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