Mike: “This year, I have connected with people in a way I never thought I would be able to. During my home visits to Food & Friends’ clients, who are living with HIV/AIDS or other terminal illnesses, I not only familiarized them with Food & Friends’ free food delivery program, but I was also able to get to know them as people. Besides seeing what their living situation is like firsthand, I also learned about their families, what their life is like with their illness, and what it was like before they became sick. Many of the people I see live alone and seldom have visitors, so they have a lot to say and it is a great feeling to be able to sit and talk with them, even if only for a short time. More often than not, my clients are optimistic and have admirable outlooks on life, especially for people who are reliant on dozens of medications and are often bed-ridden. Coordinating the toy drive for my organization was also very special for me, as I was able to directly impact the lives of young clients and children of clients with terminal illnesses. It was even more meaningful when I interacted with the children as the toys were being delivered. I saw clients break down crying out of happiness because they could not afford the gifts they wanted for their families. I have been lucky to work for such a great organization and I have been very touched by the remarkable stories and the extraordinary attitudes of the clients I have met.”

 

Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS): HIPS mission is to assist individuals engaging in sex work in leading healthy lives by reducing risks associated with sex for gain, especially the risk of HIV/AIDS. Catherine Paquette serves as the Outreach and Crisis Services Program Assistant, helping to improve and maintain HIPS’ overnight outreach to sex workers and drug users, and providing 24-hour supportive services to clients in times of need. She also helps to manage and support over 100 volunteers who make the work of HIPS possible.

Catherine: “I have long had the desire to serve people who society tends to ignore and dislike, but I didn’t expect to get to do it in such a holistic, radical, and effective way! HIPS has surpassed all of my expectations - both by its culture, mission, and approach, and by the joys of this incredible position that I get to fill. Every day (and night) at HIPS is challenging and inspiring. I find it a great honor to be let into the lives of our clients. I am able to talk with them about their struggles and successes, their HIV status, and provide safer sex education. I feel honored to be the voice on the other end of the phone when a client is having a hard time and needs someone to talk to, to sit with someone during the tense moments before they receive the results of an HIV test, and even just to be a friendly face on the stroll at night when there are far too few allies present. AmeriCorps has given me much more than an opportunity to serve – it has given me the opportunity to know and work in communities of great passion, skill, and perseverance - and great, great need.”

 

Joseph’s House: Joseph’s House is a residence for formerly homeless men and women who are terminally ill, usually with an AIDS diagnosis, in Washington, D.C. The residents receive 24-hour nursing services, case management, addiction counseling, end-of-life care, and emotional and spiritual support. Team member Balaji Srinivas serves as a Resident Care Aide, providing social support and advocacy, assisting residents with daily living activities and personal care needs, and providing companionship to the residents.

Balaji: “Working at Joseph's House has truly opened my eyes to the devastating nature of healthcare issues, particularly on those who can not afford access to healthcare. Being with people as they stand on the brink of life and death definitely has served to place my own life in perspective and in doing so, has made me a more compassionate person. I will definitely carry the memories of those who have passed away during my time, as well as take away an unprecedented amount of passion about life and life goals from this year.”

 

La Clínica del Pueblo: La Clínica del Pueblo is a community clinic serving uninsured Latino immigrants in the Washington Metropolitan area. La Clínica provides a wide range of health services for their clients including mental health, social services, and comprehensive HIV prevention. Team member Isabel Hirsch serves as an HIV Prevention Counselor. She conducts HIV testing and risk reduction counseling at the clinic, community venues, and at an LGBT Center for teenagers and young adults.  She also implements a research study examining ways in which to increase the number of Latino/Latina youth who want to get tested for HIV. 

Isabel: “This year has been invaluable to me because I have had the opportunity to greatly improve my Spanish language skills and cultural competency, and to work in a bilingual and multicultural environment.  The experience solidified my desire to work with Latin American communities in the future and to be able to speak in their native language so that clients can feel comfortable and cared for.  I was also able to pursue my interest in social justice by learning about the specific challenges that undocumented immigrants face in DC, particularly those related to healthcare. I also had the opportunity to get to know the youth at the center and learn about LGBT experiences in Latin American countries before and after immigration. Building relationships with these young adults has been my favorite part of the year.” 

