RAINbow_vol9no3.pdf
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- RAINbow_vol9no3.pdf
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THE RAINBOW
A Publication of Regional AIDS Interfaith Network
Oklahoma
Vol. 9 No. 3
October 1998
Coloring Outside the Lines
Pamela S. Cross, MPH
Executive Director
OKLAHOMA CITY OFFICE:
Joan R. Foreman, MEd
Western OK Coordinator
Wesley T. Wise,
Executive Assistant
Jean Felix,
Program Assistant
Rachel Morse, BA,
Volunteer Coordinator
1601 N. Drexel Blvd
Okla. City OK 73107-4728
405.947.3434 fax 405.947.6868
e-mail: rainokla@ionet.net
Outside the Metro area:
1.800.324.RAIN (7246)
EASTERN OK OFFICE:
Kathleen R. Bird, MDiv
Eastern OK Coordinator
Stephen Davis,
Administrative Assistant
Beverly Benton-Galbreath, Ph.D.,
Associate Coordinator
400 S. Pittsburg
Tulsa OK 74112
918.834.4195
fax 918.834.4213
e-mail: rainokla@juno.com
SOUTHWEST OK OFFICE:
Victor Cutnose,
SW OK Associate Coordinator
Centenary United Methodist Church
704 SW "D" Avenue
Lawton OK 73501
405.3.51.AIDS (2437) •
SOUTH CENTRAL OFFICE:
Debi K.C. Morris,
Associate Coordinator
PO Box5294
Ardmore OK 73403-5294
580.657.3778
SAPULPA RAIN OFFICE:
Maridee Lindley, MA
Associate Coordinator
Loeffler-Allen Building
221 E. Dewey
Sapulpa OK 7'°67
918.224.4433
fax 918.224.0670
Home Page:
connections.oklahoman.net/rain
RAIN Oklahomais a Memberof
AIDS National InterfaithNetwork(ANIN)
&
National MinorityAIDS Council(NMAC)
WesleyT. Wise, Editor
The Director's Desk
ecently I read an insightful
poem by Joe Elmore entitled
"Coloring Outside the Lines."
A portion reads "some lines
are important for structure and
order, and are, thus, honored with a
heart disciplined by love ... those
with eyes to see may discover the
freedom to look beyond lines and
expand the limits of their own
coloring." RAIN is looking beyond the
lines with concerned and caring eyes
as the needs of people living with
HIV/AIDS change, as the people living
with HIV/AIDS change. A long-time
RAIN client graciously agreed to
share about his journey for this article.
David requested a RAIN Team in
1995 when he had been hospitalized
for pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
(PCP) and felt that his partner would
need help caring for him. David was
on oxygen at home and was quite
sick for some time. The RAIN Team
brought food, helped clean the house,
and sat with him. When David
improved, unfortunately his partner
became ill, and the Team was there
for them both. The Team was great
support when David's partner died in
1996, visiting David nearly every day.
Taking a combination of three
antiretrovirals for over a year,
exercising, and having a close
relationship
with RAIN Team
members is what David credits with
his good health.
When I asked David what he
thinks of the future, he admitted that
he doesn't dwell on his thoughts of
the future because that often causes
him to think of the loss of his partner.
He does want his Team and others to
know that the Team has made living
with HIV more tolerable. He proudly
related that half of his Team are good •
cooks and the other half know where
the good delis are! David'~ Team
recently took on a second client but
he said that hasn't changed a thing
about his relationship with them. I
asked if it felt like the Team had just
opened their hearts a little wider in
order to help someone else and he •
thought that was a good way to think
of it.
Our goal at RAIN is to connect
people living with HIV/AIDS and
volunteers in ways that are mutually
satisfying. RAIN Coordinators try very
hard to determine if a RAIN Team can
•provide the type of help that is
needed. There are times when it
doesn't seem reasonable to ask
volunteers to get involved due to
substance abuse or safety issues.
Where to draw the line is difficult to
determine; team dynamics such as
skills and leadership play a crucial
part. As we rejoice with David and his
Team over his wellness, we struggle
with how to serve people living with
HIV/AIDS who are hearing impaired,
or are Spanish speaking, are
homeless or have chronic mental
illness. How should RAIN expand its
limits and when should we "color
outside the lines?"
