Words can't explain this experience...

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

- Margaret Mead 

I can't begin to describe the impact that each and every one of you have made in just one week while serving a community. Throughout the week, we became aware of the fact that there are many challenges that contribute to the HIV/AIDS crisis. However, I hope you'll realize that you can never underestimate the power of the individual and how your interactions with people can change their world.  And find there is nothing more beautiful than that. Seeing you all develop into leaders and active citizens was inspiring. Thank you for allowing me to share my passion and commitment to serve the HIV/AIDS communities in NYC and DC. 

Elenor A.

Blog by Julie S.

Thursday March 20th, 2014


Today we had the special privilege to conduct a group discussion with Dr. David Ho, the scientific director of Aaron Diamond Aids Research center also recognized for his major contribution to the discovery of the "cocktail therapy" used worldwide. The previous night, we were given a brief introduction on Dr. Ho's research and his significant role in the study of retroviral diseases. During this time we had the opportunity to devise questions we were curious to ask Dr. Ho. We were all honored to hold a discussion with Dr. Ho himself. We were provided answers to questions that were not published anywhere else, but only discussed in the room we had gathered.

Afterwards, we visited the TCC center. Today, the center was celebrating all of the residents born in the month of March. The place was jamming with hits ranging from the 70s-80s. Residents were socializing, breaking moves on the dance floor, and singing along in enjoyment. It was so exciting to see the residents radiating with positive energy and excitement. To my surprise, many of the residents I assumed were quite reserved had shown a completely different yet fun side to themselves. It made me really happy to see smiles across all of the resident's faces.

At the beginning of the party, I sat next to Mr. Alan. I first asked him,  'How is your day?' he replied with a smile looking up to the sky 'Well, i'm so happy I woke up, I get to live another day, I woke up'. These people are counting days while I have yet to truly understand how beautiful life really is. His words really left a deep imprint in me and offered me motivation that instant to change my perspective of life. By appreciating all the small pieces in life that are integral to creating the grand picture, life can truly be so much more meaningful.

Towards the end of the party, I met up with James for the second time. He had brought his poetry book with him to share. As several of us were playing spades with James, I had the opportunity to look through several of his poetry pieces. By reading through just two lines of his poetry, I was already struck in awe. His technical, witty, and powerful writing made me doubtful whether or not James had really written these pieces, but of course he had written all of these amazing pieces of his anthology. His pieces of work all deserve to be more publicized and recognized.

Blog by Brady S.

Saturday March 22nd, 2014

            Alright, so it is the end of the week and lots of people have already posted about their incredible experiences in NYC. I’ll try to give something new to the blog post. Coming into this week, I’ll admit that I was pretty nervous about sleeping on a church floor in Brooklyn for a week with a group of people I didn’t know too well. I predicted that the service would be fun, but no one could have told me how much of an impact it would have had on my life.  By reading the blog many of you have probably heard about the truly inspiring residents that we all had the pleasure of meeting. I felt so honored to listen to all the anecdotes, histories, and jokes of the residents. The new perspective I have on HIV/AIDS and life in general will stick with me long after this trip comes to a close.

            Something happened today that really made the trip come full circle. The morning was full of tourist activities starting in the wee hours of the morning when many of us were less than thrilled to be awake. The stuffed animals in F.A.O. Schwartz cheered us up very quickly. Then after some time looking through the exhibits at The Museum of the City of New York, it was time to split the group to visit two new service locations. I was picked to go to a church around Greenwich Village that serves dinner to people living with AIDS every Saturday night. Another great community of volunteers and clients who made you forget about the small struggles of every day life.

            Leaving the church, we walked right past The Stonewall Inn, one of the iconic locations for the gay rights movement in New York City. A father was standing out front with his two young daughters telling them that people can love whomever they want to love and that it is “one of the greatest things about this country.” He continued by telling them that he had lots of gay friends and that he wanted to bring them to this location as a way of teaching them about civil rights. WOW. I was speechless. This week had been difficult at times to think about how much progress needs to be made with regards to the AIDS stigma and crisis, but this was reassurance that the world is changing. These two young members of the future generation will be able to see the world in a new light. These types of changes occur in a vast range of social issues including HIV/AIDS and it took an incident like this to remind me of this fact.

