Upper Valley's ACoRN Growing

Bennett Law

LEBANON, NH -- On August 7, Peggy Whiteneck of Richmond, Vermont, became
the first full—time employee of ACORN (AIDS Community Awareness Resource
Network), the AIDS service organization (ASO) serving the communities of the
Upper Valley. Whiteneck will serve as Executive Director and HIV Education and
Prevention Coordinator, and plans to emphasize her education and prevention
responsibilities.

ACoRN has only recently made
the leap from an all volunteer
effort to securing a paid,
professional staff. In addition to
bringing in Whiteneck, ACoRN
currently supports two part-time
positions, a Coordinator of MSM
(Men who have Sex with Men)
Programs and a Volunteer 5
Coordinator/Office Manager, and
is also recruiting applicants for- ,
its first full—time Client Services

Coordinator. ’ —

   
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
  

This is Whiteneck's first 
experience working for an AIDS .
service organization. Starting in
1981, Whiteneck served on the
administrative team of a
rehabilitation hospital and 
long-tenn care facility in Miami, ,
Florida. A year ago she returned ; '
to New England, where she was
born and raised, on a sabbatical

(Photo: Bennett Law)
which she devoted to her writing. ACoRN Executive Director Peggy Whiteneck

At the end of that year, she made
the decision to remain in
Vermont, and reported finding "clarity of purpose" when she became aware of this
opportunity at ACoRN.

Whiteneck stated that she was attracted to the "culture" at ACoRN: the Board of
Directors, the members of which are voted into office by the agency's clients and
volunteers at an annual meeting, operate by consensus agreement and facilitate the
participation of the clients in the operation of the agency.

In considering the immediate priorities of the agency, Whiteneck noted that her main
concern is the potential for burn out of the volunteers. "The agency has been
operating for four years without professional back—up. The critical priority right now
is to get sufficient energy and support into the infrastructure so that the volunteers
feel supported in their efforts."

"ACoRN, for all its smallness and lack of professional expertise, has been-effective
enough that other ASO's expect a great deal from ACoRN. They expect a level of
professionalism from the organization," said Whiteneck. She anticipates that the
expertise of the agency will be challenged by the requirements for quality of care
and accountability imposed by its external funding organizations, requirements that
she recognizes as "valid and needed."

As Executive Director, Whiteneck hopes to play a supporting role. "It's easy for an
Executive Director to get in people's way. I want to be a‘ catalyst." The leadership
model she aspires to is to be "effective, but invisible in terms of obstacles to the
functioning of others in the organization."

Whiteneck is enthusiastic about the challenges ahead of her. "I hope to be able to
make a positive contribution to prevention of HIV infection. I hope to be a
compassionate presence for those already infected/affected by AIDS, whether the
infected individual or their significant others. I hope that I can make a significant
contribution to the growth of ACoRN without getting in its way."

"It‘s so refreshing to be able to come into an organization and discover already that
there is a compelling vision. They know and can articulate what and who they are. I
don't need to provide that to them." Whiteneck concluded, "I am lucky —— I am real
lucky to have found this organization." V

 

32 N. Champlain St. Burlington VT. 05401
802/864 0 7198 - FAX 802/658 - 1556

November 1995

Memorial Quilt
Continued from page 1

traditional fabric and thread. The Quilt in its entirety is made up of 30,899 panels,
totaling the size of 12 football fields. New panels, commemorating the lives of
Vermonters who have died of AIDS-related illness, will be displayed separately and
included in the NAMES Project Quilt as part of the closing ceremonies on December
2.

Those who have seen the Quilt concur that it is a powerful experience, and often
surprisingly so. "I don't think people are aware of what they'll get from this," said

Dave Landers, Ceremonies co-chair. "It's a very powerful statement about AIDS  It '

personalizes the epidemic. We forget that it's not just numbers. This is a celebration
of 872 individuals and individual stories." Paul Olsen, organizer of the Interfaith
Service, agreed, "I think living in Vermont  seeing the Quilt helped me understand
the magnitude (of the epidemic)  You realize just how big this really is."

Landers, like many of his peers on Project Remembrance, see the Quilt as an
awareness raising tool. With many school groups attending, Landers hopes for a
subsequent willingness on the part of school administrators who see the display to
include AIDS education in their curriculum. He also plans to have at least one team
of volunteers at the opening ceremonies made up of school board and parent/teacher

— organization members. In addition, part of the Quilt's power is in getting people to

think twice about infection and the risk factors associated with HIV. It is both a
celebration of lives and a reminder of what HIV infection can do. Said Olsen, "If we
change the behavior of one person as a result of  this project, it's worth it."

Does the Quilt fight homophobia, or work against the stigma of AIDS as a "gay
disease"? "Hopefully," said Landers, "That's part of humanizing." Landers described
the panel made in memory of Burlington's Church Street "Pretzel Man," Chris Reed,
which will be included as part of the NAMES Project in December. It features a
pretzel cart, a depiction of Church Street, and cows. "You think of Chris, not a gay
man who died," he said.

Olsen mentioned the breadth of the kinds of people included in the Quilt, as well as
the scheduled address by Jeanne White. Ryan White was a hemophiliac, and Ms.
White, "does her part to address that issue (i.e. homophobia)." The Quilt, he_ said, "is
real  people from from all walks of life."

_ The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt will be displayed at Tarrant Recreation

Center on the Saint Michael's College campus in Colchester, with the following
schedule:
Monday, November 27 - Community Interfaith Service beginning at 7:00pm,

Saint Michael's Chapel 9
Thursday, November 30 - Display open 7:00-9:00pm; opening ceremonies at 7:00pm
Friday, December I — Display open 9:00am-9:00pm
Saturday, December 2 - Display open 9:00am-6:00pm; closing ceremonies at

6:00pm
All events are free and open to the public. Donations will benefit Vermont CARES.
For more information call the Saint Michael's College public relations ofiice at
(802)654-2535. V

FLYNN

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