"Imagine thinking you are 29 and
going to die, then awakening at 43 to
realize you are going to live" said
author Andrew Sullivan on National
Public Radio (NPR) today in an
interview about his book "Love
Undetectable: Notes on Friendship,
Sex and Survival." Sounds like a
good read.
Pamela S. Cross,
Executive Director
4Jt!lt.
ReQjonolADS lrrteiktth Nelwork
-HMMHMI
October 1998
2 The RAINbow
News From The West
Wesley United Methodist
Church in Shawnee hosted RAIN
training August 14 & 15. The new
"Shawnee Trust" team is eagerly
awaiting
their
first
client
assignment.
Training was also held at St.
Monica Catholic Parish in Edmond
October 2 & 3.
RAIN will sponsor the annual
World AIDS Day Candlelight
Memorial Service on Tuesday,
Dec mber 1 at St. Patrick Catholic
Church in OKC. The service is
open to the community and will be
followed by a reception. Persons
wishing to send in a slide of a loved
one who died from AIDS for the
"Seeing Their Faces" portion of the
service may call the OKC RAIN
office for details.
- Joan R. Foreman
............
Update:
August 1998
Educational Activity: Eight
presentations to 93 people.
Total February 1990 through
August 1998: 1,319 programs to
58,217 people.
RAIN Team Activity: Sixtyseven (36 Western OK, 23 Eastern
OK, 6 Southwest OK, 2 South
Central OK) RAINTeams consisting
of approximately 800 people are
operating in Oklahoma.
These teams have served 434
HIV-infected individuals, their
families and care givers. Fifty-five
clients are being served currently.
RAIN Volunteers logged 1,000
hours in August 1998.
(For more detailed information including
complete statistics, visit our web page
at connections.oklahoman.netlrain)
WANTED!
Candidates for RAIN's
Board of Directors
Individuals
with
equal
measures of heart, head and sense
who will commit to guiding and
supporting RAIN into the next
century. The Class of 2001 will join
the Board January 20, 1999 and
serve through 2001. The Board
meets on the third Wednesday of
January, March, May, July,
September and November, at 1:00
p.m. in Oklahoma City. Special
skills sought include Finance,
Medical, Legal, Spiritual and
Technology. RAIN seeks diversity
on its Board - geographic, religious,
cultural, racial, sexual orientation,
and HIV status. Please contact
Pam Cross at 800-324-7246 by
Nov. 6 for consideration or for more
information.
News From The Southwest
My first RAIN Team training
took place on August 29 & 30 in
Lawton
at Great
Plains
Metropolitan Community Church
with eleven persons attending. We
welcome this team to our RAIN
, Team family!
The Second annual AIDS
Walk in Lawton was a great
success, as
was the Native
American HIV/AIDS Conference at
Cameron University.
- Victor Cutnose
- .......
-
.Calendar
October 25 - OKC AIDS Walk
October 26 - OKC RAIN Team
Rep meeting
November 16 - Tulsa Team Rep
meeting
November 23 - OKC Team Rep
meeting
December 1 - OKC World AIDS
Day Candlelight Mem. Svc.
Notice Of Open Position
In Memoriam
Muskogee Interfaith Team
Steven
OKC Epworth UMC Blue Team
Stephen
Norman McFarlin UMC
Elisha
OKC Linwood United Methodist
Daniel
OKC Varsity Team,
First Unitarian
Neal
Stillwater First Christian /
Norman St. Michael's Episcopal
Johnny
Former Nichols Hills UMC Team
Glen
A
part-time
Associate
Coordinator position is now open in
the Oklahoma City area.
Major responsibilities of this
position
include
volunteer
recruitment & training, client
intakes, on-going support of RAIN
teams, and community educational
programs.
The successful candidate will
be highly motivated and sensitive to
the needs of individuals and
families affected by HIV/AIDS.
Knowledge and experience in
HIV/AIDS education, working with
volunteers, and working within faith
communities
is preferred.
Dependable transportation
is
essential. Other needed skills
include public speaking ability,
good written/oral communication
skills, and self-direction.
The deadline for application is
November 9.
Interested persons should
send a resume and cover letter to:
RAIN Oklahoma, 1601 N. Drexel
Blvd, Oklahoma City OK 73107.
