Shanti Celebrates 30th Anniversary

by Reid Dennis for the San Francisco Spectrum

State Assembleyman Mark Leno celebrates with Kevin Burns, Shanti's Executive Director. photo by Jacques Michaels

For thirty years Shanti has been a lifeline for people living with serious illnesses. A pioneering nonprofit, Shanti specializes in providing expert assistance to individuals living with HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses through direct services, training, and peer support volunteers. Founded in 1974 with its original mission of assisting cancer patients, Shanti now provides services and training to a diverse group of individuals and organizations through its four divisions: HIV/AIDS services; LifeLines; the L.I.F.E. Institute; and the Shanti National Training Institute, including the California Peer Education Project.

Chairman of the Board of Directors Dennis Stradford introduced the first speaker, Kevin Burns, Executive Director of Shanti. Burns said he was proud that Shanti was one of the very first organizations to deal with the epidemic of AIDS, having already had a head start as a group that was assisting patients with life-threatening illness. Today Shanti serves over 1,800 people a year.

“I want to recognize Dr. Charlie Garfield for his incredible vision, dedication, and tenacity,” said Assemblyman Mark Leno, presenting a State Assembly Certificate of Recognition to the founder of Shanti. Leno then thanked Dr. Jeffrey Leiphart for his vital work as a psychologist and creator of the Life Program at Shanti, saying, “The mind plays such a critical role in good health for our physical body.”

Mayor Gavin Newsom officially declared it Shanti Day, and his LGBT liaison Joe Caruso gave a personal story about his friend, David, who was dying of AIDS. “Shanti gave my friend dignity, love, independence, strength, and help in difficult times that many of us here tonight have lived though.”

Burns said, “As we enter our third decade, I thank the staff, the volunteers, and the donors for all the support you continue to give us, working together to provide a better quality of life for people in need.”

Dr. Garfield said, “Think of all the people who will not have the opportunity to enjoy this elegant room, drink and eat this delicious fare, because the situation they’ve been handed in life is much different than the one we’ve been given.” He said, “What Shanti people do on a daily basis is to absolutely live out their best.”

“The number of people who said you couldn’t train regular folks with sophisticated counseling skills was amazing, but this is our human inheritance: to look at people and understand nonverbal cues; to listen and speak and act from the heart,” Garfield stated. “The clergy said you couldn’t do it, and the doctors said you couldn’t do it, and the nurses and social workers said they were already doing it. And yet there was some sense that regular people couldn’t provide this kind of support to each other.” He posed the question: “But isn’t that what neighborliness was supposed to be? So we made it work. Ask yourself this: ‘What would it be like to have the privilege of learning from hundreds of people in tough situations?’ There is absolutely no way to repay that gift that caregivers receive.” He said, “This is about how we can each make our best contribution; be that as a caregiver, a volunteer, a donor, or whatever is put upon your heart.”

Garfield paused to offer a sobering thought. “One day you might be in the same situation as some of our clients, when you are old and sick and in need; I ask you to consider who will be there for you. We’d better hope that there are people in power and influence who are wise enough to keep organizations like Shanti around, for your sake and mine and for the sake of those we love.”

Awards were given to two outstanding citizens. Andrea Martin established the Breast Cancer Fund, a national nonprofit that offers education and support for women dealing with the disease. Martin passed away last year in August, but not before making her mark. She had approached Shanti in 1998 to form the LifeLines Program, helping women to make decisions and access medical treatment. “We are grateful to have the opportunity to honor her for her work, her dedication, and vision that helped thousands of women across the country get the support they deserved,” said Burns. He said the LifeLines Program was successfully exported to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and to the Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance in New York.

Stu Smith received the second award. Burns pointed out that Smith has not only been involved with Shanti since 1995, but he is also an active member with many other service organizations, such as the Richmond Ermet AIDS Foundation, the Positive Resource Center, Project Open Hand, and the AIDS Research Institute. “Stu Smith is an incredibly active board member and generous donor, not to mention an advocate for San Francisco’s underserved men and women,” Burns said. “Stu has been a remarkable and inspirational supporter of Shanti, and a truly genuine human being.”

Senator Barbara Boxer sent her greetings to Shanti: “You have made outstanding strides towards your goals of providing emotional and educational support as well as practical assistance to people in need. Your impact on the community is invaluable and your programs and services serve as models for other communities across the nation.”

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Positive Resource Center, providing employment services and benefits counseling to the SF Bay Area HIV community.

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