Volunteer Group is Honored for Work; Congregation Beth Torah Prepares Meals for AIDS Patients

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Volunteer Group is Honored for Work; Congregation Beth Torah Prepares Meals for AIDS Patients

Kansas City Star (12.08.01) - Monday, December 17, 2001
Melodee Hall Blobaum

Since May 9, 1993, volunteers from the Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park, Kan., have been responsible for the Sunday night meal at SAVE Home, a midtown Kansas City assisted living facility for men and women with AIDS.

Laura Aaronson, SAVE Home's project coordinator, and Congregation Beth Torah were honored for their efforts last month when they received one of five Ribbon of Hope community service awards from the AIDS Council of Greater Kansas City and the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City. The community service awards honor the volunteers who work with AIDS issues. Mark Anderson, executive director of SAVE Inc., the umbrella organization for SAVE Home, said the agency saves both time and money through the synagogue's largesse: The donated meal is one that the agency doesn't have to cover through its budget, and staff members can take on other tasks rather than spending Sunday afternoons preparing a meal. In addition, the volunteers help increase awareness of the disease in Kansas City, he said.

Randy Corn, manager of SAVE Home said, "Most groups start and go for a couple of years, but then they tire of it." Aaronson hasn't detected any loss of interest in the project on the part of the 75 families who volunteer for it. Some bring meals regularly, others sign up for an annual visit. She recruits on a quarterly basis and at the major Jewish holidays in the fall, when large numbers of Jews attend holiday services at the synagogue. Volunteers receive a reminder packet with a Torah study, directions to the house and guidelines for food safety and nutrition.
011217
AD012183

Copyright © 2001 - Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD. The CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention provides the following information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) articles, fact sheets, press releases and announcements. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update should be cited as the source of the information. Contact the sources of the articles abstracted below for full texts of the articles.

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2001. 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, 2001. 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.