24
jM Bt M t • match 7.2003
The House That Volunteers Built
AIDS facility celebrates 15 years of care and support
by Tom Stevenson
what Siebert calls
“ lo n g - t e r m e r s .”
They have been
there for at least
three years, most for
five or more.
Along with Sie
bert and Sellers,
Just O ut talked to
five of those long
time volunteers:
Sister Kate St.
M artin, an 82-
year-old nun; Ben
Estes, a gay restau
rant owner and
manager; Joanne
Barham, a hetero
sexual retiree; De
anna Bryant, a
member of the
trans comm unity;
and Lisa Benson, a
bisexual massage
therapist.
The volunteer
troops “do it all,”
Sellers says. “They
all give so much.”
Just having
someone
there to hold
your hand
m akes a
difference ”
PHOTO BY
he volunteers
do everything Kathryn Siebert (left) directs Our House volunteers like Jean Frost
from answering tele
phones to cooking meals. They serve as personal younger people who are starting to become i
St. Martin was introduced to Our House
care assistants, they do gardening, they take resi- involved.
nine years ago hy a friend who was volunteer-
dents to appoint
“We do have a whole range of volunteers,” ing for another AIDS organization. She
ments, and often Sichert says. “They come from all walks of life serves on the personal care and spiritual life
they just sit and and for any number of
teams, which means at some points she
spend quiet one- reasons.”
might he helping residents change clothes
and-one
time
Bryant says a friend
with those who first suggested she
call Our House should volunteer at
home.
Our House.
To put into
“I was at the
perspective the beginning of my tran
amount of work sition, and [it] would
these folks do, be my first job in my
one year they chosen gender,” says
— Sister Kate
donated a total Bryant, who has now
of 13,103 hours. been there for three
St. Martin
"I figured it out, years.
“I answer
— Nancy Sellers and we would phones and do my
have to hire at best at trying to fatten people up. I
least six more full-time people if we have always loved to cook, and the
didn’t have the volunteers," Sellers residents seem to love what I do for
says. “We could not afford to do that.” them in that area. Besides that...I do
One would think Siebert and S ell a little of everything."
ers might have a tough time getting
Benson, who has been volunteer
volunteers, considering the emotional ing for seven years, said she was
aspect of the work. They say that is not looking for something to enrich her
...
the case. In fact, some people whose spiritual life when she chose to help
lives have been affected hy Our Our House.
House—through visiting a friend or
“1 wanted to give hack" to the
P »*
relative who is a resident, for community, she says. “I wanted to
instance—often choose to return and work with people with AIDS. I
volunteer. Many others find their way went there as a massage therapist,
to the facility simply because their but I kept ending up in the
lives have been touched by AIDS.
kitchen.”
There are also retirees who are look
To this day, Benson spends her
ing for a place they can go simply to stay time at Our House in the kitchen and
active. And there are many, many says she loves it.
“We would have
to hire at least
six more full-time
people if we
didn’t have the
volunteers.
We could not
afford to
do that.”
i
PHOTO BY MARTY DAVIS______________________________ _________ _____ _____________________________________
hy do people volunteer?
Ask the questions, and
you will get a plethora of
answers. Some arc incredi
bly personal. Some are even
selfish. But the fact remains, without the help
of dedicated volunteers, any number of
groups, agencies and facilities would he unable
to operate.
One of those organizations is Our House of
Portland, which will celebrate its 15th
anniversary this month. The 24-hour skilled
nursing care facility in Southeast Portland
caters to those who have AIDS and are unable
to live hy themselves. W hile trained staff
members administer the professional medical
care the residents receive and paid employees
keep the nonprofit operating, the group that
completes the inner circle is an amazingly ded
icated cadre of volunteers.
Kathryn Siebert has served as volunteer
director at Our House for five years and an
employee for 10 years. She actually started
out as a volunteer before taking her first paid
position. Nancy Sellers also came on board
first as a volunteer, serving on the hoard of
directors before asking to take the executive
director position on an interim, then perma
nent, basis.
Siebert says she is overwhelmed hy the gen
erosity, compassion and absolute dedication of
the volunteers who serve at Our House. “They
are all amazing people.”
According to Siebert, 120 to 130 people
volunteer at least four hours a week. Between
30 and 50 more come in about once a
month.
Of the 120-plus who come in each
and every week, about half of them are
I