San Francisco Chronicle - September 19, 2008
Shelah Moody, smoody@sfchronicle.com.

Starrett was a paddler on the U.S. Women's Whitewater Rafting Team and has worked as a professional river guide, taking people on adventures from California to Oregon.

In 2003, she and her husband, Kelly, founded Camp Liquid, an eight-day summer camp for young people (15 to 20) living with HIV and AIDS to learn basic whitewater kayaking skills. Starrett also works with Girl Ventures, (www.girlventures.org) a San Francisco nonprofit that strives to empower teenage girls through creative arts and outdoor adventures such as camping, backpacking and rock climbing.

Liquid is an offshoot of Healing Waters, a San Francisco nonprofit that provides outdoor adventures for adults living with HIV and AIDS (www.hwaters.org).

According to Starrett, young people with HIV and AIDS face two challenges: living with illness and coping with ignorance and discrimination about the disease. She said they often feel isolated, emotionally and physically.

"We had a girl from Southern California, and she had never met another kid with HIV in her life until she came to our camp," said Starrett. "A lot of these kids are closeted in their communities because if they come out at their high schools, or even to their extended family members, they'd face discrimination. That was the reason that Kelly and I both found this population to be so compelling."

Liquid is staffed entirely by volunteers.

"We were lucky enough, in our first year, to get a doctor, Ed Handelsman," said Starrett. "He comes every year as our camp doctor, which is a necessary thing. We need someone who can administer medication and monitor the health of all the kids."

One of Starrett's goals is to attract teens in the Bay Area who are living with HIV and AIDS. Although the camp attracts kids from other states and Southern California, she said, "we have not yet identified a kid or a group of kids who are HIV positive and live in the Bay Area and are ready to come to our camp."

Starrett believes the outdoor adventures improve the young people's physical and mental well-being.

Because it is such an extreme physical challenge, Starrett, who holds a bachelor's degree in environmental science policy and management from UC Berkeley, said, "They really do experience a certain amount of physical success, which I think is very important for someone living with a life-threatening illness."

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Each week, The Chronicle features a Bay Area resident who has won a Jefferson Award for making a difference in his or her community. The awards are administered by the American Institute for Public Service, a national foundation that honors community service. Bay Area residents profiled in The Chronicle are also featured on CBS5-TV and KCBS-AM, which are Jefferson Award media partners, along with The Chronicle.

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