3 The RAINbow
October 1998
Donations
INDIVIDUALS
Charlotte Alexandre • Nancy Cobb • Steve Daniels • Kent A. Mauk
• Emily Alexander Shurley • Nancy Tiernan • Mildred E. Truitt •
MONTHLY SUPPORTERS
Bert Ballou • Dolores & Robert Browning • Jeffrey Gaughan • Billie
Hurst Gasaway • Warren & Margaret May •
Carol Woods • First Presbyterian Church of Edmond •
MEMORIALS
Johnny Anderson by J.T. Moore • Ray Brown on his birthday
7/13 by Jeannine lies• J.B. Chenoweth & Randy Hurst by Billie Hurst
Gasaway • Randy Hurst on his 43rd Birthday July 4 by Billie Hurst
Gasaway • Neal Lacey by Bill & Bea Martin; Bill & Georgine Jackson;
Dean Smith; Elaine Fransen; Vonita Unruh • Stephen May by Warren &
Margaret May • Christopher Millard by Martin & Helen Lemmons •
Larry Novak by Grace Stockstill • Blake Rothaus by Janet Curth • Lyle
D. Starkey by Doris Goodman • Sweede Westman by DeAnne, Mike,
Grace & Harris McGee • "Uncle Eddie" Wilkonson by Sam T. Allen IV
• James Michael Wilson by Betty C. Wilson•
HONORARIUMS
Joan Foreman by Harbour & Mickey Winn • John Sontag by
Yvonne Allen •
ORGANIZATIONS & GROUPS
Agape Disciples of 1st Christian Church, OKC • Daniels & May
Designs, Inc • Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church
• Southern Oklahoma Memorial Foundation • St. Michael's
Episcopal Church, Norman • St. Monica Parish, Edmond • Roche
Laboratories • Tulsa Area United Way •
INKIND DONATIONS
Laser Printer by Robert Wagner • Berber Rug & Cafe Curtains
by Susan Kennedy •
PARTIES WITH A PURPOSE
Village United Methodist Church Rain Team Party • Edmond
Southern Hills Christian (DOC) Rain Team Party • Curtis Oshel's
Birthday Party • Fran Barton (Grace United Methodist Church) Party
• United Methodist Church of the Servant RAIN Team Party •
HIV AIDS ACTION INITIATIVE
OKC Community Foundation
FUND RAISERS
Tom & Yvonne Allen's Sapulpa Picnic Fund Raiser
----~----
Wish List
Tulsa Office: Two small trash cans, paper
shredder, paper cutter.
OKC Office: Paper shredder.
All Offices: Small set of tools
1998 Holiday Ornament Arrives
You can support RAIN's vital programs
through the purchase of our collector's
edition holiday ornament. This year's
design feature a symbol of love ...the
guardian angel. Intertwined with the angel
is a red ribbon representing the international symbol of AIDS awareness. This
collector's edition ornament is solid brass
with a 24 kt. Gold finish and brightly
colored enamels.
Proceeds from ornament sales help
RAIN Oklahoma continue its mission of
education and service. The price is only
$15.00 (tax included). Quantities are limited.
VISA& Mastercard accepted. To order, call
405.947 .3434. Outside the OKC metro area
call 800.324.7246.
_......_,
..
Dance To Benefit Rain
"Sunny Side of the Street" is the
name of the event planned by David
Martin for November 14. A dance
performance, competition and silent
auction will held at the OKC Swing
Dance Club, 4361 NW 50th. D rs
open at 5:00 PM, general dancing at
5:30, with the show starting at 6:00.
Ticket prices are $15.00 for
reserved seats, $10.00 for general
seating. Hors d'oeuvres will be
served. For general seating tickets
call RAIN at 405-947-3434; for
reserved seating call David Martin at
858-0520 or OKC Swing Club at 9431950.
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Yes, I want to be a RAIN supporter!
Enclosed is my contribution of$
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My gift is in memory of:
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Please notify the family:
My gift is in honor of:
Please notify the honoree, whose
address is:
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I understand RAIN Oklahoma is a nonprofit organization and my contribution is
tax deductible. My canceled check will
serve as my receipt. (Please check here
□ if you prefer to remain anonymous and
do not want to receive RAIN newsletters
and mailings.)
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Please make checks payable to:
RAIN Oklahoma, 1601 N. Drexel Blvd,
Oklahoma City, OK 73107
VISA & MasterCard accepted!
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