April Volunteer Spotlight - Paul K!

This month's volunteer spotlight is Paul K! Not only does he provide hours of service during both Dining Out for Life and Grande Masquerade, but he's very adamant in encouraging others to do the same.

Here's a look at Paul:

• Have you ever held a volunteer position before?

I volunteered for a similar organization in Washington, DC called the Whitman Walker Clinic. I worked in the HIV testing clinic for three years, and also did a little bit of HIV/AIDS education outreach for the organization.

• What sparked your interest in volunteering with The Damien Center?

As a person living with HIV and having other friends who also deal with this disease, I wanted to find a way to help others who have been infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in the community.

• How do you hope to serve the community and our clients here at The Damien Center?

As a volunteer, I hope that I can show people in the community that HIV/AIDS can affect EVERYONE. Many young people and adults are sexually active, and some still believe that HIV/AIDS is a "gay" disease. I hope that I can be a voice for the organization that ANYONE who engages in unprotected sex can be at risk. The disease doesn't discriminate by age, race, sex, or sexual orientation!

• What has been your most memorable moment while volunteering at The Damien Center?

I think that being the volunteer coordinator for the 2010 Grande Masquerade has been my most memorable. We had a really great group of people who worked very hard to plan and pull off a successful experience/event last fall, and the volunteers that we found to help with the event were amazing! Without them, this event or many of the activities/services that The Damien Center provides would be difficult to manage.

• What are some attributes that you feel you contribute to The Damien Center and your assigned position?

Passion and compassion!

• What are your hobbies and interests?

Volunteering has become an important part of my life as I've gotten older. It's given me a great sense of hope and joy that I can make a difference in others' lives and makes me feel more connected to my community. I also love music and singing and have been a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church choir since 2007. And as long as I still have any semblance of balance, I try and do a lot of in-line skating on the canal downtown or Monon Trail in the spring/summer.

Make Your Reservations Now!

Dining Out for Life is next Thursday - just a week away! Have you made your reservations yet? April 28th is a busy night, so be sure you have a spot at your favorite Dining Out for Life restaurant by making a reservation.

Are the restaurant choices dizzying? We understand. That's why we've built this restaurant map - so you can choose the restaurant that is most convenient for you on April 28! Restaurants with green markers will donate 25%, while restaurants with red markers will donate 50%. The Damien Center is the sun located downtown.

Check out our map at http://www.damien.org/map !

Make your reservations now!

Dining Out for Life in a nutshell: eat out, fight AIDS. It's that simple.

Eat at one of our 45 participating restaurants, and 25% - 50% of your bill goes to The Damien Center. There's no code to mention, no special menus - just do what you would normally do!

Additionally, you can win cool prizes, like the Hoosier Park Package or the Celebrate Indy Package. These packages contain hotel stays, VIP tickets to Hoosier Park, IRT ticket vouchers, private happy hour parties, and more! All you need to do is fill out a form at one of our participating restaurants - no donation is required to enter. Just check the box, give us your name and some way to contact you, and you're entered into our drawing!

The following is a list of all our participating restaurants:

Premier Restaurants are restaurants who donate 50% of their day's sales to The Damien Center. Our Premier Restaurants include:

Legacy Restaurants are restaurants who have participated in DOFL for 5 or more years. Our Legacy Restaurants include:

Adobo Grill

Agio

Amici's
Arni's
Athens on 86th

Bazbeaux

Cafe Patachou

Downtown Olly's

English Ivy's

Greek Islands
Hellas

Iaria's Italian Restaurant

Marco's Restaurant and Lounge
Metro Nightclub & Restaurant
R bistro

Ralph's Great Divide

Santorini Greek Kitchen

Partner Restaurants are restaurants that donate 25% of their day's sales to The Damien Center. Our Partner Restaurantsinclude:

501 Eagle

Aesop's Tables
Agio
Amici's
Arni's - North
Arni's - South
Athens on 86th
Bazbeaux - Broad Ripple
Bazbeaux - Carmel
Bazbeaux - Downtown
Cafe Patachou - 49th and Penn
Cafe Patachou - River Crossing
Cafe Patachou - Carmel
Cafe Patachou - Downtown
Circle City Bar & Grill - Indy Mariott Downtown
Creation Cafe
English Ivy's
Euphoria
Greek Islands
Hellas
Henry's on East
Hoaglin To Go - Indiana History Center
Hoaglin To Go - Mass Ave
Hue Dine
Iaria's Italian Restaurant
Mama Carollas

