february 1.2002 ■
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Freedom Come
Corvallis health center makes big strides in short time
Celebrating Struggle and Survivorship
by H eath er H y b arger
http://www.confluencechorus.org/ • confluence@aol.com
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Confluence
Chorus
with guests Satori Men’s Chorus
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O ver the R ainbow
t started with a want ad.
Christopher Gray
says he simply saw the
ad, applied and got the
job, but it didn’t take
long to turn his position as a
Benton County health promo
tion specialist into so much
more. He is the director of the
Rainbow Health Resource
Center in Corvallis, which
works to promote the well
being of sexual minorities and
the general population. The
facility opened its doors in
August 2001, just two short
months after its advisory com
mittee was formed.
“We wanted to offer a safe,
anonymous
environment
where people could get any
kind of information about any
thing,” says Beth Rink, Com
munity Health Division pro
Christopher Gray helped open the facility just two months
gram manager. "Some people
after its advisory committee was formed
can get intimidated with a
back information from those meetings to us.
more traditional clinical kind of setting. Here,
The members.. .have made a concerted effort in
what you see is what you get.”
The small office is nestled in a shopping cen a small community where there are few
resources.”
ter adjacent to City Hall and a Baptist church.
This particular group of people have a lot of
All of the furniture and equipment in the center
ideas and have proven to work together co
was donated: desk, computer, refrigerator and
hesively toward a common goal.
two couches.
“My job is to represent businesses in the
Gray and the committee quickly came up
community and get a feel for which businesses
with a statement of intent and faced the tedious
are supportive,” says Patrick Magee, owner of
process of educating Benton County about
Burst’s Candies. “Part of hav
A ID S prevention head-on.
ing a business is being invest
They distributed condoms in
"The
members.
..h
ave
ed in the community. It’s a
area bars and coffeehouses.
good way to help people.”
They also began circulating made a concerted effort
Although the space is
coupons for needle-free HIV
in a small community
small, the center accom
testing— a $24 value— and
plishes a lot. It plays host to
promoting the anonymous ser
where there are few
one of the area’s few support
vice.
groups for HIV-positive
Before they knew it, Dec. 1
resources"
men. In addition to counsel
was around the comer. It took
—
Christopher
Gray
ing and testing services, the
only a month to plan the
center is expanding to offer
county’s first-ever community
hepatitis A and B vaccinations. It also pro
wide World AIDS Day events, which included a
vides meeting space for a gay Alcoholics
silent art auction, a poetry recital and a concert
Anonymous group.
featuring Confluence, Tone Sharks and Tirade.
Gray is the first to admit he faces hurdles in
A total of 204 people came, and $1,179 was
educating
a small community about HIV and
raised.
AIDS. Although the free condoms are getting
How did all of this happen so fast? A capable
picked up, safe sex is still a taboo subject of con
leader and an involved community.
versation for many, and a lot of misinformation
‘•‘I am from the Caribbean,” Gray says. “I lost
is circulating.
two cousins from HIV/AIDS and have far too
“In bigger cities and towns there is more
many friends living with the disease. There are
awareness,” Rink says. “We hear a lot about how
so many gtxxl people HIV has taken away. This
[HIV/AIDS] ‘doesn’t happen to people here.’
has given me an opportunity to participate in
We are starting from the beginning with the
the community. I felt I could contribute to the
whole education process.”
development of programs that are community-
The Rainbow Health Resource Center is full
centered.”
Gray is accessible, caring and encouraging of steam ahead for 2002. It plans to be an active
part of summer events including da Vinci Days,
the ideas generated by the advisory committee.
Members include representatives from various Capitol Pride and National Testing Day.
“We’ve had to do outreach in baby stages,”
organizations: Corvallis Gay/Bisexual Men’s
Rink says. “What is so magnificent is that in a
Group; Out ’n’ About; AFTTR 8; Rainbow
short
period of time we have done a lot." JT1
Continuum; Oregon State University Queer
Resource Center; Valley A ID S Information
Network; Parents, Families and Friends of Les The R a i n b o w H e a l t h R e s o u r c e C e n t e r is
located at 500 Madison Ave. in ConaUis and can
bians and Gays; the business community; and
be
reached at 541-766-6242.
Benton County at large.
"Board members go out and share informa
H e a t h e r H y b a r g e r works hard for her money so
tion about the center with their organizations at
their meetings,” Gray says. “They also bring you better treat her right
17
Saturday, February 16th at 8 p .m .
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis.
2945 NW Circle Blvd , Corvallis
Sunday, February 17th at 4 p.m .
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem.
5090 Center St., NE, Salem
Y O U R W I L L A M E T T E V A L L E Y F A M IL Y
R E A L E S T A T E C O N N E C T IO N
I s u p p o r t GALA c h o r u s e s !
Upc o m in g concerts:
Confluence 2/16
2/17
Corvallis Unitarian (2 94 3 INW Circle) 8pm
Salem Unitarian (3 0 9 0 Center St. NE) 4pm
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