COMMUNITY GROUPS

Six months closer to a true community center

Six months after Judy Rainbrook became executive director, the Center is pleased to report major progress has been made toward becoming more truly a "community center."

house nights, and expanded their newsletter to include information about all HIV/AIDS services in Cleveland. Representatives from the Maryann Finegan program have recently participated in a Cleveland police training and have plans to do another in March.

PRYSM volunteers just completed a major conference, "From Isolation to Solutions," that attracted more than

LESBIAN GAY

When you come into the Center, the space looks and "works" better. You'll meet a wider variety of people using the space. Groups include a lesbian AA group created by two AfricanAmerican women, the Black Gay Brotherhood, a 10week Spanish class, a Latino/Latina gay-lesbian support group, the Sign of Rainbow support group for hearing impaired gays and lesbians, Stonewall Cleveland, City Country Dancers, No Sweat Body Works, the Twentysomething and HOMES (Help Ourselves and Others through Mutual Expression and Support) groups for social and coming out support, board game nights, and more! Little conveniences, such as coffee, water fountains, and soda pop and snack machines have made volunteer survival at the Center easier.

Community Service Center

Community outreach is expanding rapidly. The Hotline has computerized basic information and made it available 24 hoursa-day on a voice mail system, has installed a TTY, has recruited several Spanish-speaking volunteers, and has a community bulletin board on the voice mail system that is updated daily. New Hotline volunteers completed their training session in February and another training session is scheduled later in March. The Hotline is starting to "go live" at 3:00 in the afternoon now, instead of

7:00 pm.

Living Room staff have been active in the development of the new Northcoast HIV/AIDS Coalition, initiated new coffee-

OF GREATER CLEVELAND

180 youth professionals, parents, and young people interested in improving the lives of gay and lesbian youth in high school. The conference's keynote

speakers were from Massachusetts, the only state in the union in which gay-lesbian youth are protected by law and can sue their high schools if they are not protected from harassment.

Work on a seminar on African-American gays and lesbians in history, training on mediation skills, plans for a major HIV Awareness conference in the summer and a statewide gay-lesbian conference in October are all in beginning stages of development. And in the last week of February, the Center initiated its first Annual Fund Drive. So, we're on a roll! You can see the Center is branching out in many directions. Come down to the Center, volunteer, and be part of this exciting process.

Can't volunteer but still want to help? We need a high speed HP compatible laser printer, a printer sharing network, copy paper (white and in color), small and large blank envelopes, pens, coffee and coffee filters, paper cups and napkins, cherry strudel and almond coffeecake to make staff and volunteers feel loved, and... oh yes, chocolate chip cookies!

Rifabutin side effect

As of January 24 this year, twelve cases of an eye disorder called uveitis have been reported in individuals participating in the MAI prophylaxis clinical trial ACTG 196/ CPCRA 009. This side effect is believed to be associated with the drug rifabutin.

Uveitis is characterized by symptoms of eye pain, light sensitivity, redness

and

blurred vision. In severe cases, uveitis can cause blindness (which is often reversible). There may be a drug interaction

Town hall meeting with Martin Hoke

Rep. Martin Hoke will be conducting a town hall meeting at Lakewood Council Chambers, 12650 Detroit Ave., on March

ACT UP

THE AIDS COALITION TO UNLEASH POWER

CLEVELAND

between rifabutin and clarithromycin that could be related to these toxicities. Also, previous studies have indicated that the administration of fluconazole (which is not a study med in ACTG 196/CPCRA 009, but is being used by many on the study) can increase rifabutin blood levels by up to 80 percent.

Because rifabutin is FDA approved there are many people outside of the clinical trials system that are taking it. If you are taking rifabutin, with or without the other drugs, bring this to the attention of your physician so he or she can monitor your treatment and be on the lookout for this problem. Uveitis has been completely reversible in most cases, so don't freak out, but be aware of the symptoms just the same.

12 at 11:30 am, and March 19th at Fairview Park Community Center, 20777 Lorain Rd. at 11:30 am. We encourage everyone to attend and ask the congressman, what about AIDS? ACT UP will be attend-

ing the Lakewood meeting, no demo, just attending to monitor Congressman Hoke's agenda. Join us and empower yourself.

Thanks to all

Our benefit night at Cleveland Public Theatre on March 3-the performance of Walking the Dead-was a great success. Thank you to all who attended or sent donations.

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MARCH 11, 1994 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

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