I’m the community relations chair for the organization First Year Player’s (FYP) at Syracuse University. Because I have this position, my job is to go out into the community and find speakers that can come talk to our organization staff and cast and plan to coordinate with them throughout the year.
This year FYP is doing the production Rent. Rent is a musical, as you probably already know involving many different lesbian, gay, and transgender characters and shows their stories evolving throughout the show. The characters also are members of the group ACT Up, which was a group that advocated to creating awareness and getting the proper medication for Aids so people would stop dying. Because these themes are present in Rent, I decided to partner with Friends of Dorothy, a halfway home in the Syracuse community for people with Aids. Michael, one of the owners of the halfway home came to speak to FYP about his experience working with these different people with Aids and how it has changed his life.
Michael first began by giving us a brief overview about the effects Aids has on people. Every person’s case is different, and Michael showed us that. He explained that some people were just given the wrong type of medicine, and explained that others were just inept to take medicine at all. He went on to tell us that he used to liquidize pills for some of the people who came to stay at his home just so they would take their medicine and become healthy again.
The Friends of Dorothy home takes anyone. If the person is an illegal immigrant, completely broke, homeless, or any race, they will have a home at the Friends of Dorothy house. Nick and Michael feed, dress, and ultimately take care of these people who randomly wander into their house, or are sent by families and friends who have heard about Friends of Dorothy. Nick and Michael have helped people from so many different cultures, and have therefore prepared meals from India, Portugal, Spain, Africa, and more.
Not only have Nick and Michael fed people what they want food wise, but they have respected the peoples’ cultures who come in. One lady was Islamic, and they bought her a prayer rug and moved all the furniture around in the house so that she could face the proper way in the proper spot in the house and pray toward Mecca.
Michael told so many great stories at the meeting and I am very grateful I got to communicate with him and listen to so many great life stories. I cannot wait for next semester when First Year Players partners with Friends of Dorothy and starts volunteering in the house and meeting the different survivors of Aids. This has been an eye-opening experience for the entire organization and myself.