Q-NOTES
Switchboard, Charlotte (704) 525-6128
AIDS Hotline, Charlotte (704) 333-AIDS
PFLAG Hotline, Charlotte (704) 364-1474
AIDS Hotline, Columbia (803) 779-PALS
Call Line, Wilmington (919) 675-9222
January 1990
PRIDE IN PRINT
A 4 i» 'X «>'' V. JtiSSfe 4&=-
(704) 338-1138
MAP - A Look Inside
BEST BETS
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INDEX
Business Cards
Page 12
Calendar
Page 2
News Briefs
Page 4
Organizations
Page 2
Social Highlights
Page 9
Soft Spot
Page 10
To Your Health
Page 6
Year In Peview
Page 7
By Don King
Special to Q-Notes
Tests showed the new-born Charlotte baby
was infected with HIV, so the doctor made
the logical decision: test the mother. She, too,
was positive. Then the doctor decided to do
something neither he nor other doctors in his
clinic had done: refer a client to Metrolina
AIDS Project.
That was weeks ago.
Today, the mother’s life centers around
her MAP support group; she lives for it. And
she symbolizes what is happening with a
group started little more than four years ago
by a few gay men alarmed and concerned
about a disease that devastated life and lives.
• In Charlotte and the counties around it,
hospitals. Hospice, the Red Cross, physi
cians, Planned Parenthood and other human
service agencies view MAP as a peer. ,
• The Mecklenburg County Health De
partment, which acted like a jealous rival
until Dr. Basil Delta retired as director in late
1988, works closely with MAP, supports its
programs, and seems to respect the role MAP
plays as a complement to the department’s
own programs.
• More and more women and non-gay
blacks use MAP’s services, and volunteer to
help.
• Gay men and lesbians continue an in
credible level of support for MAP and en
courage those affected by HIV to seek its
services.
• MAP’s budget will jump from $ 192,000
in the 1989-90 fiscal year to around $250,000
in 1990-91.
There are downsides.
Financially, a highly publicized spring
benefit at Spirit Square was disastrous. And
Mecklenburg County’s commissioners want
to phase out funds for MAP and other agen
cies.
But the downsides have positives, accord
ing to Les Kooyman, one of MAP’s founders
and the only director it has had.
“We’re meeting with the commissioners
to discuss funding,” he said. “For the most
part, they respect the work MAP does and
feel fairly comfortable with us. We’ll know
after the first of the year whether citizens
who feel positive about MAP should tell the
commissioners how they feel.”
Chorus To Begin
Singing January 11
If you love to sing and want to meet other
folks in the gay and lesbian community, then
the place to be is the United Way Auditorium
on Thursday, January 11, when a new chorus
(working title: Brothers & Sisters in Song)
begins to harmonize.
All kinds of music will be rehearsed by
the chorus - classical, modem/pop, gay/les
bian anthems, new work, and show music.
Rehearsals will be held Thursday nights from
7:00-9:45 pm at the United Way Auditorium,
301 S. Brevard Street. Besides rehearsing,
there will be time to socialize. The main goal
is to have fun! Scheduled rehearsal dates are
January 11, 18, 25 and February 1.
Any person who can cany a tune is wel
come to join the chorus. In addition, persons
with the ability to do some musical direction,
provide piano accompaniment, or play an
instrument are also being sought. Non-sing
ing support persons are also welcome to help
with Ae music library, concert publicity,
rehearsal refreshments, etc.
All those persons attending the first four
weeks of rehearsals will vote on February 1
about what the future of the chorus should be.
If you are interested in participating, but can't
make Thursday night rehearsals, please write
or call to express your interest and times you
are available.
For further information, write Brothers &
Sisters in Song, P.O. Box 9241, Charlotte,
NC 28205, or call Dan Kirsch at 536-1372.
The Spirit Square benefit, which failed to
provide MAP with money to expand during
the summer months, triggered tremendous
volunteer involvement.
“We had a very difficult summer,” Kooy
man said. “We had to let our paid volunteer
coordinator go and keep things at a bare
minimum; and our clients and volunteers
helped out any way they could. For months,
volunteers worked 8:30 to 5 without pay. A
volunteer took over volunteer coordinating.
Clients came in to answer the phones and do
typing, mailing, whatever needed to get done.
“We knew that in the fall we’d have
money coming in again. And now we’re on
stable ground financially. We haven’t had to
re-fill the volunteer coordinator paid posi
tion because of the strength of our volunteer
group.”
By the time the football season began,
county dollars for the new fiscal year were
coming in; a federal grant renewal brought in
more funds; the annual solicitation drive
created a flow of cash; the yearly benefit
weekend at Oleen’s produced $4,000 at the
beginning of September; a one-night benefit
at Scorpio brought in about $1,500; and
MAP received a check for $16,000 after the
annual privately-sponsored White Party in
late September.
