Utica Volunteers
Thank you, Mohawk Valley Volunteers!
AIDS Community Resources praised, dined, and entertained dozens of volunteers on Tuesday, April 17 at Elwood's Coffeehouse & Roadshow in Utica, thanking them for their years of service. Among the many ways they serve, ACR volunteers spread the AIDS prevention message to those who need to hear it.
54-year-old Marc Fisher (third from left in photo) has lived in Utica for the past seven years, and has volunteered as part of ACR’s Safety First street outreach program for the past two. He says of the injection drug users he encounters during outreach, “If they give me two minutes of their time, I’ve got them.”
Fisher says he is effective because he understands the street-scene lifestyle. “I’ve been there. Once you take that first hit, everything else goes out the window.” After years under the influence, Fisher eventually came to understand that he had to get out or die. He was going downhill too fast. “I hadn’t lost my house yet, so I just sat at home and started listening to people. It slowly started sinking in.”
HIV Prevention Specialist, Heidi Venero, says few people can drop a bad habit or addiction cold turkey. “Change happens in small steps over time,” Venero says. AIDS Community Resources’ has Transitional Case Managers like Alexandra Plevritis (middle row, right) who educate and support clients through the process. “I’m extremely proud of the work Marc does, Venero says. “Alexandra and I consider it a privilege to work with our volunteers. We learn many valuable lessons from them.”
After Fisher turned his life around, he turned to AIDS Community Resources as a way to give back to the community. He is proud of his volunteer work and adamant about getting the AIDS prevention message out – especially to young people.
“HIV is nothing to be played with, but many kids just growing up don’t know or believe that. Here’s what I tell them about HIV and AIDS: if you don’t get IT, it will get you.”
CAPTION: April 17, 2007: This group is part of a much larger team that regularly chips in to keep things running smoothly at ACR’s Mohawk Valley office. HIV Prevention Specialist, Heidi Venero, is second from left; Marc Fisher is third from left. Transition Case Manager, Alexandra Plevritis, is at the right of the middle row.