Whitman-Walker Clinic

For Immediate Release
Oct. 13, 2006

WHITMAN-WALKER CLINIC RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS

Annual Volunteer Recognition Celebration Honors Eight Individuals

WASHINGTON – Whitman-Walker Clinic will honor eight outstanding volunteers at its annual Gene Frey Awards for Volunteer Service, Clinic leaders announced today.

“Our volunteers are a cornerstone of providing care at Whitman-Walker Clinic,” said Chief Executive Officer Donald Blanchon. “We have a corps of more than 800 volunteers who are critical to providing services in all of our locations. These volunteers donate millions of dollars in time to Whitman-Walker every year. Without them, we would not be able to provide the range of services we offer.”

The awards are slated to be presented Oct. 20 at a ceremony at the Hotel Monaco.

The Gene Frey Awards for Volunteer Service have been given every year since 1986. They honor the memory of Gene Frey, a volunteer, staff member and spokesperson for people living with AIDS. Frey was an active volunteer in the Clinic’s addictions treatment program and gay men's STD clinic and managed the clinic’s AIDS evaluation unit for the two years before his death in 1986.

Recipients of this year’s awards include:

Brent Beemer has been a volunteer with the Clinic for more than 11 years. In that time, he has held many positions, including client screener and risk reduction counselor at the gay men’s heath and wellness clinic, Man2Man outreach volunteer and support group facilitator for newly diagnosed HIV-infected people. Currently, he assists the volunteer resources staff, helping with monthly orientations and bringing an insider’s perspective to potential volunteers. Two years ago, Beemer joined the volunteer resources advisory committee, taking an active role in shaping the direction of the program.
Beth Hadley has served as a volunteer staff attorney in the Clinic’s legal services program for more than three years, donating as much as 30 hours a week of her legal expertise. She has been an attorney for 20 years and worked with the office of the attorney general in Connecticut, the Department of Health and Human Services and Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute. As a Clinic volunteer, she has helped countless clients, including visiting them in their homes, particularly those who live far from the clinic or who are too sick to come to the office.
Miguel Mejia has been a staff member at the Clinic for more than a decade and a volunteer with the gay men’s health and wellness clinic for three years. He never misses a GMH&W clinic and is the first to arrive each evening. He cheerfully assumes whatever role is assigned to him, whether it’s HIV testing and counseling, phlebotomy, screening or reception. Mejia teaches about safer sex practices and condom use. Often, he personally guides frightened or otherwise vulnerable clients through the entire screening process. He is full of energy, filling in wherever he is needed, and training and leading other volunteers.
Michael Ryan has volunteered as a psychotherapist with Whitman-Walker’s mental health services since 2004, in addition to his years of work with the gay men’s health and wellness clinic. His many years as a social services professional enable him to offer clients the mental health support they need and a real life plan on how to deal with the everyday effects of being HIV-positive. As a member of the mental health services advisory board, Ryan also helps to deliver such advice and services to other staff members and volunteers.
JoAnn Fisher has been a member of the Max Robinson Center community advisory board for more than a decade. In that time, she has been instrumental in pulling together outreach events in the community to provide recognition to the center and direct assistance to clients. Last year, Fisher led the Max Robinson Center’s community advisory board sign-up event for the AIDS Walk. She convinced a local restaurant owner to donate space and food for all the attendees. He also made a significant personal donation to the AIDS Walk team.
Todd Myrick has served on the Max Robinson Center’s community advisory board for more than eight years. A past chair of the board, he works tirelessly to promote the work of the center throughout the community. Myrick works closely with the religious community, especially those members who are reluctant to welcome and assist people living with HIV/AIDS. Myrick was instrumental in the Max Robinson Center’s being recognized as the 2006 beneficiary of the Ummah Foundation’s Annual White Attire Affair.
The Rev. Dennis Wiley, Ph.D., and the Rev. Christine Wiley, D.M.D., have been members of the Max Robinson Center community advisory board for more than 10 years. They have been leaders in the Washington metropolitan area and nationally regarding the church’s responsibility to its parishioners, making their church welcoming and open to all. They have hosted Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS events and hosted AIDS ministry meetings and the Max Robinson Center’s annual toy drive for children affected by HIV/AIDS. The Wileys have been instrumental in establishing a support network between the religious community and families affected by HIV.