San Francisco Chronicle - Friday, December 7, 2001
Lord Martine

Upon entrance to the stately marble wonder, security is tight. You will be required to present photo ID, send your Coach wallets and Fendi baguettes through X-ray and prance like vixen through a metal detector. Be sure to blow kisses to the photo of President George Bush hanging above the building's directory.

Within Cafe 450, you may experience high school cafeteria deja vu. As in those better-repressed days of purgatory, you'll grab a tray and meander down the buffet. Teal neon signs script out the words "Fog Delicatessen and Grille, " and "Golden Gate Platter." Isn't that clever?

The baiting island in the center of the room presents temptations that dwarf those reality TV show babes. There's a bountiful salad and sandwich bar with cheeses, meats, fruit and Asian noodle salad. (Build your own for $.32/oz. ) The "Soup Stop" offers Santa Fe black bean for $1.95 a bowl. And don't dare say no to the host of other all-American vices riddled with caffeine, fat and sugar such as Rice Krispy Treats, chocolate pecan bars, banana cream pie and bundt cake ($.75 to $1.50).

Forgive me, father, for I have sinned. (Yeah, well, what the hell's new?) Rybicki sits calmly before me with a curried chicken salad and couscous wrap ($5.25) from the "Menutainment" bar. Cropped sandy-blond and silver hair halo his honest blue-gray eyes -- just like his mother's, he said.

He moved here 4 1/2 years ago from Chicago to oversee Shanti, an organization that provides practical and emotional support to people living with HIV/AIDS. Rybicki's 48-plus-hours-a-week job is spent fund-raising, building collaborations with other agencies and public relations.

He's also on the board for Habitat for Humanity and St. Mary's Hospital, among other groups. But Rybicki says he does his best thinking on a StairMaster and loves spending time with his partner and speaking to his mother (who lives in Chicago) each day.

By the way, yours truly became a Shanti volunteer last April. The experience has been life-changing. Heaven knows I need a lot of that. Founded by Charles Garfield in 1974, Shanti was created to serve cancer patients. In the '80s the focus shifted to HIV/AIDS. But the direction continued to change.

"The kinds of services we do for our clients are very different than what we did 10 years ago," Rybicki said. "People are living longer with a better quality of life."

The organization started the LIFE (Learning Immune Function Enhancement) program, which examines how biological and social factors, relationships, stress, adherence to medical regimens, nutrition and exercise collectively affect the immune system.

And it is developing a program for breast cancer patients called Lifelines, which mirrors Shanti's service menu for AIDS.

"To be able to take the lessons we've learned throughout the AIDS epidemic and apply them to other communities is the good that came out of all of this," Rybicki says.

The spacious Cafe 450 is designed with oak grid work and track lighting at the ceiling, chrome trims, green glass sconces and lush plants. One wall features prose with titles such as "Honor," "Unity" and "Environment" etched into glass. Rybicki tells me they are usually lighted from behind. But, like the escalators in the Federal Building, the lights are down, presumably to conserve electricity.

Thomas Drake, chef and manager of Cafe 450, changes the menu daily. You can always find something special on the Culinary Table. The day I visited they offered a London broil with roasted rosemary potatoes, fresh vegetables and bread for $5.50. Order plates such as a California lemon dill shrimp melt with fries ($5) from the Fresh Grill.

Or, grab a quick, pre-made sandwich on baguette from the "Upper Crust" fridge. The Brie, tomato and cucumber and the chicken with mango relish ($4.35 each) looked particularly appetizing.

Amid a rumble of chatter, laughter and chair rearranging, our conversation continued while I munched on the vegetarian lasagna verdi ($4.25) generously crammed with chunks of bell pepper, squash and whole mushrooms. Rybicki told me that a small army of 200 Shanti volunteers currently serves up to 1,700 clients.

Recently the staff created a client drop-in center at the 730 Polk St. location that welcomes 80-90 men, women and children each day from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The comfortable lounge provides a space where people can go during the day.

"It's safe, they can rest, make a phone call and seek support," Rybicki said.

"The staff says they get more accomplished during those hours than sitting behind a computer all day."

Because so many nonprofit organizations have experienced a financial pinch since Sept. 11, I asked if Shanti had noticed a change.

"We've noted that some volunteers coming into the training say it was because of the attacks," he said. "Regarding fund-raising, Shanti is currently at 65 or 70 percent of where we are normally at this time. But we won't know the final numbers until the end of the year. Without our donors, none of this would happen. I'd give my last $20 to Shanti."

With my last $20, I'd nab a Haagen-Dazs ice cream bar ($2.20) from the Nestle ice cream freezer; then donate the rest. Uh . . . maybe.

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