Marco's Restaurant and Lounge
Mesh on Mass
Metro Nightclub & Restaurant
Puccini's Smiling Teeth - East 82nd
Puccini's Smiling Teeth - Fall Creek
R bistro
Ralph's Great Divide
Recess
Red Lion Grog House
Served
Square Rootz Deli

Tastings

The Legend Cafe

Welcome our new staff!

In the past month, we have been fortunate to have new hires to help with our expanding programs. We'd like to welcome Ronny, and Jeremy to the Damien family! For more information about these individuals, please visit our staff page.

Ronny deLuna:

Ronny has a background in administration and patient relations. He is fluent in Spanish and often serves as a translator for the departments he works for. Having worked with the MCHD and Wishard hospital, Ronny is eager to offer his experience to The Damien Center and its clients as the Administrative Assistant.

Ronny enjoys spending his free time with his partner, family and friends.

Jeremy Turner:

Jeremy serves as the Client Services Enrichment Coordinator. In the new position, Jeremy will oversee operations in the Damien Center's Coby Palmer Food Pantry, plan and execute client-centered events, and work closely with the Client Service Committee to ensure the ongoing collaboration between the Damien Center and its client base.

Jeremy comes to the Damien Center from other AIDS service organizations in Southern Indiana (AIDS Resource Group) and Western Kentucky (Matthew 25 AIDS Services.) Jeremy is a former Prevention Program Coordinator, Red Cross HIV 101 Instructor, certified Indiana HIV Testing Counselor, “Street Smart” certified program facilitator, “Many Men, Many Voices” certified program facilitator and a recipient of community awards and accolades relating to his youth-based HIV and Substance Use prevention programs. In addition to prevention efforts, Jeremy has experience in grant writing, event/ fundraiser planning and agency food pantry operations.

Recently having relocated to Indianapolis from Evansville, Jeremy looks forward to using his background to help enhance Damien Center clients’ overall experience at the agency. In his free time Jeremy enjoys jogging, playing the piano and performing. Be sure to stop by his new office in the food pantry to say “hello!”

March Volunteer Spotlight - Betty S!

This month's volunteer spotlight is Betty S! Betty has been volunteering with The Damien Center since 2007 and has been very involved is us ever since. She has trained other volunteers and has been an active part of our outreach efforts, working booths at health fairs. She consistently works both the front desk and the testing reception desk, and she has been involved with both of our annual fundraisers: Dining Out for Life and Grande Masquerade.

Here's a look at Betty:

1. Have you ever held a volunteer position before?

For years I was a volunteer at Second Presbyterian Church, where I am now employed as a Christian Educator.

2. What sparked your interest in volunteering with the Damien Center?

In 1995, I learned for the first time that my brother was HIV+. Several weeks later, he was hospitalized with late stage AIDS. A friend brought me to the Damien Center’s support group, where I learned what to expect and how to respond to my brother’s illness. I could not have handled it without their help. During my visits with David, I was able to talk about difficult subjects. He was so afraid of being turned away, but he died knowing that all of us in our family loved him and always had. I am here to repay a long overdue debt to the Center for helping us give David peace before he died.

3. How do you hope to serve the community and our clients here at the Damien Center?

One thing I hope to do is raise the consciousness of the public about HIV and remove its stigma. I do that by teaching HIV 101 to students and volunteers and by answering the phone at the testing desk once a week. I also man the table at health fairs when my schedule permits. It’s a great way to meet the public and answer questions.

4. What has been your most memorable moment while volunteering at the Damien Center?

The real payoff is the relationships I build with the staff and clients at the Damien Center. That said, one of my greatest moments was when I won the costume contest at the Grande Masquerade in 2009. I couldn’t believe it! I will never forget having hundreds of gay men applaud when I stepped up as “Starlet O’Hara” in the green curtain dress. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would win against some of those amazing and complex costumes that appear every year. (Even if you don’t dress in costume, volunteering there is some of the most fun you will ever have. I highly recommend it.)