MAP also tapped a new source of income
in the fall: coiporate giving - $5,000 from
Burroughs Welcome, the company that pro
duced AZT; $3,000 from Duke Power, and
$1,000 from First Union.
“So far, we’ve submitted seven requests
for corporate funds and it appears we’ll get
something from almost all of them,” Kooy
man said. “We made the requests beginning
in August and the good response we’ve had
tells me we’ll be getting more corporate
dollars.”
MAP received $44,000from Mecklenburg
County for this fiscal year compared to
$40,000 in 1988-89; yet, MAP’s budget
increased so much that county funds fell
from 30% to 25%. The renewal of a federal
grant for AIDS education and a new grant for
work in the black community brought in
$60,000. Most of the rest is coming from
private sources.
“I’m always amazed at how much money
comes from the gay community,” Kooyman
said. “But the bulk is talking to an IV drug
user and getting her into a treatment pro
gram; talking with someone who just arrived
at the bus station and has AIDS, getting him
some money for food, and helping him find
a job; or getting an apartment and some
money to live on for someone who just got
out of the hospital. We try to hook these
people up with a buddy. We help them fill out
Medicaid forms and get disability.
“That’s what we call coordinating care.
It’s what we spend our time doing. And
through all of that, we try to build up the
person’s self-esteem.
“Increased dollars represent our commit
ment to people with HIV. We need more
social workers. We have only one and we
really need to be working with two or three.
In our strategic planning, when we look at
increased dollars, we look to bring on more
counselors, more social workers, not more
secretaries.”
%
MAP At A
Glance
New Office
Upstairs at 1814 Euclid Ave.
Support Groups: 333-1435
Call for directions; support groups are
not held at the office.
PWAs: Monday afternoons, Friday
mornings
HIV: Wednesday and Thursday eve
nings
Women And AIDS: Wednesday after
noons
Friends, Family & Partners: Tuesday
evenings
Bereavement: Tuesday evenings
One-To-One Counseling: by appoint
ment
Hotline: 333-2437
Caseload
1987- 1988: 208 in 12 months
1988- 89: 436 in 12 months
1989- 90: 364 in 5 months
Volunteer Training: 333-1435
Jan. 20-21
Most Urgent Need
Buddies who work one-to-one with a
person with AIDS. Call 333-1435.
When 1989 began, MAP’s cramped quar
ters in the Terry Building on East Fifth Street
in Elizabeth housed four employees: Kooy
man, client services coordinator Lori Car
dona, AIDS educator David Prybylo; and an
administrative assistant, a position presently
unstaffed.
Soon after 1990 begins, six people will be
working: Kooyman, Cardona, Prybylo, anew
administrative assistant still to be hired, and
two new employees who start work on Jan. 2
- client educator Barbara Martin and minori
ties outreach worker Shay Classens.
And volunteers, some working virtually
full-time, will handle vital tasks: coordinat
ing volunteers, publishing MAP’s newslet
ter, and coordinating buddies.
The inadequate offices were left behind in
November when MAP moved into the sec
ond story of 1814 Euclid Ave., a two-story
house converted to business use between
East Boulevard and Worthington in Dilworth.
The move almost doubled MAP’s space while
upping monthly rent only 50% to $900.
“The new offices are very comfortable
and much more professional because people
coming in are not in the middle of a chaotic
business day,” Kooyman said. “There is a
reception area, and visitors are escorted to
the people they need to see. It’s more confi
dential and more productive.
“The old office served our needs well in
the early days. But as MAP grew, we had
Continued on Page 3
Gay Rights Activist Rev. Troy Perry To Speak
At MCC Charlotte’s 10th Anniversary Dinner
Gay and human rights activist Rev. Elder
Troy Perry will be the guest speaker at MCC
Charlotte's 10th Anniversary Dinner Party
on Feb. 10th.
The church is celebrating with a high-
stepping dinner/dance affair at The Radis-
son, beginning at 7:30 pm and ending around
midnight.
Perry, the charismatic founder of the Uni
versal Fellowship of Metropolitan Commu
nity Churches, began the fellowship in 1968
after, he said, God told him, “I love you,
Troy, and I don't have any stepsons or step
daughters.” The Church grew from 12people
in Troy's living room to over 220 churches
worldwide, with well over 32,000 members.
The cost for dinner is $25 per person and
includes parking at the Radisson and a chance
at a $250 travel voucher (you must be present
to win).
For more information or reservations, call
563-5810. Leave message if machine is on.