Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Los Angeles Times (LT) - THURSDAY October 3, 1996 Edition: Home Edition Section: Metro Page: 5 Pt. B Story Type: Brief Word Count: 529
Deborah Belgum; Times Staff Writer
The center, called Friends Without Barriers, is an informal place where people who are HIV-positive or who have AIDS can stop in and chat, get counseling, a massage, lunch and some compassion from founder Alma Martinez.
Martinez, who has a full-time job caring for babies born infected with HIV or addicted to drugs, decided to start the center after she learned in 1989 that a close relative was HIV-positive.
"That led me on my journey," she said.
Martinez felt that she could make a difference by helping other HIV-infected individuals shoulder the hard times they experience by creating a center to give them the love and support they sometimes do not get from their families.
She has seen her own relative survive after seven years with the AIDS virus and she feels she could help other HIV-positive victims.
"There is a lot of hope if there is early treatment," she said. "Their mental health is very important, whether you think you are going to die or survive. It makes a big difference."
Friends Without Barriers was organized in July 1994 at a different location in Hawthorne. Later that year, the ceiling caved in and Martinez temporarily moved her center in early 1995 to the Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center in Hawthorne. But many of the clients felt uncomfortable going to a hospital because they already had spent so much time at medical facilities.
After much searching, she came across a small business building at 4249 W. Imperial Highway where 25 to 30 clients, 75% of them Spanish-speaking, can drop in any time except Sunday and find a counselor. There are free support groups, massages, lunches and testing for the virus.
The center, which celebrated its grand opening last week, wants to turn another suite into a nursery so that mothers who are HIV-positive or have AIDS can drop by for therapy and a massage or just find someone to talk to.
Clients find it a soothing change from the isolation and depression they normally feel.
"This is my house," said 31-year-old Adolfo, a client who asked that his last name not be used. None of his family or friends knows he is infected. This is the only place he can go to talk about his problems, Adolfo said.
"If it weren't for Alma, I doubt if I would be here," said Martin Shields, a 47-year-old client who has been coming to the center for months. "She's better than any grandmother or mother."
When Shields ended up in the hospital last year, it was Martinez who was there to hold him and comfort him. "You can cry here and nobody will look at you funny," Shields said.
The day-to-day operations are run by Sister Elizabeth Wilbers, who also is an AIDS counselor and educator. Four other people are on the staff, including George Meza, the center's mental health director.
Friends Without Barriers is funded in part by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange and the Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center.
CAPTION: Photo: Alma Martinez, right, founder of the center, chats with a client. IRIS SCHNEIDER / Los Angeles Times
Copyright © 1996 - Los Angeles Times. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Los Angeles Times, Permissions, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. http://www.latimes.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1996. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1996. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .