Getting the Word Out

After decades of service, St. Mary’s C.A.R.E. program turns to the community for some TLC

BY JAMIE WETHERBE

Dan Rafferty was near death when he came to St. Mary’s C.A.R.E. program 10 years ago. “My T cells were down to 19,” says Rafferty, who was HIV positive and without health insurance. “They started me with a doctor and on a medication routine. Within six months, I became undetectable – they saved my life.”

When Comprehensive AIDS Resource and Education (C.A.R.E.) at St. Mary Medical Center lost a government grant, Rafferty, along with another volunteer, began running the food bank offering aid to 70 families. “I look at it as a way to give back,” he explains. And C.A.R.E. has been in need of some helping hands.

Long Beach has the second highest HIV infection rate in the state – higher than that of Los Angeles – still, in recent years several of the county’s HIV programs have closed. C.A.R.E. now sees more than 80 percent of those living with AIDS and HIV in Long Beach. This one-stop-shop offers medical and dental clinics, case management services, mental health care, HIV prevention and testing, clinical trials, transportation services – to name a few – all under one roof. “There’s really nothing we don’t offer,” says Dr. Mark Davis, C.A.R.E.’s program director.

The medical community and clients alike have praised the nonprofit and its staff of 50 for providing high-quality HIV care, regardless of clients’ ability to pay. Still, C.A.R.E. doesn’t receive the same attention as its Los Angeles counterparts. “It’s a challenge reminding everyone we’re a part of L.A. County,” says Davis. “We’ve been here since 1986, and people in the community still don’t know about us.”

During the past year, Davis has made it his mission to draw attention to Long Beach and C.A.R.E. “I have a big mouth,” he laughs, “and I’m open to working with others in the community.”

Along with popular events like the Long Beach Triathlon, which raises $50,000 for C.A.R.E., residents have gotten creative by hosting their own fundraisers – from dinner parties to drag shows – and the added cash has helped C.A.R.E.’s bottom line. “Nobody ever knew we needed help, so shame on us for not asking,” says Davis. “We’re finally in the black after 21 years. We’re stronger than we’ve ever been before.”

While government funding accounts for almost all of C.A.R.E.’s $6 million annual budget, Davis hopes the community will continue to keep C.A.R.E. in mind when it comes to donating money and time. St. Mary’s relies on volunteers to do everything from bagging groceries to working the front desk or, as Davis suggests, “Send money!” ‘Tis the season.

For more information on St. Mary’s C.A.R.E. program, visit www.careprogram.org

COMMUNITY

South Bay Hooray!

Dottie Wine, the president of The South Bay Center, shares both the history and a glimpse of the worthy organizations future

BY JONATHAN RIGGS

FRONTIERS: Tell me a little about The South Bay Center.

DOTTIE WINE: Everyone involved is a volunteer—we have no paid staff. With that context in mind, my title is President and Chair of the Board. I suppose we could add to that “founder,” although I like to think of myself as the “catalyst.”

You’re also the founder?

I moved to the South Bay and connected with others who had been there a while. The SBC emerged over the next several months with the active involvement of a couple dozen people. I’m proudest of the fact that the SBC is 18 years old. I cannot take sole credit—it has truly been a team effort.

What kinds of services does The South Bay Center offer?

Mainly social and educational services. Unless someone frequents bars (and there is only one remaining in the South Bay, sadly), it’s not very easy to find each other. We provide a website to publicize our own events and to provide links to a variety of other services, organizations, and events. Whenever possible, we make ourselves available as a resource to other organizations, like Community Help Line and Being Alive South Bay.

What are some upcoming Center events and programs?

Our current event with the longest history is Stonewall Grounds Coffee House. (Hopefully, someone interested in hosting will contact us after reading this article!) We also have an LGBT Open Mic Night, an active PFLAG chapter and hold a men’s group, a women’s group, and a couple’s group. We also are open every Friday night, thanks to board member Jim Dawson.

The Center is in a period of transition, right?

We are having to relocate from the space we have shared with Being Alive South Bay. It is our hope to stay in Torrance.

How can you tell that the SBC is making a difference?

Over the years, countless individuals have told us how delighted they were to find that there’s something for the community in the South Bay. More aerospace industry companies have LGBT support groups than when we started—the “T” was added largely through the efforts of one woman getting on the phone. We are sought-after as participants in the Community Help Line training to provide input to their section on sexuality sensitivity training.

Anything else you’d like to say?