            I can easily add this experience to one of the most memorable and life changing of my life. Thank you NYC ASB 2014!

Last day bits

Today is Friday, the last day we are volunteering at TCC. Today's finally a warm spring-like day, which we have waited all week for. However, ironically the warm weather only arrived when we were about to leave New York. Contrary to what I thought before the trip, this week went by extremely quickly. At first, I thought the hours from 10am-4pm every day would pass by very slowly, or at least very tediously. This is probably because I had no clue what our interactions with the residents at TCC would be like. However, we've had such a blast at TCC, and none of us could have imagined that the week would end so soon. The night before, we all stayed up to make personal cards for the residents that we connected with, and on Friday the residents were overjoyed to receive cards from us. I had made cards for Scott (who I lived vicariously through), Shantella (who taught me the basics of Spades), and James (who taught me how to play advanced Spades). All of them were really about to cry....and that makes me want to cry. Just me being there was enough for them to well up with tears, and how could I not be moved by my own week spent at TCC? I think all of us were thinking the same thing, and that was how this week went from the most unknown experience in the world to something we would want to continue to do in the future. Leaving TCC in the afternoon was a bittersweet moment, since we knew we had brought the residents a sense of companionship that they haven't felt in years, yet we could only do so much in the mere 5 days that we stayed in New York.

This Alternative Break experience was something I could have never experienced anywhere else, and I was so glad to have taken this extraordinary opportunity in only my second semester of college. This trip inspires me to go on more AB experiences in the future, and to make more of an impact on the world that we all share. I have made so many new friends on this trip, and they bring me so much joy when we work together. AB makes friendships into a cooperative effort to make a difference, and I can never be grateful enough for this chance of a lifetime. Thank you, TCC, and thank you, AB!

-Jason Hsiao
March 21, 2014

Blog by Kabria H.

Wednesday, March 19th 2014

Originally I had planned on going on an Alternative Winter Break trip to North Carolina, however I was waitlisted and instead I signed up for the ASB New York Trip to service individuals with HIV/AIDS at Terence Cardinal Cooke Arch Care. Coming into my first alternative break experience, I never thought that I would meet such amazing people or create so many new friendships that I would not have known otherwise.

            Today I met two new residents, who reminded me of the power of friendship. I was excited to meet the first one because  most of us see him every morning wheeling himself back and forth in his wheelchair across the first floor. The second resident apparently rarely leaves the second floor, so he was a new face. I began speaking to the second one, and we talked about where he was from, what he liked to do, and my favorite topic, food.  Then our conversation shifted, and we began talking about family. He told me of his two daughters, one who didn’t live that far away, and his grandchildren. I had a met a patient yesterday who said his daughters live in New York too, and they visit all the time, so I thought that he would have a similar situation. Sadly, I was wrong…

            I inquired as to if they visited him a lot, and he stated how they didn’t. He explained how they don’t visit, write, or even call. He even participates in the horticulture projects that TCC offers as a recreational activity for it’s residents and gives his plants to his daughters, and while they appreciate the gesture, they don’t necessarily continue to care for the plants (his gifts). He stated that often times he feels stranded, as if they left him.  I couldn’t even imagine how it must feel to have family so close, yet so far away at the same time.

            However moments later the first resident joined in our conversation and stated that the resident to whom I was talking to was his best friend. He told Haley, Abby, and I  “Wherever he goes I go”. My heart melted, it was the sweetest thing I had ever heard.  Although the resident to whom I spoke to didn’t return the compliment, he did express a look of comfort and agreement on his face, knowing that he had someone there for him and that he was there for someone else too. The first resident even thanked us for bringing him onto a floor other than the second one since he rarely leaves it. We ran into them a few other times that day and each time they met another ASB participant the first resident would always introduce the other as his best friend. Watching them interact and how they spoke to each other I caught a glimpse of my best friend and I in them.  It made me smile. She always imagines how we are going to be acting together when we are old.  I hope we turn out like the residents that I met today because they haven’t been the luckiest people in life, but somehow they managed to find each other and sometimes all you need is that one person by your side and that can make things just a little bit easier.

Kabria H.

Blog by Aaron A.

