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Volume X, Issue No.
11
December, 2004
HIV/AIDS Volunteer Enrichment Network
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Volume X, Issue No.
11
December, 2004
HIV/AIDS Volunteer Enrichment Network
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By Rhonda Vous
By Diane Goforth
We are extremely grateful to the
following individuals for their prompt response to our appeal in last month's
newsletter. Early bird thanks go to:
Anonymous
Betsy Jo Angebranndt
Marvin Beckman
Bob Davis
Virginia Frederick
Helen Golembieski
Billie Keene
Betty Turner
Neil Wilson
I'd like to take this opportunity
to send a special thanks to St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Annapolis.
They have been awarding us $1,000 for many years, and have just informed
me that we have now become a line item in their budget! This pledge makes
them a member of our Foundation Team. We couldn't be more grateful, both
for the funds themselves and for the support it shows for our mission.
By Eddie Lewis
Editor’s Note: The
following article is based on one of our AACC service-learner’s reflections on
a presentation for the HAVEN community on November 4th about
“Managing Stress, Depression & HIV: The Symptom Cycle.” Thank you, P. J. Gouldmann and Mark Nelson,
Ph.D., for visiting our community to share valuable information on this topic.
And thank you, Eddie, for coming to it and writing about it. If you are interested in volunteering on an
individual basis to help HIV+ people through some rough times, take the next Buddy
Training in February, 2005. Call Tony
today to sign up for it.
Many people have depression, but they don’t even know it. But recognizing signs of depression, as well as some of its causes, can help people cope with depression.
There are multiple signs of depression. If you have one of these signs, that doesn’t mean you definitely have depression. On the other hand, if you have a couple of these signs, you might want to consider talking about them with your healthcare professional. The most common signs of depression are not eating right (whether it’s not eating at all or eating too much), feeling alone, not feeling god about yourself, or not feeling motivated. Other signs consist of not sleeping right, being anti-social, or not being interested in anything.
Usually, not just one particular thing causes depression. Most of the time, people develop depression because of something traumatic. For instance, the loss of a loved one due to death or break up, is a frequent cause of depression. When you lose a loved one for whatever reason, it can take a toll on your mental thought process.
Alcohol and drugs can also cause you to be depressed because if you’re always intoxicated, you might start to begin to feel out of place or maybe like you don’t belong.
These are just a few causes of depression. And dealing with depression takes courage. It can be difficult. But there is help. There is hope. Here are some approaches to cope.
There are some things you can do independently to maintain good mental health. For instance, if there is something you are interested in or normally like to do, plan these relaxing or invigorating activities and make them a regular part of your life. Walking. Bird watching. Enjoying nature.
You can also find hobbies that involve others, if overcoming isolation is part of overcoming depression. Keeping company with an animal companion—a cat or a dog, etc.—is a great way to spend quality time. Volunteering is an excellent way to keep involved in your community.
There are places for you to turn to when you need to talk about how you are feeling. This could be at HAVEN’s support groups. It could be with a therapist. It could be with your pastor. It could be with a doctor who can help find a pharmacological approach if appropriate.
Dealing with depression starts with you.
24-HOUR WARM
LINE
410-768-5522
By Tony Teano
The space in the headline above is about the size of a business card. So why not cut it out and carry it with you in your purse or wallet? It may help someone you encounter some day.
By Tony Teano
During its ten years, Leadership
Anne Arundel (LAA) has trained more than 500 people to become community
leaders. One day each month, LAA’s
flagship class explores critical issues affecting the quality of life in the
county with emerging community stakeholders.
On Health & Human Services Day, the residents at “Our House,” one of
HAVEN’s housing programs, agreed to invite a group from the flagship class into their home.
There, the group met a grandmother who lived in fear of telling her family that she is HIV-positive. She found it easier to tell them she had cancer than to tell them the truth—she has AIDS. HAVEN has become a surrogate family to her. Also, the LAA group met a man who had spent most of his life in and out of institutions, until he finally ended up in a nursing home, where he was told he would never walk again due to infections in his spinal fluid. Then, he was accepted into HAVEN’s housing program; his strong will-power combined with proper care and great patience yielded amazing results: he is walking again today—without a cane—something he thought he would never be able to do.
On November 9, 2004, LAA presented
the Community and Organizational Trustee Awards at their Third Annual Celebrate
Leadership Reception at the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis. The awards honor an individual and an
organization who have a deep commitment to the community shown through their
positive vision of the future, their empowerment of others, and their actions
to improve the community. The
Organizational Trustee Award was given to HAVEN.
As a member of the flagship class
of 2004, I was left speechless when overcome by gratitude at the LAA closing
retreat earlier this year, where I learned of the nomination by my peers. Knowing I would be overcome again with
heart-felt at the formal award ceremony, I prepared a few remarks, which I
would like to share with you:
“To Leadership Anne Arundel’s staff and flagship class, thank you for this great honor. To be recognized as an organizational trustee by such a great group of people means
a lot. Indeed, I know you all, and I know each of you to be
a trustee in your own right….
“I would like to share with you a quote from Walt Whitman: ‘This is the city, and I am one of its citizens. Whatever interests the rest interests me.’ It occurred to me that that quote applies to Leadership Anne Arundel and to HAVEN. We are about community. We are about improving the quality of life. Leadership Anne Arundel takes a group of citizens on a journey through the key issues addressing our communities. HAVEN addresses an issue from which no community can escape…. We are all living in a world affected by AIDS, whether or not we have HIV.
