tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39735581785980815942024-03-13T10:11:04.674-07:00Rosehedge/Multifaith Works BlogRosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-66882899389479054262013-05-16T16:37:00.000-07:002013-05-16T16:38:43.398-07:00Homeless and Feeling Helpless
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In April of 2011 I found myself in a very unsafe place with a roommate who was becoming physically violent with me and threatening me with a knife. I contacted Lifelong AIDS Alliance and asked what could be done to get me into safe housing since I was not working at the time and was struggling to stay off methamphetamines. I had been sober forRosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-44979117609460931832013-02-22T12:52:00.002-08:002013-02-22T12:54:19.274-08:00Comfort Where We Overlap
“I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort, where we overlap.”
― Ani DiFranco
Sharing a space with many others can be challenging and it can be comforting, but if we are open to the people around us it is always stimulating, edifying, and profound. Working within community continues to inspire me every day.
I came in to the office today bearing Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-4782916622479860542013-01-27T11:48:00.000-08:002013-01-27T12:02:38.505-08:00Our Many TransitionsI am honored to begin 2013 as the new Executive Director of Rosehedge/Multifaith Works. Since I started on January 2nd, I have been meeting with staff, board, volunteers, residents, and stakeholders to learn more about the community we serve and to hear your thoughts and hopes for the future of this vital organization.
Unfortunately, in my short time here I have learned that the future Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-8069345510078199132013-01-24T15:28:00.001-08:002013-01-24T15:30:36.924-08:00Among the Counted
An estimated 1,900 are homeless each night in Seattle. They can be found in transitional housing, sleeping in shelters, under roadways, in doorways, or curled up in their car/truck. A quarter of these persons can be considered chronically homeless, which according to HUD's definition, means they are homeless for long periods of time and have a disability such as HIV/AIDS.
Catherine's Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0Seattle, WA 98122, USA47.6087583 -122.296423547.565936799999996 -122.3771045 47.6515798 -122.2157425tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-77019978014969530222013-01-04T09:38:00.002-08:002013-01-04T09:44:34.808-08:00Good Fortune
Why I give.
Well maybe I am bored
And maybe I want to give back.
Or maybe I think it has something to do with that
Fortune cookie I got last Friday.
It’s none of that!
I give because people need, and then I just do it!
Larry C.
Former Resident & Current Donor
Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-22755512881718893362013-01-03T14:57:00.000-08:002013-05-16T15:26:53.832-07:00He lived compassion at life’s end Lying in his bed, he listened to the sounds of life. He could smell the pot roast cooking in the kitchen and hear his housemates moving through the halls. A movie was playing on his VCR and he was comfortable. He had not envisioned his life this way. He loved the beach and the sunshine. He loved his work and his many friends knew him as a passionate foodie. Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-44099579191017207612012-11-22T10:46:00.004-08:002012-11-22T10:46:44.875-08:00Empty CupboardsHow do feel about being left alone? I’m sure it’s not good.
For one thing it’s lonely and for another thing - there may not be food. It sucks being lonely AND hungry. I have been lonely in my life. But I have been blessed. I always had love and food and work and other stuff…I’m lucky! Some are not as fortunate!
And so that’s how it is. That’s why I give to Rosehedge/Multifaith Works....
&Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-28419862903411789342012-10-22T07:46:00.000-07:002012-10-22T08:05:34.523-07:00Active LivesOne of the best parts of working at Rosehedge/Multifaith Works is seeing the adult family home residents lead active lives, as much as they are able. Once a month, one of the residents at DeWolfe House brings in his housing payment to the office in person instead of mailing it. This involves an eight block trek on a motorized wheel chair. When it rains, he suits up Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-88629601957383480532012-09-11T12:21:00.000-07:002012-09-11T12:21:25.316-07:00Until There's a CureHey everyone! This year I am walking in the 2012 Seattle AIDS Walk. From a very young age, I remember watching the Real World San Francisco and seeing a glimpse of the life, of the now deceased, Pedro Zamora. In retrospect, I applaud MTV for showing a gay commitment ceremony on national cable in 1995. I watched Pedro work tirelessly to educate youth about HIV/AIDS and I watched him fall in love, Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-47579649546209997522012-09-07T11:05:00.003-07:002012-09-07T11:06:21.096-07:00Why Do I Walk?The AIDS Walk is right around the corner! On Saturday, September 22nd, thousands will gather at Volunteer Park to become a single community on the same mission – to raise awareness and funds for support services for those living with HIV/AIDS in Seattle.
Although many people living with HIV/AIDS have benefited from new medical treatments, folks who are diagnosed continue to live with Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-6728416300281697112012-08-31T13:02:00.003-07:002012-08-31T13:13:04.493-07:00Remembering My BrotherHello-my name is Nanette and DL was my brother. DL left life on this earth at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 1990. I feel everyone who new DL would appreciate knowing how the last year was for him.
Complications of the AIDS virus resulted in the need for DL to move back to Seattle from Dallas during November 1989 to be cared for by our family. After a few months DL was unable to walk Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-86533241545630408032012-08-23T12:21:00.001-07:002012-08-23T12:21:17.478-07:00Beam Us Up ScottyResidents at Enhanced Assisted living are just trying to have fun. Well, that and get around, pursue interests, gain access to information and skills. Budgets everywhere are tight, and we’ve had to figure out how to get the things we want and need in creative ways. One way we’ve been doing this is creating and maintaining a wish list to be granted by volunteers, donors, and grants. WheneverRosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-41861115992117084362012-08-17T14:35:00.001-07:002012-08-17T15:20:17.040-07:00Empowerment Trumps StigmaHIV is an infection which many people have fears, prejudices or negative attitudes about. Stigma can result in people with HIV being insulted, rejected, gossiped about and excluded from social activities. Fear of this happening can lead to people with HIV being nervous about telling others that they have HIV or avoiding contact with other people. They may end up suffering in silence insteadRosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-77343282342124187132012-07-10T11:02:00.002-07:002012-07-10T11:02:19.882-07:00Connections That Save LivesWhen you support Rosehedge/Multifaith Works, you help build families. You enable us to create meaningful connections that save lives.
