“ If I see a need, then
I do it, whatever it takes.”
Shanti recently profiled one of its beloved volunteers,
Sondra Bishop.
Like many long-time San Franciscans, Sondra first heard of Shanti
during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“I had several friends with AIDS, so I was affected directly…Shanti also
used to have [flyers and billboards up], but it was [mostly] word of mouth –
for someone that needed help, Shanti was the go-to organization, actually…. It
was a brand name, Shanti. There weren’t many
other organizations that you really could identify with as helping the
community….And now when I say [that I’ve volunteered with Shanti], people of
that era or of that age group will say “Oh I used to volunteer [for Shanti!]”
During the HIV/AIDS crisis, Sondra independently supported a
number of friends affected by the disease. “I was just helping out 1-on-1…. Most
of my volunteering is on a personal level – I’m just one of those people that,
if I see a need, then I do it, whatever it takes. “
She became directly involved with Shanti when she enrolled
her new canine as a therapy dog through the ASPCA. When the ASPCA assigned her
to Shanti, at the Drop-In Center she met one of the Shanti Care Navigators, who
asked her if she’d like to attend an upcoming volunteer training. Reflecting on
how she felt after completing the training, she declared “I came out of there
like I was born again, like…. ‘My eyes are open, you don’t know about this
organization, it’s incredible!’” She now visits Shanti’s Drop-in Center during
the first two Tuesdays of every month. Sondra also volunteers regularly at Shanti’s
annual dinners and events (including PAWS’s Petchitecture, which was held in
May).
When asked what aspect of Shanti’s mission most resonates
with her, Sondra stated “The peer support – offering help to the neediest in
the community…and that no individual should face a life-threatening illness by
themselves. That, to me – I think that says it all….that’s the humanity of the
organization. And now that you’ve expanded it to everyone, it’s not like you’re
isolating to one disease....It’s non-judgmental.”
Her occupation:
Part-time patient coordinator for a plastic surgeon who performs head, neck
& facial reconstructions
How she recharges: Visiting and conversing with friends. She used to travel frequently and collect
Tibetan art – these days, she mostly enjoys reading and helping people, and
like many others in SF, she is “always busy!”
Her favorite thing
about SF: “It’s my home, so of course I love it. I love the fact that it’s
small, that you can go from one neighborhood to another, and that each
neighborhood is unique to itself – like the tapestry of the community….Everyone
comes from someplace else, so it’s a sense of community.”