“This award honors the compassion and leadership of HAVEN’s volunteers. In 1989, Joyce Wearstler, went through a buddy training at HERO in Baltimore to become a buddy to someone living with AIDS. Because she lived and worked in Annapolis, Joyce called the local health department looking for an agency in Anne Arundel County like HERO. There was none. That volunteer and the first HIV case manager from the health department created a support group for people living with HIV in this county called Common Threads. Common Threads still meets today, and it is the cornerstone of HAVEN’s support groups. Over the past fifteen years, hundreds of volunteers like Joyce have assisted more than 700 people in this county affected by HIV disease….
“Just as this award recognizes the work of all of HAVEN’s volunteers, it is also a testament to the success of HAVEN’s partnerships with other organizations serving those in need…. HAVEN would not be successful at all in serving those living with the virus in Anne Arundel County if it were not for our community partners and the many individual volunteers who share our mission….
“That’s why Walt Whitman’s words mean so much to me tonight. That quote tells of the interconnectedness we have as a community. It tells of the relationship between one and many. It tells us we can all be—and must be—trustees. So, with thanks to everyone who has shared this journey with us, I accept this award for HAVEN on behalf of HAVEN’s clients, volunteers and staff.”
By Tony Teano
This year, a groundbreaking display, Red Ribbon Reality, will be unveiled at the reception following the candlelight walk and interfaith service at the Stanton Center on World AIDS Day—December first.
Red Ribbon Reality is a portable, interactive audiovisual display that can be set up in libraries, churches, schools, shopping centers, banks and almost any venue that wants to take an interest in battling HIV and AIDS.
Through photographs on easels and through recordings on compact discs, Red Ribbon Reality tells the stories of people living with HIV and AIDS. This display offers a glimpse into the very private lives of several courageous people in the HAVEN Family who were willing to publicly share their stories. Thank you—Mary, Vince, Dale, and Jerry!
Red Ribbon Reality is a powerful experience.
The World AIDS Day Reception will follow the candlelight walk and interfaith service on December first. The candlelight walk will step off at 6 P.M. from the Alex Haley story-telling statue at the Annapolis City Docks. The walk will conclude at approximately 7:15 at the Stanton Center, located at 92 West Washington Street in Annapolis, where the interfaith service will begin and last for about an hour. The reception will follow immediately thereafter.
Thank you to Anne Arundel Community College’s Coordinator of Health Services, Beth Mays, R.N., who served as Project Facilitator on Red Ribbon Reality, and to Sally Barba, Kelly Martin, and Edward Sparks, the college’s Compact Disk Production Team at the Office of Instructional Design. Additionally, thanks to an HIV Prevention grant from Frostburg State University, HAVEN was able to purchase the easels and compact discs for the display.
If you know of a possible venue for Red Ribbon Reality, please contact me. It is available year-round.
By Tony Teano
Over the past few months, we have
had some great additions to the HAVEN Family.
One of the largest groups of Anne Arundel Community College
service-learners overhauled HAVEN’s filing system over the course of several
late night pizza and work parties, and another team designed a terrific new
poster display for all our dog and pony shows….
On October 30, a fine class of new
volunteers attended the HAVEN training.
More clients are deciding to go through volunteer training and give back
than ever before. Over the course of
the year, our steadfast, long-term volunteers have been reliably providing
folks with a lift to doctor’s appointments and to support groups.
And the World AIDS Day Committee
and all the individuals and the many groups that work so very hard to produce
HAVEN’s Holiday Party are already toiling away as my keyboard click-a-clacks
out these words.
This is has been a great year for
the HAVEN Community. Thanks, everyone,
for making HAVEN the best it could be in 2004.
See you in 2005!
The purpose of the Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) is to assist HAVEN in understanding the needs of the HIV-infected community and in deciding what services meet those needs. The CAB meets on the second Tuesday of the month at the HAVEN office from 5:30-7:30 PM. For more information contact Diane 410-544-2244.
H.A.v.e.n.
Telephone Numbers
Bob Davis, President
703-841-4460
email: bdavis@caci.com
or: write to
P.O. Box 514, Arnold, MD 21012
or: Diane or
Tony can have him call you
Executive Director
Diane Goforth
(410) 544-2244
Director of Volunteers & Client Services
Tony Teano
(410) 224-2437
Housing Director & Buddy Services
Coordinator
Vance Larson
(410) 672-7571
Our House Resident Manager
Sharon Dawson
(Reach through Vance or Diane)
By Tony Teano
Know somebody who loves to cook and who never has enough recipes? Jan Hendricks collected an amazing set of recipes and compiled them in a cookbook as a fundraiser for HAVEN. “Cookin’ with Bert, Brent, Family and Friends” is now available for only $10. Here’s a taste of what you are missing:
Coconut
Delicates
6 Tbsp. Butter 1 Tbsp. Vanilla
2 Tbsp. Sugar ¼ Tsp. Cinnamon
½ Tsp. Salt 1 c. grated coconut
1 c. flour (fresh or frozen)
1 c. brown sugar 1/3 c. walnuts or pecans
2 eggs (chopped)
Cream butter, sugar, and salt. Blend in 1 cup flour. Press into a 9x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake at 350-degrees F for 15 minutes. Beat eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, and spices. Stir in nuts and coconut. Spread over baked dough; bake for 20 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. Yields 2 dozen.
Okay, I have to admit, although it is really, really yummy, it only yields 4 Tony-sized portions!
