PAL Project
gets underway
A lthough som e organizational and fun d
ing problem s rem ain unresolved, C om
m u nity Health S upport Services (CHSS) has
begun im plem entation o f its PAL P roject The
first o f several which CHSS hopes to foster,
the Personal Active Listener (PAL) Project will
provide one-on-one peer counseling and
practical support fo r persons with AIDS and
other life-threatening conditions, as well as to
th e ir loved ones. The new volunteer based
project seeks to serve w om en as well as men
w ho are challenged by any critical or
life-changing m edical condition.
Using a structure and technique borrowed
fro m the Shanti Project o f San Francisco, the
PAL Project w ill train volunteers to give non-
judgm ental, non-m anipulative support to
persons requesting assistance. The PAL’s will
be backed up by a support network which will
aid th e ir "clie n ts” (o r "friend s" — a descriptor
preferred by Project organizers) in working
throug h the maze o f rules and regulations to
gain qu ick assistance from appropriate gov
ernm ental and private agencies. Referrals for
legal, m edical, and spiritual assistance will
also be provided, as well as help in obtaining
low cost housing when needed.
“ D iagnosis o f a life-threatening illness is
always d iffic u lt” according to Larry W hitson,
T raining C om m ittee Co-chair. “ W hen AIDS is
involved, stigm atization greatly com plicates
anticipatory grief and bereavem ent proces
ses. By providing a trained peer from outside
the requestor’s norm al circle o f fam ily and
friends, we can help him o r her sort out the
em otions and problem s, ju st by listening and
reflecting. W hen the person we re working
w ith is ill, we hope that our presence will
con trib ute to their physical as well as their
em otional well-being.
A 44 hour training program , the first of
w hich ended May 12th, covers tw o succes
sive weekends. “ We spend quite a lot o f tim e
providing inform ation on AIDS treatm ent
and death and dying issues," says W hitson,
“ bu t we concentrate on developing non-
m anipulative listening skills. We learn how to
be vulnerable
It’s a challenging,
m oving, and extrem ely rewarding process."
F unding rem ains a serious problem ,
according to Steve Fulm er w ho chairs the
O rganizing C om m ittee. Grant requests are
being subm itted to half a dozen foundations,
in cluding United Way and Fred Meyer C hari
table Trust, and several independent fund
raising efforts are underway on behalf o f the
PAL P roject
An initial annual budget o f about $45,000
centers ar&und low -cost office space,
m arketing costs and tw o halftim e social
w orkers w ho w ill w ork fo r a sem i-volunteer
wage. A half tim e adm inistrative position is
desirable, but lowest on the priority lis t Actual
cost o f service (w hich is provided free) is less
than $ 1.50 per direct counseling hour, versus
$30-$50 in m ost conventional program s.
“ Since we re so cost effective, we hope to be
funded eventually by the tri-counties, but in
the m eantim e we ll have to get m oney as best
we can,” Fulm er said.
A pproxim ately thirty m ore volunteers are
needed to fill the second training in m id-July.
Volunteers need not have professional train
ing o r experience. W omen, m inorities and
heterosexuals are particularly encouraged to
apply. Persons with professional m arketing
experience are also badly needed. For more
in form atio n and application m aterials, con
tact Tia Plym pton or Douglas B loom at the
Phoenix Rising/Cascade AIDS Project office.
ourselues.
Just Out, June. 1985
Phone 223-8299 or write: PAL P roject 408
SW 2nd Avenue — Room 407, Portland, OR
97204. You may also contact Steve Fulm er at
2 3 6-2 429 or Larry W hitson at 287-0839.
Stonewall Run
benefits Womens
Crisis Line and
C ascade AIDS
Project
by R. Rupinski
The Portland Frontrunners will be hosting
th e ir F ourth Annual Stonewall C om m em ora
tive Run on Sunday, June 2 3 ,9 3 0 a.m. at
D uniw ay Park. This lO Km and 2 m ile Fun
Run is held each year in conjunction with
P ortland’s Lesbian/G ay Pride Week. This
year, $2.00 o f every application will be
donated to the W om en’s Crisis Line and
Cascade AIDS P roject The W om en’s Crisis
Line provides counseling and suport to w o
m en w ho have been the victim s o f violence or
sexual harrassm ent The Cascade AIDS Pro
je ct offers support and counseling to AIDS
victim s. Last year’s race attracted over 150
entries and raised over $300. This year’s goal
is to have 200 entrants.
