Every volunteer at AIDS Services of Austin makes a dramatic difference in the
lives of the individuals we serve by giving the gift of self. The willingness
to grow, to be there, to be available, to learn, and to serve, is the greatest
thing of all for a person dealing with the physical and emotional stresses
HIV/AIDS can create. People come to us from every race, creed, culture, age,
marital status, and orientation.
Following, are some of the ways you as a volunteer can give directly to
clients at ASA:
Food Pantry: stock shelves, greet clients, take orders, sack groceries, work
with other great volunteers!
Freelance: Drive clients to appointments, help with some general, light
housework, visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice facilities,
provide some child care, etc.
Buddy: Provide ongoing one-on-one friendship, companionship, to be a listening
ear, go to movies, a park, or a picnic.
Helpers: Provide ongoing practical support by helping maintain a client’s
living environment, light cleaning, visiting, perhaps prepare an easy meal.
Animal Companions: Help deliver or collect pet food to clients. Foster care of
pets while clients are in hospital care or temporarily unable to. Helping
clients at home with routine care they are temporarily or permanently no longer
able to do. This may include walking dogs, grooming dogs, changing litter boxes
or bird cages, all the things that accompany pet care.
Trainers: This is for people who have the special skills (or would like to
acquire the special skills) it takes to conduct presentations and trainings for
new volunteers on a wide variety of topics such as: diversity/sensitivity
training, communication styles and techniques, skill building for interpersonal
relationships, and much more.
To begin, we provide new volunteers with a General Orientation to our agency.
An Information/training seminar is held over a weekend for those going on to be
Helpers and Buddies. The date of the next General Orientation is Wednesday,
January 8, 1997. The next training is scheduled for Jan. 25-26. Please call
406-6167 for further information.
— Robert Stewart
ASA Info Line: 458-AIDS
This article appears in December 13 • 1996 and December 13 • 1996 (Cover).