 

Latin American Youth Center: LAYC is a multicultural youth and family development organization that provides services to over 4,000 low-income immigrant and minority youth and their families in DC and Maryland. This year, LAYC hosts two AmeriCorps members. Team members Ellie Foldes and Ryan Drab both serve as Youth Developers at LAYC. Ellie facilitates sexual wellness workshops for youth in DC and provides STI and HIV testing and counseling. Ryan supervises a peer education program for self-identified LGBTQ youth of color and provides STI and HIV testing and counseling for at-risk youth.

Ellie: “Within the past five months of my AmeriCorps service at LAYC, I have solidified my passion for health advocacy through meaningful one-on-one and group interactions with youth, underscoring my desire to pursue a career in social work. The conversations I conduct in HIV/STI counseling sessions have been challenging and rewarding. It is empowering to counsel with accurate health information, make a connection with a client, and give a young person potentially life-saving information as part of a 20-minute conversation. I’ve become an expert at referring clients to all the resources that are available in the DC community. I have also mastered group facilitation by coordinating and leading my own sexual wellness workshop series in DC high schools, and hope to continue building these skills to work with youth in the future. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with passionate co-workers and a diverse and inspiring group of young people through my AmeriCorps placement.”

 

Ryan: “Serving in the Washington AIDS Partnership/AIDS United AmeriCorps program has allowed me to further develop my passion around issues of social justice. My placement at LAYC has provided me the opportunity to witness and confront issues of privilege and oppression both within my community and myself. The youth that I work with speak honestly and candidly about their experiences with racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and classism. Their personal testimonies are incredibly powerful and transform the way that I understand issues of safety, belonging, and acceptance. I have witnessed tremendous growth from the participants, which has personally been incredibly rewarding and inspiring. These experiences help me to sustain my passion in fighting against the spread of HIV in marginalized portions of my community.”

Our Place, DC:  Our Place supports women who are or have been in the criminal justice system by providing the resources they need to maintain connections with the community, resettle after incarceration, and reconcile with their families. Team member Nia Jones serves as a Health Educator. As a Health Educator, Nia brings HIV education programs into correctional facilities, the DC women’s halfway house, and transitional homes for women. Nia also provides in-house HIV counseling and testing services and HIV prevention workshops for the women residing at Our Place. This includes co-facilitating “Safer Sex Parties”, which educates clients on the benefits of the female condom, condom negotiations, and safer sex practices.

Nia: “When I started this year at Our Place, I expected to become well-versed in HIV/AIDS prevention. I expected to learn about the criminal justice system. I expected to be challenged. I did not expect to find a new family. I was pleasantly surprised to find that being here is like being at home, and I am extremely grateful for the palpable sense of sisterhood that exists amongst clients and staff. Our Place has met all of my expectations, but I have also gained a better understanding of issues surrounding incarceration such as poverty, substance use, sexual assault, and domestic violence. I have heard multiple client stories that utterly broke my heart; however, I have also heard uplifting stories of women who completely turned their lives around. On many occasions, I found myself encouraged by the women I sought to support. This enhanced awareness has confirmed for me that life is not black and white. Everyone deserves a second chance and if necessary, a third, fourth, and fifth chance too. The most valuable part of this experience has been living in the grey area; learning how to trust and be trusted, and to give and to receive; perceiving the fragility and strength of women rebuilding their lives; and understanding my own strengths and weaknesses.”

Whitman-Walker Health (WWH): WWH is a nonprofit health organization providing comprehensive, accessible health care and community services in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. This year, Whitman-Walker hosts two AmeriCorps members. Team member Naomi Harris serves as the Community Health Educator, and is responsible for HIV testing and counseling both in the clinic as well as during outreach on WWH’s mobile testing van, including conducting client referrals for positive results. Naomi is also responsible for recruitment, training, and supervision of over 100 of WWH’s core volunteers. Team member Michael Fox serves as the Community Clinic Educator, providing HIV testing and risk reduction counseling, HIV health education, health and emotional services, and STD screening. Michael also leads an HIV treatment adherence peer support program for clients living with HIV/AIDS.