Where I Stand — Guest Columnist Father Josepth O’Brien: AIDS hasn’t gone away

Thursday, Aug. 26, 2004 | 8:10 a.m.

Editor's note: In August the Where I Stand column is turned over to guest writers. Today's columnist is Father Joseph O'Brien, the executive director of Saint Therese Center, a Catholic ministry that offers services for people with HIV/AIDS.

FOR THE past 21 years in ministry, while assigned to Orange County, San Francisco, Phoenix and for the last seven years in Las Vegas, I have journeyed with people living and dying with HIV/AIDS. I have had the pleasure of meeting men, women and children who experience a full range of emotions, each differently, while dealing with this virus that has no cure.

At times we are numb to the staggering devastation that HIV is wreaking in various countries. In Africa, the funeral homes that deal with HIV-related deaths have something in common with Las Vegas -- they are open 24 hours a day.

In Las Vegas this virus is quietly and steadily taking its toll on our community. According to statistics from the Clark County Health Department, as of July there were 4,306 AIDS cases and 2,815 HIV-positive cases reported in Clark County.

One quiet but steady outreach in the community is the Saint Therese Center, located in Henderson across the street from the de Lima Campus of St. Rose Dominican Hospital in a building provided by St. Rose Dominican. The outreach has rapidly expanded its range of services from its beginning as a spiritual resource center to include therapeutic massage, lunch support groups, retreats, socials, educational outreach, food certificates, food pantry, haircuts and used clothing.

The Saint Therese Center, named after Saint Therese of Lisiuex (The Little Flower), is a Catholic ministry that welcomes and serves peoples of all faiths and extends the Lord's healing to all persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Emphasizing wellness, the Saint Therese Center reaches out to those touched by HIV/AIDS to provide spiritual, physical and emotional support and educational and social services in a spirit of love, dignity and compassion.

Over the past 21 years my experience with this virus has changed. When I was assigned to San Francisco I averaged nine funerals a week, but now people are living longer, better and have a wider range of needs while they are on medical disability. Currently there are more than 2,000 clients involved at the Saint Therese Center and many of them use the Center several times a month. There are more than 300 children under the age of 18 who use the Center and we have recently started a support group for HIV-positive teenagers.

A high quality volunteer program (currently around 125 volunteers) has been developed that provides emotional and practical support, hospitality, clerical support and food pantry distribution for the center's daily operations and many other professional pro bono services. Without the dedicated work of the volunteers it would not be possible to meet the increased demand for services and programs.

I believe that the Saint Therese Center enjoys a position in the community of high credibility and respect, not only for its direct service work but also for its active participation and leadership within the various consortia of HIV-related agencies. The Center is recognized as a key team player, and our rapidly increasing referrals from other agencies, hospitals, physicians, pastors and case workers testify to the community's trust in our volunteers and programs.

We are making a difference in the community of Southern Nevada, as we reach out to all those who are infected and affected. Continual awareness and education regarding HIV is necessary not only regarding the world pandemic but also on the local level.

The Center has a public service announcement running on local television stations. While it is raising awareness for the locals, many tourists are also noticing it and calling with questions regarding where and whom in their home areas they can contact. The Saint Therese Center is a part of the National Catholic AIDS Network and we can connect concerned people with HIV services in most areas of the United States.

The Saint Therese Center is faced with the problem of success. Although our volunteers have been and continue to be a vital part of the program's service and expansion so far, we are at a critical junction, necessitating further financial assistance from Southern Nevadans. Continued growth of our programs, not only in terms of number of people served, but also expansion of our programs to reach members in the rural communities (successful meetings and programs in Laughlin and Pahrump) has increased programs costs.

Many clients refer to the Saint Therese Center as "their home" as it is a safe place or "haven" for them. One client wrote to us: "The Saint Therese Center has given me another family since mine disowned me."

With the continued rise in infections, the population growth in Southern Nevada and the current drug protocols that "maintain" the health of a person, we are seeing numbers increase for women and their children, families, people of color and teenagers. The Saint Therese Center is very much aware that HIV is everyone's disease.

Dec. 1 is officially World AIDS Day, but to many of our valley residents and to our clients every day is AIDS Day.