As a young woman in 1995, Imani had earned her Masters Degree and gotten married. She and her husband were raising four beautiful children when civil war broke out in Africa, forcing the family into a refugee camp in Ghana. Tragically, her husband died within one Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-25963581651305522122012-06-18T15:47:00.000-07:002012-06-18T15:47:02.506-07:00I’m BaaaaaackWhen I joined the staff of Rosehedge back in 2005, I got a crash course in AIDS 101. As a grant writer, I used every bit of information I could get—facts, statistics, descriptions, and stories—to explain the reality of living with HIV and importance of the Enhanced Assisted Living Program to foundation, corporate, and government funders. In the process, I became a true believer. In the four yearsRosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-15337720169639998452012-06-08T15:37:00.000-07:002012-06-08T15:37:04.839-07:00Continuity, Crisis, and CommunicationI came to Seattle out of a crisis situation after years in an abusive relationship, finding out I had AIDS, losing my job, and then running out of money. I started by going to the Northwest AIDS Foundation for help. One of the programs they referred me to was Shanti. I was immediately intrigued, because it’s 1 on 1 peer support rather than group. I knew it would be more difficult for me talk in aRosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-60340169459795653052012-05-17T08:06:00.000-07:002012-05-17T08:06:05.426-07:00Remembering MomRemembering MomIt was Mother’s Day recently and a day I’ve had tremendous difficulties with since maybe perhaps, oh forever. Ha! My mother is Transgendered and not out about it.Technically, I am a former Rosehedge/Multifaith Works client/volunteer, but they let me write on their blog so in reality they are still doing what they do for me, which is providing an environment in which I feel safe, Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-56923064160152595772012-05-04T12:57:00.001-07:002012-05-04T15:45:44.121-07:00Just Need Someone To ListenNot long ago, I heard about a Program called Shanti. It’s a program that supports men and women living with life changing illnesses. After talking to the Shanti Program Coordinator, I learned that the first step to getting involved in such the program was to first participate in the two weekend training. Two weekends? I didn’t know what to expect.When I showed up, I saw Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-39577150371567927132012-04-20T09:38:00.000-07:002012-04-20T09:38:17.530-07:00I Felt Like I Was Loving HimIn the spring of 2009, our son Ryan, then 20, moved to Capitol Hill. We were thrilled to have him so close again, and we have priceless memories of visiting him in his apartment there and spending time walking through the neighborhood with him. That was before we had ever heard of Rosehedge, or Multifaith Works; unfortunately, we didn’t know that there was an agency right here who could have Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-12960223149328792032012-04-19T11:05:00.001-07:002012-04-19T12:12:16.128-07:00Saving the World One Person at a TimeMy name is Jonathan and I have lived in Seattle for just over two years. I came here to start my graduate studies in counseling psychology, and have fallen in love with the climate, the landscape, and the culture. On top of grad school I also maintain a small Reiki practice which helps heal and care for people while paying the bills.
I found Rosehedge/Multifaith’s Shanti program when I Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-73477693516316369032012-04-18T07:51:00.000-07:002012-04-18T07:51:08.268-07:00What Being a Shanti Volunteer Means to MeThe few hours I spend with my Shanti partner each week is a chance for me to not have to deal with my issues, my life, my problems, etc. In many ways, it’s a vacation from my week, as it’s my chance to witness someone else’s path, their highs and their lows, and a chance to feel many different feelings without having to own them.
Volunteering with my partner is my opportunityRosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-72383536005751106152012-04-17T08:04:00.000-07:002012-04-17T08:04:54.009-07:00CareTeams - Unconditional FriendshipI am very thankful for the moxie of the CareTeam Staff. I was matched with a CarePartner, an individual living in HIV/AIDS and/or a former chemical dependency, with whom I became fast friends.
I would like to think that my relationship with my Care Partner is unique. I am friends with a man that happens to have AIDS and a former chemical dependency; I am not assisting an HIV+ man. But as Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-84935372542214340332012-04-16T09:36:00.000-07:002012-04-16T09:36:26.548-07:00Volunteer TimMy name is Tim and I’m a current volunteer of Rosehedge/Multifaith Works. I would like to share my volunteer experience with you. When I first heard about Rosehedge/Multifaith Works, I was working a full-time job and had no idea or thought of giving time to others by volunteering. My life and health took a turn for the worse and I found myself unable to work and dependent on the generosity Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-30047475567550298332012-03-23T11:30:00.000-07:002012-03-23T11:30:33.757-07:00CareTeams from a CarePartner's PerspectiveOver the past 14 years, over 90 CarePartners have felt the compassion and support of our CareTeams. Although CareTeams may start as strangers to our CarePartners, they quickly become supportive, lifelong friends and family. One CarePartner, and mother, recalls her early memories of her CareTeam.
~ ~ It was a sunny day when the volunteers came into my home and introduced Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3973558178598081594.post-44179575233383973672012-03-20T07:53:00.000-07:002012-03-20T07:53:00.897-07:00What Can I Say about Those Times?What can I say about those times? I had a $900-a-month condo that I couldn’t afford, and had moved back to Ohio for a break and to get away from my meth addiction. But, Ohio was not going that well. I was off the drugs but was staying with Dad who was chronically depressed because his life had just been destroyed since his wife died of Parkinson’s disease. Heartbreaking, I know, but I had my own Rosehedge/Multifaith Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18381059967342914213noreply@blogger.com0