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Bike tour, ‘Look Good’
fund-raisers seek help

Volunteers are needed
for Maui AIDS support

Star-Bulletin staff

The Maui AIDS Foundation is seeking volunteers to assist with a range of programs and services for hundreds of people in the county living with HIV/AIDS.

Volunteers provide more than 13,000 hours of support annually and help sustain the agency, said executive director Jon Berliner.

"We could not serve Mauians as effectively as we do without the support of a committed corps of volunteers who have so generously contributed their time, expertise and compassion to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in our community," he said.

Volunteer Services director Naomi Tamura said many positions are available.

The foundation is hosting two major events this summer that rely on volunteers: the 3rd annual Paradise Ride July 25-27 on Maui, Hawaii's only statewide bicycle tour, and the 9th annual "Look Good, Feel Great!" day of health and beauty at Kaahumanu Center on Aug. 27.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority has awarded the AIDS foundation $20,000 for the bicycle event, expected to draw 120 riders and raise more than $200,000 to benefit five HIV/AIDS agencies in Hawaii.

Volunteers are needed to host rest stops, provide route support and help show aloha to the riders, Tamura said.

"Look Good, Feel Great!" will offer hair cuts, manicures, foot massages, makeovers, intuitive counseling and other services. Hair, beauty and health providers are sought, and volunteers are needed to answer phones, help with mailings and support clients.

Berliner said the foundation is experiencing "a wave of increased sickness in our client population that is challenging for us to be able to respond to on our own.

"The epidemic is far from over, especially when one considers the trends in regions like Southeast Asia, that could easily begin replicating themselves in Hawaii if we were to let down our guard."

The Maui foundation recently received $10,000 from the Gill Foundation in Colorado to support its Hawaiian AIDS Education Project, offering resources and information to native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Maui County.

Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS, a New York-based institution, also gave $5,000 for an emergency fund to help clients pay for essential items such as food, medication, acupuncture therapy or dental care.

The Maui AIDS Foundation is the county's only comprehensive AIDS service organization.

Volunteers receive training and support and can work a flexible schedule. For information or to sign up for a shift, call Tamura at 242-4900, extension 114, or email her at naomitT@mauiaids.org

The foundation's Web site is http://www.mauiaids.org