Monday, March 17th 2014

   Today was our second day at Terrance Cardinal Cooke Healthcare, and it would be an understatement to say that it was different from the first. As I entered the experience yesterday, I was apprehensively entering a completely different environment than I had ever been in before in a geriatric care unit. For some reason or another, I was somewhat ignorant to the fact that it was a nursing home type facility, and being presented with this information just before I met with the patients caught me off guard. I would say that yesterday was spent more assimilating myself with the type of work that I would be doing all week, as well as with the people that I would be working with.

      After having that self-entitled adjustment day yesterday, today was a much smoother, more enjoyable experience. It was made even easier by the relaxed nature of the recreational therapists that we were working with. Their goal seems to be simply to give the residents of the facility a good time, all while maintaining their occupational and physical abilities through the residents’ participation in these activities.  Knowing these goals has made our job even easier, allowing us to have focus in the things we do. Another thing that made today so successful was that we already developed a rapport with a number of patients in the population. Having these relationships already established to a small extent made it easier to build upon them, as well as establish new relationships with other patients. It seemed as though having already been with the population for a day had made us seem more reputable, both to the patients we interact with and ourselves. The residents were much more willing to interact with us today, and I think that our increased level of confidence made us much more approachable and easy to get along with.

       One interaction that was especially memorable began in an intimidating way. A shorter, skinny man made eye contact with me from across the recreation room, and stood up and stomped over towards me, seemingly armed for confrontation. “Have you seen my book?” he said in a somewhat argumentative voice. Startled, I quickly stammered in response to what I thought was an accusation as he pulled out a book with a picture of a younger version of him on the front cover. As the conversation progressed, I learned a great deal about his remarkable experiences. He had attended Boston University, where he went on the law school and eventually practice in Philadelphia. He faced a great deal of adversity in his life, and used his expertise to fight this the terrible injustice that had affected his family in a court of law. Eventually, he was a victor in the court case over a multi-million dollar corporation, which is the subject of his book. This man, due to his demeanor and style of communication, would not be someone that I would expect to have been such a respected individual in their community who has fought and defeated a major issue. The fact that he was so proud of what he had done actually made me view all of the patients a little differently. I had generally only had insight into what I could see, which in general was elderly patients who were battling a virus and losing their ability to function in society. Meeting him made it ever more real that these people had led lives outside of the confines of the floors of TCC, and will make it much more easier to connect with the residents as we move through the week.

Aaron A.

Blog by Haley W.

Monday, March 17th 2014

Our first day at Terence Cardinal Cooke, our first few “UNO” games with its willing residents, my first experience of not not knowing what to say but rather not knowing if I ever would, the difference being terrifying worry multiplied ten fold. I wrote before coming on this trip how I expected it to be a transformative one, how I— direct journal quote (something I’ve never revealed before)— “hope I’m able to touch the lives of people who may need it, that they touch mine in ways I need, and that all is better for it.” I hadn’t considered that the exchanging of wisdom, life lessons, what have you, could be so painful. Acknowledging that everyone has something to share and teach us is one thing, a beautiful thing, recognizing that we cannot choose our lessons, however, is another. Entirely. I’ve only yet experienced our single day at TCC, only our first few card games with the residents, yet somehow by some power of vulnerability or subconscious searching or pure happenstance, some of these lessons have already been revealed to me.  

            The first came delivered framed: “The ‘gift of life’, God’s special gift, is no less beautiful when it is accompanied by illness or weakness, hunger or poverty, mental or physical handicaps, loneliness or old age,” a beautiful reminder by Terence Cardinal Cooke himself at the Flower Wing entrance to the clinic. The second was a more simple reminder of the kindness of the human spirit in the form of Tom, Maggie, Jesus, Lorelei, and Donna, some of the many names that make up the heart of TCC: its most honorable staff. The third was a bitter pill, which I, unfortunately, forgot to take with a spoonful of lesson one’s wisdom. I was caught unarmed, unprepared, unsuspecting, and just entirely and utterly off guard: life’s preciousness, when it is only partially sustaining, feels so easy to put into question for feelings of anger and regret over the inexplicable, arbitrary, unreasonable lottery that is birth. Witnessing otherwise beautiful faces beholden to a mind and body engineered by an unforgiving, merciless, lazy son of a bitch of a nervous system is immediately haunting and equally saddening and absolutely maddening. There are no more words for it. At least for now.  

