Coach Sappho's BLOG~ Lesbian Love Coach :: Singles, Dating & Relationship Coaching for Lesbians

Mautner Project – an opportunity for you to give back to the lesbian community

You may or may not know that I heartily support a national lesbian health organization called the Mautner Project. I donate coaching scholarships to their silent auctions at Mautner events like Big Love, their annual Valentine’s Day dance. And, I speak often of lesbian health issues, particularly the disparities that come about when we aren’t able to be ourselves with our healthcare providers (sometimes with good reason) and when the healthcare system is ignorant (or even, sometimes hostile) to our concerns.

When a client shares with me that they don’t think it’s safe to be ‘out’ to their provider(s), I encourage them to seek affirmative providers, but, often, there is a lack of affirmative providers in an area OR there is at least, a lack of underground wisdom in a community about which physicians, nurse practitioners, etc. to seek out.

So, organizations like Mautner Project are vital for our community. They are on ‘the front lines’ educating providers and changing the system to be more welcoming as well as providing direct care support to lesbians in the Washington, D.C. area who are currently dealing with the real life challenges of living with cancer.

I’m on Mautner’s mailing list and today I received an announcement that they are having a volunteer orientation to help serve a group of 20 women (and their partners). Can you help? If you are in the Washington, D.C. area and you have some time on April 14th, I hope you will attend.

Here’s all the details:

We need you to join a team of volunteers to support our sisters. Find out how at our next Volunteer Orientation! Both new and experienced volunteers are encouraged to attend.
Tuesday, April 14 from 6:45-8:45
1875 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 710
(next to the Washington Hilton, just north of Dupont Circle)

You’ll meet other volunteers who share the same generous impulse to give back, as well as Executive Director Leslie Calman, Volunteer of the Year 2009 Dee Dragan, Acting Director of Client Services Elizabeth Ide and some of our other “veteran” volunteers. We’ll show you the ropes – and there are many tasks to choose from:

Some of our volunteers want a strong connection to a single client – driving her to chemo appointments, accompanying her to a doctor’s appointment to take notes, visiting in the hospital.
Other volunteers prefer to run errands – picking up groceries, or babysitting a child or grandchild, or doing some yard work like mowing the lawn.
Some women need assistance filling out insurance forms or keeping up with paying monthly bills.

And four times a year, you’ll be invited to a volunteer brunch to meet each other and share ideas. Please call Elizabeth Ide or Dee Dragan at 202.332.5536 for more information, or to sign up. Or email us at eide@mautnerproject.org. Be sure to leave your contact information.

We hope you’ll join our team of volunteers. Mautner Project is more than a terrific gala: we’re a community of caring. We hope you can share some time with us, for all of us.

Look forward to seeing you -

Leslie Calman, Executive Director
Dee Dragan, Volunteer of the Year
Elizabeth Ide, Client Services Coordinator

P.S. Mautner Project also needs volunteers throughout the year to help with events, and to do work in the office. If you’re interested in either, please call Crystal Foley at 202.332.5536, or email cfoley@mautnerproject.org. And thanks!

P.S.P.S And, post right here on the blog and let us know what you do to help.