We exist in a conservative area. The mere fact that we are still here after 18 years is a testament to both the need for a local connection and to the dedication of so many volunteers, since we have operated without paid staff from day one. We would like to change that, and are looking at ways to get funding to expand our services to the South Bay LGBT community.

For more information, visit www.southbaycenter.org

SCENE

Super Geeks

Realtime Support rescues clients from their worst IT disasters

BY JAMIE WETHERBE

We’ve all been there. Up past midnight, alone with the computer and a massive latte, trying to meet a deadline quickly approaching at dawn. And then, when we least expect it – or need it – the computer gods frown upon us. And BLEEP. The document is gone – just like that…. and the computer … has died.

Realtime Support, which offers IT help, Web solutions and creative design, aims to give clients in their most desperate tech situations a simple solution. “Whether it’s a home user or a Fortune 500 company, my main focus is customer service,” says Hersh. “You don’t get that anymore.”

Realtime features a full-service computer retail location in Long Beach as well as 24/7 tech support. And if you call frantically at midnight, you will likely end up talking to the company’s head honcho. “I typically answer after-hours calls,” says Paul Hersh, owner and CEO of Realtime.

Hersh promises that you’ll never wait for hours on hold. After contacting Realtime, someone, usually a computer technician, will call back in less than 30 minutes to set up an appointment. Yes, they come right to your home or office to fix the problem – and have a 98 percent success rate when it comes to data recovery.

“If we can’t fix it, you don’t pay.” Meaning, if somehow your Mac or PC is toast, Hersh will credit the labor charges toward a new computer at his shop, and clients usually get a good deal. “I sell close to wholesale because we make our money on the labor, and the customer saves up to $200 on their computer,” explains Hersh.

While Realtime has grown to a staff of 30 since opening its doors in 2002, Hersh never intended to own his own business. “I almost fell into it,” he says. “I literally started with a few dollars in my pocket.”

Hersh’s background in computers dates back to the early ’80s, and his resume includes everything from computer repair to production management. Word soon caught on that if there was a tech problem, Hersh was the man to call. “Everyone with a home computer would ask me to come out,” he says, “and I built up a client list.”

Hersh’s partner of 18 years even helps out with Realtime design projects from time to time. “He’s more creative,” says Hersh, “I’m more business and customer service.”

The company has been endorsed by several vendors and business organizations but it’s the testimonials posted on the website that really speak to the service. Seriously, when was the last time your computer repair experience was so enjoyable you wrote a thank you note?

For more information on Realtime Support, including its creative design and video production divisions, visit. www.realtimesupport.com.

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Third Anniversary for the Boys

Go-go boys, drag queens, and the latest pop and hip-hop hits entice five hundred guys to show up every Friday to Club Boys Room, Long Beach’s Friday night hotspot. Friday, Jan. 18, the event turns three with a blow-out bash offering prize giveaways that include videos from TLA, underwear from Just Us Boys, and CDs and posters from Interscope Records. “It’s our way of thanking the many people who come out each week for making us the most popular Friday destination in the South Bay and Orange County,” says promoter David Fong. The fun starts at 9 p.m. at Executive Suite (3428 E. Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach). 562/597-3884.

Life is a Cabaret

Berlin’s infamous Kit Kat Club, where anything goes and fantasies come to life, materializes in Long Beach as Cabaret opens International City Theatre’s 2008 season. “Last season we turned ICT into Freddie’s Singapore Café for Song of Singapore and it worked so well, we wanted to do another play in a cabaret setting,” says ICT artistic director Shashin Desai. Based on Christopher Isherwood’s “Berlin Stories,” Cabaret features beloved songs including “Willkommen,” “Two Ladies,” and “Cabaret.” Shows are Feb. 8 to March 9 at Long Beach Performing Arts Center (300 E. Ocean Boulevard). For tickets and information, call the ICT Box Office at 562/436-4610 or log onto www.ictlongbeach.org. 

Life is a Bazaar

Long Beach AIDS Foundation and the AIDS Food Store are sponsoring a bazaar to benefit the AIDS Life Emergency Fund. “We get lots of calls each month from people who are caught in the gap between AIDS programs and financial assistance programs who need emergency money to pay bills or purchase their meds. So, this is a fundraiser for that program,” says Long Beach AIDS Foundation Executive Director Gary Bowie. The bazaar, featuring brand new merchandise including spa products, home décor items, gifts, stationary, candles and more, is Saturday, Feb. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Christ Chapel Church (3935 E. 10th Street in Long Beach). For more information, call 562/987-5200.