Multifaith Works

Multifaith Works is a non-profit organization founded by the Rev. Gwen Beighle in 1988. Multifaith Works provided housing and support to young gay men who at that time were rapidly dying of AIDS. Reverend Beighle challenged faith communities to set aside their differences to provide emotional support and care for these men who were alone and isolated.^[1]

Multifaith fulfills its mission by helping those living with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illness. In 1997, the agency added the CareTeam Program to provide emotional and practical support to individuals and families living with AIDS. In 1999, Multifaith Works merged with Seattle Shanti, an organization that provided one-on-one peer support to people coping with grief and loss. In 2003 the agency broadened its scope and outreach to those affected with HIV/AIDS, MS and other life-threatening illness who are living in isolation and loneliness.^[2]

Common focus areas

Founded in 1988 as Multifaith AIDS, Multifaith Works’ programs empower clients, who are living with a life-threatening illness, are homeless, or who are in recovery from substance abuse. Multifaith Works’ programs reconnect them with our volunteers through compassionate human connections. Stigmatized and removed from “mainstream” life by disease or homelessness, these people in need often sequester themselves from others. They become lonely, afraid, and have no one with which to communicate. Multifaith Works’ programs strive to address and reconnect these people in need with the community.

Multifaith Works programs

Multifaith Works has three programs focusing on practical and emotional support:

CareTeams

The CareTeam Program matches a team of five to ten volunteers with an individual or a family affected by a life-threatening illness. The team provides emotional support and assistance with daily activities such as shopping or light household duties. These may be difficult for the client to perform without assistance.

Shanti

Seattle Shanti is an organization that provides one-on-one peer support to people coping with grief and loss. Shanti volunteers are matched in one-on-one relationships with clients and provide non-judgmental listening. This allows our clients to explore their feelings, identify issues, and find solutions to those issues on their own.^{[citation needed]}

Shanti volunteers also work with local skilled nursing facilities and in regional correctional facilities. Specially trained volunteers visit those clients who are incarcerated both long and short term, providing non-judgmental companionship. Shanti volunteers also serve the Bailey-Boushay House in Seattle, a nationally recognized facility offering residential care and day health programs for people living with AIDS and other life threatening illnesses.^[3]

Transformational Housing Program

The Transformational Housing Program provides housing, and connection to mental health services to homeless individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The program manages five community-living homes for people living with HIV/AIDS.^[4]

Peer Recovery Network

Multifaith Works is the lead agency for a collaborative project with other agencies that serve the LGTBQI community in the Seattle area. The Peer Recovery Network (PRN) is a group designed to build upon the strengths of the partner agencies. PRN created a new system to support the LGTBQI communities in the process of recovery. A federal government grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration made this possible.

The PRN's goals are to seek to create a peer-driven network of addiction recovery support. The PRN establishes a system by which by which clients with exiting chemical dependency treatments are referred to peer recovery support options. The PRN conducts forums addressing stigma and isolation. The PRN provides clean and sober community-building events. PRN clients can also be volunteers in the Shanti and Care Team programs—providing people in recovery a chance to help them through helping others.

The PRN allows the Shanti model and the Care Teams model to be applied to an entirely new demographic: LGTBQI people in recovery.

References

1. ^ http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews37_38/page6.cfm
2. ^ http://volunteer.united-e-way.org/uwkc/org/219363.html
3. ^ http://www.idealist.org/if/idealist/en/SiteIndex/AssetViewer/default?asset=VolunteerOpportunity&asset-id=187479-33
4. ^ http://www.idealist.org/if/idealist/en/SiteIndex/AssetViewer/default?asset=VolunteerOpportunity&asset-id=187479-33

External links

• Official website