            The day ended with a final challenging yet clarifying message, kinder words that went something like: FIND the silver lining though the silver be but a sliver! Today’s silver lining was “UNO”, a true unifier; it was Mr. A’s newfound voice; it was in Mr. S’s jokes and the cocky tilt of Mr. C’s hat; it was in my fellow serving Terps, in the meal we all prepared together, and in the promise of tomorrow’s sliver.

Haley W.

Day #5 of ASB NYC - Dr. David Ho and TCC Birthday Bash!

 

Today started off with another amazing special event. As if it wasn't enough to spend last night at a taping of 106 & Park, this morning we had the incredible opportunity to meet with Dr. David Ho, the scientific director and chief executive officer of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center. With 20 years of HIV/AIDS research under his belt, 400 publications, and countless other awards and honors, Dr. Ho is one of the most influential and accomplished scientists of our time. Needless to say, we were all pretty excited to get an hour of his time.

After a quick trip to downtown Manhattan (as opposed to our usual destination on 103rd street), we arrived at the center and were seated around a long conference room table. Most of the walls in the room were lined with bookshelves that housed volumes of scientific encyclopedias and magazine holders carrying the latest issues of JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine. As soon as Dr. Ho arrived, I immediately noticed his warm and humble demeanor. He welcomed us to the center and gave us an overview of its origin in the late 1980's as well as the contributions the center has made to AIDS treatment and prevention. After that, he opened the floor for questions, and boy did we have a lot to ask. Our questions ranged from the story of his own career path to the technical aspects of his research to his views on policy matters to advice for aspiring doctors and scientists. Dr. Ho answered every one of our questions honestly and thoughtfully. It was truly inspiring to hear Dr. Ho's insight, particularly his advice to aspiring scientists.

Following our session, we were able to take a brief tour of the rest of the facilities. We got to see incredible (and super expensive) equipment at work, as well as learn their role in the research process. Unfortunately, we didn't get to spend much time looking around the lab, but it was a great experience nonetheless.

By that time, it was nearing noon and we needed to get to TCC. When we arrived, we ate lunch and were immediately put to work setting up for that afternoon's big event. At TCC, the staff throws a huge party every month to celebrate all of the residents who had a birthday that month, complete with drinks, ice cream, cake, and music. At first it struck me as sort of odd that the staff would spend so much time and effort just to throw a huge party every single month, but as we set up the party room, it dawned on me that the people at TCC view birthdays differently than a lot of us probably do. Most people might take their birthday for granted, blowing it off as "just another day" that's going to come around again next year. But for the residents at TCC, there might not be a next year. Every birthday deserves a huge celebration, because making it through a year of life is definitely not easy.

Once we had set up the party room, we started bringing down residents. For most of them, the party seemed to be the highlight of their week, if not month, and expressed how excited they were... mostly for a piece of cake. With the stereo blasting some classic tunes, the party was live from the beginning. It was great to see the residents interacting with one another, laughing, dancing, and singing along to the music. I myself couldn't resist joining in when "Respect" came on.

After the cake had been served, I met up with one of my favorite residents, who showed me a binder full of his own original poems. He had mentioned that he was a writer when we first met, but I had no idea that it was a serious career. After reading a few of his pieces, I was struck by how raw and moving his words were. Most of the poems revolved around the emotional themes of culture, identity, and spirituality. I told him that he should seriously consider getting his work published, to which he replied, "Oh, I already am negotiating with a publisher. We still have to work some things out, which can be hard to do when you're in a place like this." When he told me that, I felt a strange sense of pride. It really was a testament to his passion and his talent that he was still able to create and strive to get his art out into the world despite having one of the most debilitating diseases you can have.

By that point, a few other participants had come by to marvel at this resident's poetry. After reading something so emotionally charged, we needed something to uplift us, so we decided to play Spades! (which I've come to learn is a very addicting card game) The game became pretty intense, and despite our trip leaders telling us we needed to go, we ended up playing to the very last minute. My partner and I ended up winning, so in the end it was all worth it; a perfect end to a pretty darn perfect day. :)

~Babette Newman