5. What are some attributes that you feel you contribute to the Damien Center and your assigned position?

A lot of people don’t realize that I am an introvert; but I am proof you don’t have to be an extrovert to volunteer. I am driven by a desire to make a change in the way people with HIV are dealt with by the public and by public officials. In my very small way, I hope to make a difference by respecting the dignity and humanity of those with HIV.

6. What are your hobbies and interests?

I work at a church and love astronomy--and thus have both a vocation and avocation that bring conversation to a complete halt. (“Look at the time!”) I’m a certified scuba diver in search of warm water. And I am a “token straight” contributor to The Bilerico Project, an online group blog for LGBT interests. I love my life and the people in it, especially my sweet and patient husband of 32 years and my two wonderful children.

Thank you so much, Betty!

New Facebook Page

We're moving from our old profile to our new Page! This transition was spurred by Facebook's new update to Pages, letting us do more than ever before.

One of new Page features that we're particularly excited about is the ability to interact with other areas of Facebook as our brand. Before, this was something that was exclusive to profiles. Now, we can go to Indiana AIDS Walk's Page and let them know that Team Damien Center is going to be there! Our Page can go on to Like Nuvo, or tag GayIndy.com in one of our posts. Almost every reason that made us keep a profile is now made available to Pages.

But there's more. With a Page, we're able to surpass the 5,000-friend limit imposed on profiles, add and build our own apps, and get behind-the-scenes insights on who each of our messages reach. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

We'll delete our current profile once our new Page gains Fans and momentum, so be sure to Like our Page to get the latest updates in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Indianapolis!

Ambassador Trainings

Dining Out for Life relies heavily on its Ambassadors - volunteers stationed at one of our many, wonderful restaurants! It is important that every Ambassador attend a training - even if you've been an Ambassador before. We have some new, exciting parts of this event, and we don't want our Ambassadors to miss out! If you would like to help out with the largest restaurant event in Indianapolis, come to a training on:

• Thursday, March 31 from 9-11
• Thursday, March 31 from 6-8
• Saturday, April 2 from 10-2
• Tuesday, April 5 from 6-8

Please RSVP by calling Naomi at 317-632-0123 x262 or by emailing her at nwilliams@damien.org.

February Volunteer Spotlight - Phil G!

This month's volunteer spotlight is Phil G! Phil has been a long-time volunteer at The Damien Center, and he did a fantastic job in our new Speakers Bureau! Phil spoke on behalf of The Damien Center at Epworth United Methodist Church. This was the first speaking engagement for the Speaker's Bureau, and Phil did it admirably. You can often find Phil at the testing reception desk.

Have you ever held a volunteer position before?

No, nothing like this.

How do you hope to serve the community and our clients here at The Damien Center?

By doing whatever is needed of me, and attempting to further the mission.

What experience would you like to gain from your volunteer position here?

I'm not sure. I've done everything but clean the bathrooms!

What are some attributes that you feel you contribute to The Damien Center in your assigned position?

A smile in by voice and my heart, and an open mind.

What are your hobbies and interests?

• Working on my home and gardening
• Genealogy
• Crochet - I'd like to be more adept at it
• Working out at the gym and bicycling
• Purdue football
• Loving my family

Sneak Peek at our 2010 Report!

We're still processing some data for our 2010 Annual Report, but here is a sneak peek some exciting statistics that will be included!

• 98% of our clients rate their overall satisfaction of our food pantry as either neutral, somewhat satisfied, or highly satisfied. 78% of our clients said they were highly satisfied.
• Of our clients who responded to our survey and visited other food pantries in the Indianapolis area, 82.5% believe that our food pantry is at least as good, if not better, than other food pantries.
• The food pantry was accessed 4,416 times in 2010 and distributed 154,560 pounds of food.
• In 2010, we administered over 1,500 free HIV tests. Compared to the 974 free HIV tests administered in 2009, this is an increase of over 54%!

Naughty or Nice: A Smash Hit

On December 21, 2010, the National Touring Cast of Wicked put on a Christmas Cabaret to benefit The Damien Center's Coby Palmer Food Pantry Fund and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. This event raised $5,350 - the most money any of these events has ever made!