P ortland’s Gay C om m unity has been very
supportive o f the race, and this year have
donated m any prizes w hich w ill be offered in
a draw ing open to all entrants follow ing the
run. M iller Beer has donated a keg o f beer for
everyone’s en joym e nt and efforts are now
underw ay to have a m em ber o f Portland’s
C ity C ouncil fire the starting gun.
The entry fee is $7.00 preregistered, and
$9.00 day o f race. N ot only does $2.00 o f that
fee help support Cascade AIDS and The W o
m en’s C risis Line, but it also entitles you to a
great looking T -sh irt In addition, ribbons will
be awarded to all finishers o f both the Fun
Run and the lOKm race.
Runners com ing in from out o f town can
call ahead to arrange housing with a local
P ortland Frontrunner on a first-com e basis.
Race applications will be available from May
27 or, at O ld Wives Tales, Nike Downtown &
Beaverton, the C om m onw ealth YMCA, the
M etro YMCA and at Gl Joe's. For m ore in fo r
m ation, applications, or to arrange housing,
call 503-232-6004, o r write to The Portland
Frontrunners. 2015 SE 52nd Ave., Portland,
O regon 97215.
The run w ill be held rain or shine, and even
if a 1 OKm race is a little too m uch fo r you right
now, rem em ber that there is also a 2 m ile Fun
Run, w hich everyone w ill be able to com plete,
if you ju st take your tim e! We really want to
see you there, so COME O UT RUNNING!
G ay choruses play
The Schnitz
by Steven Grayce
Em blazoned on the m arquee o f the Arlene
S chnitzer C oncert Hall on Friday, June 28,
w ill be the names o f the Portland Gay M en’s
C horus and the Gay Men's C horus o f Los
Angeles. It will be a sight to rem em ber.
Inside, at 8 p.m., the two choruses will light
up the stage o f Portland's m ost beautiful and
prestigious hall. The gay and lesbian co m
m unity is expected to turn out in force to
celebrate this landm ark event
The 80-m an Portland Gay M en’s Chorus
w ill open the concert with a group o f classical
and popular songs, including a num ber from
the hit m usical
and a new arrange
m ent o f “ My Funny Valentine,” w ritten for the
occasion by C onductor David York.
The Gay M en's C horus o f Los Angeles will
Zillions,
then take the spotlight with a sim ilar s e t end
ing w ith a group o f 1940s songs like
“ S entim ental Journey,” “ C hattanooga Choo-
C h o o ” and “ O n the Atchison, Topeka and the
Sante Fe.”
In the second half o f the program , the tw o
choruses w ill jo in forces fo r an 8-part m otet
fro m the 16th century, and a 7-part “ Ave
M aria” by A nton Bruckner. Popular songs to
be sung by the com bined choruses include
“ G reat Day” and “ Brand New Day,” building
to a th rillin g clim ax with 140 gay m en singing
“ I A m W hat I A m ” and “The Best o f Tim es”
fro m
A uk
There w ill be enough classical m usic to
show o ff the m usical excellence o f the two
choruses; enough rousing popular m usic to
m ake it a stylish and entertaining evening fo r
everyone.
F our new arrangem ents by David York are
on the program . One "produ ction num ber"
has been choreographed by Portland dancer
Joe Morales.
A m erican Sign Language interpretation
w ill be provided as a service for the hearing
im paired.
O n the follow ing day — Saturday, June 29
— the tw o choruses w ill travel to Seattle,
where they w ill perform in the Opera House
along w ith the Seattle M en’s C horus and the
Vancouver, B.C., Men’s Chorus.
T ickets fo r the Schnitzer Hall concert are
$8 fo r the m ain flo o r and upper balcony; $12
fo r the dress circle and mezzanine sections.
They are available from C horus m em bers
and at the C ivic A uditorium box office, or at
these businesses: C.C. S laughter’s, D ugan’s,
Forw ard Gear, the Prim ary D om ain, Roxy
Harts, The Em bers, Starky’s 3, and
Piggs-n-Penguins.
La Cage
Folles.
GAY MENS CHORUS OF
LOS ANGELES
Jerry C arlson. C onductor
AM)
PORTLAND GAY MENS
CHORUS
David Y o rk ( onduc tor
A
in the
ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL
Friday,June 28, at 8 p.m.
I k kets S8 and S I 2
available at C ( Slaughter’s. Dugans, lorsvard Cieai; I he h i mars Domain
Row Hearts. I he I m lx rs. Starks s \ Piggx-n-IYngums.
and at the ( isk Auditorium U>\ o llke
Signing Pros id e d
5