The New York Times - December 22, 1986
Anne-Marie Schiro

The coalition was founded 18 months ago to convince people with AIDS that they have control over their own lives. It cooperates with other social service agencies and with the National Association of People With AIDS, which was formed last March.

"People with AIDS want to talk about it," said Mr. Hirsch, "to tell each other what it was like to tell their parents, what it was like to go through chemotherapy, to share the pain. We needed a place where they could hang out, someplace that wasn't clinical."

In late August they got that place. The Living Room, at 222 West 11th Street, is a cheery, cozy room with white walls, grass-green carpeting, green and white patterned fabric on the chairs and windows, a beige sofa and a round dining table. It has a fireplace, a television set and VCR, a stereo, shelves of books, and windows that look out on the gardens of St. John's Episcopal Church.

It also serves meals on Sunday, Monday and Thursday afternoons - 75 to 100 meals a week - and shows comedy films Saturday afternoons. Brunch is supplied on Sundays by Donald Sacks, a SoHo caterer. A vegetarian meal is brought in every Monday by David Fisch, an upstate chef. On Thursdays the Franciscan friars of St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31st Street provide a meal - usually hot soup and a meat or fish salad. The friars are planning a traditional holiday feast for Christmas Day at the Living Room, as they did for Thanksgiving.

Late on a recent Thursday afternoon, half a dozen men had dropped in to have some curried chicken salad, pass the time and share their feelings about the Living Room. Here are some of their comments:

"This is therapy without the therapist. I feel I belong. They don't all sit around talking about their illnesses, but bits of information are helpful."

"We're building a support group here. If we miss someone, we can go to help him, and maybe someone will help us if we need help someday."

"Instead of sitting around the house and saying I don't have enough strength to go out, I pull myself together because I know I have someplace to go."

"The main lesson you learn is that everyone's story is different." "And we laugh a lot." Volunteers raised $7,000 and donated their time and services to make the Living Room a reality.

A fruitless search for a location had gone on for six months when someone telephoned the Episcopal Bishop of New York, the Rev. Paul Moore Jr., who offered the use of the rector's office and study at St. John's Church on Waverly Place. The rooms were on two floors of a tiny brick house in the church's courtyard.

Joseph O'Hare, a professional decorator, offered his services to help turn the dingy lower floor into a comfortable lounge. The upper floor serves as the coalition's office.

Mr. O'Hare managed to get curtain and upholstery fabric and carpeting donated, as well as kitchen utensils, dishes and much of the labor. The sofa, chairs, dining table, coffee table, stereo and television were purchased.

The coalition also publishes a monthly newsletter and runs weekly support groups for people with AIDS-related complex, for mothers of people with AIDS and for women with AIDS. A Spanish-speaking group is to be added in January. There are also public forums from time to time that are addressed by experts such as doctors, nutritionists or psychologists.

Mr. Hirsch plans to hold more public forums. If he can assemble the volunteers and the funds he would also like to establish a food bank where donations of nonperishable goods would be stored and dispensed to people in need.

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