wasn't far off to consider making FACT available as well.

"There was a bit of reticence initially," says Magiste. "The concern was, if everyone in Lakewood took advantage, the program would be overwhelmed." With 105 diagnosed AIDS cases in Lakewood, onethird of what the actual number probably is, and capacity in the program set at 20, that

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fear wasn't unfounded. "But as things turned out, it wasn't a problem. So we were able to extend services." Since Magiste came on in September there have been 5 new client intakes a month. He says that 1994 could see as many as 45 new clients. Currently 19 people see Magiste or Liber, or one of their volunteers, at least once a week. Two meals a day are provided, as well as a stocked commissary of toiletries, cleaning products, detergents, razors and vitamins. Donations are always welcome.

But Magiste knows that meals are only a part of the picture. "We needed to focus on getting people interested in the meals and go from there. But as things develop, nutrition is just one thing that people in the spectrum face. We need to address the mental and emotional needs of our clients, and things like light house cleaning or driving someone to a doctor's appointment. We do some of that now, but we're not very good at it yet." Toward getting "better at it," grants are being written to fund the addition of a driver and a van to provide necessary transportation for people without. FACT also sponsors three support groups, for people newly diagnosed, for survivors, and for caregivers. Magiste himself will facilitate the new survivors group on Thursday evenings at 7:30. All groups meet at the Division of Health. Knowing that no one likes to eat alone, FACT sponsors a monthly potluck dinner, each third Sunday, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lakewood. There are hopes that a local major supermarket will help with future potlucks.

While “finding the money to provide more meals" is Magiste's focus, he talks about a well-rounded picture that looks at a variety of needs. Housing will play an increasing role for PWAS. "We'll look to try to find the funding to buy an apartment building and convert it to our use. Right now we are able to provide housing in senior housing, but the waiting list is three years. With something like an apartment building, we could maybe provide meals in our own dining facility."

Another possible outgrowth from the program would be establishing an STD clinic, where anonymous HIV testing would provide a much needed service in Lakewood.

However, two looming issues could pose threats to the program and Lakewood's autonomy. House Bill 179, currently before state legislators, would abolish city health departments in favor of state and county agencies, a plan that makes sense, says Magiste, for rural areas. But in larger metropolitan areas like Cuyahoga County, fears are it would overload the system and limit access to centralized locations, taking away the immediacy of neighborhood response.

There is also talk of moving the Division of Health back to Lakewood City Hall, a move, thinks Ed, that would not be costeffective since City Hall is not handicapped accessible, unlike their current location at 14400 Detroit Road. Plus, a separate division of health would allow for broadening services like the STD clinic. Magiste thinks the issue is worth any interested resident's phone call to City Hall.

What expectations has Magiste seen changed since coming to FACT? "Everyone kept saying, 'You're gonna get a lot of phobia.' Most of the phobia I've encountered has come from the medical professionals who see this as a gay white man's disease in San Francisco. There are people who don't realize that Lakewood is known nationally as a gay city." While it's been hard work changing this perception, he's found a lot of support within the Division of Health and from the private business sector, notably Legends bar and Lakewood businessman Jon Brittain. Foster Medical Supply has helped with the commissary.

But it's the hard reality of numbers that motivates Magiste most. “[In November] there were four new cases of HIV reported in Lakewood. I can see someone who's been positive but healthy and just now getting tested. But when the ages are 25 or younger, every new case of HIV is an indictment of the powers that be. The most we know about this disease is prevention. The least we are doing is prevention." The way Magiste talks, you can be sure that education and prevention are other streets the FACT program plans to cross.

Anyone interested in volunteering, donating goods, attending one of the weekly groups or receiving meals can call Ed Magiste or Sue Liber at the Lakewood Division of Health, at 529-7695.

DanceCleveland evening benefits the Center

DanceCleveland will break the long chill of winter when they present the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in performances at the Ohio Theater, January 2122, beginning at 8:30 pm. A Meet-theArtists reception will be held following the Friday performance to benefit the LesbianGay Community Service Center.

Challenge is a byword with the ten-member Jones/Zane troupe. The company regularly pushes the limits of dance, in subject matter, technique and audience expectations, all wrapped in a highly theatrical package. In an interview with the Village Voice, Jones said of his aims, "We always wanted the Company to feel what we had felt when we had nothing to lose and did things close to the bone. I wanted to reassure myself of community-not just be a part of a high-powered, high-finance, highvisibility dance world."

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Jones and Zane began their collaboration while students at the State University of New York at Binghamton. They performed together frequently as a duet company and with the first company they co-founded, the American Dance Asylum, where they began their exploration of the social issues that would become central to their work: issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, pride and life in the age of AIDS. The Jones/ Zane company, formed in 1982, continued this work, as well as redefining the physical limitations of dance. Company members reflect a diversity of experience and background, from classical to modern and folk, with healthy doses of athletics and acting. In its ten-year history, the company has received 3 New York Dance and Performance (Bessie) Awards for outstanding performers.

With the death of co-founder Arnie Zane in 1988 from AIDS-related illness, the company now continues under the sole leadership of Bill T. Jones. A close-up look at the company can be found in Body Against Body: The Dance and Other Collaborations of Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, published by Station Hill Press.

Tickets for the Friday, January 21 performance and benefit-reception can be purchased by calling the Center at 522-1999. Patron tickets of $40 include the performance and a dessert reception with the cast; tickets for the performance only are $28.