1 post tagged “boston living center”
Back Bay/South End
Have you ever gone to a place and realized that it just feels right? That something in the atmosphere makes you feel good? That is the feeling that I get whenever I volunteer at the Boston Living Center. The BLC is exactly what its name claims - a center for living.
The BLC is
near Back Bay station, but it is tucked away, almost hidden on a side
street so that a passerby might not even notice that it's there. The
BLC stands to serve the HIV/AIDS community. AIDS has now been in the
United States for more than a 25 years. The disease is still widespread
within our country, and much more so internationally, affecting people
from all walks of life. With advancements in drug therapies people are
living longer and healthier lives as HIV positive individuals. But what
about their quality of life? There is a lot of focus on drug therapy,
and of course, proper medication is what allows for people inflicted
with the disease to live. Treatment for the quality of life is not
typically a part of Western medicine. The disease is something that the
individuals have, but it is not who they are, and treatment is all the
more powerful and comprehensive when it involves the the individual
beyond the disease.
That is why places like the BLC are so important. They are here for the treatment and well-being of the people,
not just for the treatment of the disease. The mission of the BLC is to
create a community where people with HIV/AIDS can feel safe and
welcome, where they can receive nutritious meals, a haircut, a massage,
counseling, job training, computer education, and medication. It is a
place to make friends, to hang out, and to be yourself. How can you not
feel good when you go to the BLC? The positive ways that the Living
Center affects its members is clear when you visit, and it is
contagious. If you have not been there, please read the comments below
written by BLC members (from the BLC website):
- Coming to the Boston Living Center and seeing the strength, courage and happiness that so many of the members here exude helps me to find the strength, courage and happiness within myself."
- "The
Boston Living Center has proven to be a great source of comfort and
strength to me. It is one of the few places I can go where I
know I will not be judged, where I know that I am appreciated and
welcomed for simply being a fellow human being.
- "My life has never been better or more productive and I owe a lot to the Boston Living Center for their help in my process"
To
help support the BLC's efforts, Boston Cares has recently posted the
lunch time meal service opportunities on the calendar. Volunteer work
is critical for the success of the BLC. Without volunteers, the meals
program costs substantially more money to run, and money is a critical
resource for every nonprofit. If you have not yet served at the Living
Center - I highly recommend that you do. There is a lot of living going
on behind their doors, and everyone is welcome to be a part of it.
(Top Picture: BLC Pharmacy; Bottom Picture: Volunteers serving lunch)
