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NEWS BRIEFS

SH Quilt Displayed on World AIDS Day

Quilt Panel

The Samaritan House AIDS quilt panel was presented at Tarrant County AIDS Interfaith Network's annual World AIDS Day memorial ceremony on December 1. The panel will be displayed at Samaritan House during the coming year and will be dedicated at a ceremony next December. Its final destination will be the National AIDS Memorial Quilt in Washington, D.C.

Billy Oliver

Samaritan House is proud to announce that Billy O. was honored on November 7 at the Fort Worth Housing Authority Awards ceremony, "Celebrating Success." Billy's award was for Achievement in Personal Advancement and Employment in the FWHA Shelter Plus Care Program. Billy, a resident of The Villages, is employed in our maintenance department. His good work and willingness to help with any and all problems are greatly appreciated by staff and fellow residents alike. Last month he was named VIP of the Month by vote of the residents.

Z's Café to Employ Samaritan House Residents

Samaritan House's Hope Works program will collaborate with Janet Capua Catering to reopen the café in the lobby of the Community Arts Center at the end of January. Ten Samaritan House residents will staff the café, which will be open Mondays through Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Come join us for a late breakfast or lunch at Z's café!


	By reducing homelessness, substance abuse, crime, new HIV infections, and the demand for publicly funded medical care, Samaritan House makes Fort Worth a better place for everyone!

Samaritan House News November 2008

Letter from the President

A Christmas Surprise

The Toast(masters) of the town

Unlikely allies

Letter from the President

Steve Dutton

January is a funny month: though the world still lies in slumber, the change of calendar suggests the prospect of new beginnings. In many ways, this is much like many of the lives we connect with through Samaritan House.

Though some may only see a disease or a past history of problems, we see – and work with – the potential for new life and new beginnings. Read on

about some incredible strides some of our folks are making, including speaking awards, and even a special place on the White House Christmas tree!

A Christmas Surprise

On the day before Thanksgiving, Samaritan House residents were excited to learn that they had been invited to decorate ornaments that would hang on the White House Christmas Tree in Washington.

A phone call from the office of Kay Warren, founder of Acts of Mercy Foundation (an AIDS organization) and co-founder, with husband Rick Warren, of Saddleback Church in southern California, alerted Samaritan House staff to this unique opportunity.

Mrs. Warren's passion for AIDS advocacy began several years ago when she picked up an article about the more than 12 million children living as orphans in Africa, having lost parents to AIDS. AIDS became her mission, and the Acts of Mercy Foundation was born.

When Mrs. Warren came to Fort Worth in April 2007 to address the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, she visited Samaritan House and met several of our residents. Inspired by their stories, she worked to encourage churches in other cities to find ways of helping HIV-positive individuals and families in their own communities.

Residents of Samaritan House show off the Christmas ornaments

This holiday season, Mrs. Warren asked Samaritan House residents to participate in a remarkable project. Sixty-four clear glass ornaments were delivered to the House by Whitney Kelly, Mrs. Warren's assistant, with the request for residents to decorate them.

Thrilled by the idea that Samaritan House would have a place on the White House Christmas tree, a crew of artistically inclined residents got to work right away, painting the globes and inscribing them with their own ideas of the theme of"Peace." Mrs.Warren then took the decorated ornaments to Washington to be presented to President and Mrs. Bush.

Kay Warren's book

"It's an incredible honor for our residents," says Sarah Deats, Samaritan House's Director of Communications,"to get to express themselves artistically and to be recognized in such a public way. But it also speaks to the importance of keeping HIV/AIDS in the forefront of peoples' minds in America. It's not just a problem ‘out there' somewhere; we still have to be diligent about addressing HIV and the lives it affects here."

For more about the White House Christmas Tree and its history, visit this link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/holiday/whtree/.

The Toast(masters) of the town

Part of Samaritan House's central mission is to help residents regain self-confidence and marketable skills, and to help them return to independence. Besides focusing specifically on employment through the Hope Works program, staff and residents recognize the importance of communication and public speaking as a key to readiness for employment. Toastmasters International, a leadership training nonprofit that helps members practice to improve their speaking skills, has been an excellent vehicle for achieving these goals.

Approached in March 2007 about starting a Samaritan House chapter by Randy Terrell, an active Toastmasters member, President and CEO Steve Dutton immediately saw the potential for helping residents develop new communication skills and practice leadership."Involvement in Toastmasters helps develop greater self-confidence and improves self-esteem," says Dutton, himself a Toastmasters alumnus.

Members of Samaritan Toastmasters pose with an award

Asked about the impetus behind the program, Terrell, now a member of the Samaritan House Board of Directors, cites practical benefits."First and foremost," he says,"our members become more confident in their abilities, which allows them to gain work experience or attend college."

One of the biggest challenges both Terrell and Dutton recognize is getting residents over the sense of intimidation."There's a reason why public speaking is one of the most feared activities for most people. It can be terrifying!" says Dutton. But anyone visiting the Wednesday afternoon meetings in the Samaritan House dining room would be amazed to see the skilled, polished presentations put forward by residents who have used the club to develop their speaking abilities.

Michael P. and Randy Terrell.

The Samaritan Toastmasters have achieved recognition within the international organization, receiving an award as a Distinguished Club in 2008. The club also earned a Super Seven award for having all seven of its officers attend training. This award is given to clubs who go"above and beyond" the minimum requirement for four trained officers.

"In addition, two chapter members have earned individual awards in public speaking," says Dutton."All in all, we are pleased with progress so far, and believe we are just beginning to see the benefits that will come from having a Toastmasters Club at Samaritan House."

Michael P. speaking at Toastmasters meeting

Terrell is also optimistic about the future of Toastmasters at Samaritan House, citing past successes as the principal motivator to help involve others."The benefits of the Toastmasters communication and leadership programs are tangible with Samaritan Toastmasters," says Randy Terrell."This is not always the case with members of clubs that do not struggle day-to-day to nurture and launch themselves back into society. Many of our members feel confident and good about themselves, (and) then gain employment."

Annual dues for Toastmasters are $54 per resident, which has been underwritten to date by an anonymous Board member. For those interested in sponsoring a resident, or perhaps more than one, contact Steve Dutton at stevedutton@samaritanhouse.org, or call 817-332-6410, ext 107.

Unlikely allies

One hallmark of the Samaritan House community is how it brings people together from many different walks of life. But every once in a while, there’s a case of intersecting paths that seems particularly unlikely.

Genaro has struggled for years with mental illness, specifically Dissociative Identity Disorder – formerly known as multiple personality disorder – which he notes has thrown much of his life into chaos. "I would have periods of blackouts lasting for days,"he recalls, "(so) I self-medicated with drugs and alcohol."

During these periods of substance abuse, Genaro contracted HIV, and though he finally achieved sobriety while in treatment in a Homeward Bound program in 2007, the matter of dealing with his mental health issues lingered, now further complicated by HIV.

Following his time in treatment, Genaro came to Samaritan House, a little over a year ago. There, he found a community that not only tolerated his many challenges, but that recognized great potential in him, in spite of his previous history.

Genaro

Though his current experience at Samaritan House has been very promising, it is not his first time as a resident. "I had heard about Samaritan House when it was on the north side,"he says. "I came to (live there) once for a month, but (I was) full of anger and not accepting (of my) diagnosis, so I left, and came back in 2007."

One factor that has helped make the difference this time is Toastmasters, a public speaking and leadership program sponsored on-site by Samaritan House staff and the Board. Though Genaro may seem an unlikely candidate for such a program, he embraced the challenge.

Assisted by volunteers such as Samaritan House Board member Randy Terrell, the program nurtures residents into finding and using their own voices, and helps them gain the confidence and communication skills they require to gain greater independence.

Randy Terrell speaking at a Toastmasters meeting

A veteran of Toastmasters, Terrell originally came to the Samaritan House Board through a mutual acquaintance of President and CEO Steve Dutton. A former Lieutenant Governor of Marketing for Toastmasters, and a recipient of one of the organization’s top awards for speaking, the Advanced Communicator Gold, Terrell was the ideal ambassador to represent the potential of the program to residents.

For Genaro, the experience has led to more than anyone may have expected. After participating in Toastmasters for about a year, he received the Advanced Communicator Bronze Award from Toastmasters International this past October. A creative person by nature, some of his artwork was published and displayed by Tarrant County College, as part of the More Life Festival in the spring of 2008.

More than these symbolic achievements, Genaro sees greater social value in his experience with Toastmasters. "Toastmasters taught me how to speak to people,"he says. "Now I can very calmly and confidently reach out to people…(Now) I can tell other people about my experience, and they won’t have to go through what I’ve had to do."

Though Terrell recognizes the more selfless benefits of his work in Toastmasters with Samaritan House residents, he sees the experience as personally enriching as well. "My relationship with the members of Samaritan Toastmasters fills me with a great sense of pride and satisfaction,"he says, "which, in turn, builds my confidence in my own abilities."

Perhaps you've promised yourself a fresh start this year. Maybe you've thought about volunteering more, or you've meant to come by and see our growing community, but just haven't made the time. Well, consider this a standing invitation to join us and see these new beginnings first-hand. Give us a call at (817) 332-6410 to arrange a visit, or email me personally at stevedutton@samaritanhouse.org. I'd love to hear from you!