Shanti Project

On July 25, 2010, I had the pleasure of participating with a wonderful team of people in the San Francisco Marathon.  Each person on our team worked hard to raise money for a great cause while being a participant on the Shanti Cares Team.  Many of the Shanti employees ran in the marathon with the participants...which I thought was very commendable.  This program was awesome!  It motivated me to do something special to help others, while helping myself to become a better and healthier person. The Shanti Cares team training was very well organized, fun and motivational.  It was nice to be a part of such a great organization that does fabulous work assisting those in need.  I appreciate the hard work by the staff and volunteers. Keep up the good work Shanti.  

I began supporting Shanti nearly ten years ago! I think they are a great organization. I have seen them grow, thrive, and support many people over the years. Specific ways I have helped include: hosting house parties, attending events, and filling a table for the annual gala.

I was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988 and told I would likely die within a year and I was angry and afraid of dying alone and in disgrace. I had read about Shanti's program offering practical and emotional support to people living and dying of this disease. I went and took the Shanti training in the early 1990's and my life was transformed completely. As the illness had progressed, I drank more and more and crossed the line from heavy drinker to alcoholic, and this two weekends of training gave me a new sense of hope and a window to recovery through which I entered and soon became involved volunteering with my own Shanti client as well as having my own Shanti volunteer and my physical health started improving as my emotional health grew. I experienced a world where men and women cared about one another with no expectation other than the possibility of helping another human being. I began a journey where I've come to believe in the infinite power of unconditional love and I'm forever grateful to Shanti for this great gift.

Shanti has been in my life for 4 years now. The level of concern and listening skills way surpassed my expectations. I've been a regular to the drop in on Thursday evenings which helped get me out of the house and into a positive and sharing environment. I've taken the L.I.F.E. course and changed bits and pieces of my health and behavior. (A good thing for me).
The staff has been so nice, loving, and caring. I grieve that this will not be around forever and hope that $ comes in to keep the programs alive.
What I'm really trying to say is... " Thanks to Shanti and everyone involved for helping me in my time of need" ..
Thanks so much

Shanti has been a part of my life since I first attended the volunteer training in the early years of the AIDS pandemic. I can still remember the powerful moment in my training when I knew that my life had been permanently changed. Since that moment I have never regretted the subsequent years I have spent with the organization as a volunteer, a staff member in every area of the organization from volunteer coordinator to Executive Director, and a volunteer again. Since joining the organization in my late 30's to now in my 60's, Shanti has helped make me a better person. I have never forgotten each client that I was matched with in the early years and the life lessons they taught me. The lessons I learned from them were so rewarding to me that I have always felt that I've received much more than I have ever given. I have continued to learn from clients, volunteers and staff throughout the ensuing years and find myself very grateful for the life I've had compared to the life I might have had if Shanti had not come into my life. I am proud to be a part of the Shanti community.

I have been involved with several organizations as a volunteer, and they were and are all great, but getting together with SHANTI and its Staff, its Clients, and fellow volunteers has rekindled a desire to go just that extra in helping those who at the moment need a hand. Kudos to all who built this organization, and to those unselfish volunteers who give so much of themselves, it is my pleasure to work by your side.

I love Shanti and everything it's done for me. I wish everyone could go through their peer support volunteer training, this world would be such a better place. Shanti has helped me be a better person and give back to the community.

SHANTI has changed my life. From the training to the connections among the clients and peers, I am extremely overwhelmed with the fabulousness that is this organization. When becoming a volunteer, I never expected to also make knew friends and become a better person than I was pre-training. If this is what can happen in my life in 2 months, I am only ecstatic of what can happen over the next year.

Shanti is an organization that inspires its workers, its beneficiaries, and its volunteers. The training in Peer Support that I had through this organization provided me with valuable skills to be not only a better volunteer, but also a better listener and a better friend. Shanti seeks to be the difference between zero and one- providing the invaluable service of companionship and compassionate witnessing.

Shanti has been a major role in the San Francisco area helping people deal with HIV and everyday LIFE issues. I participated in one of their LIFE workshops and learned more about myself and how to better educate and take care of myself because of the program. The staff are amazing and well trained and extremely friendly, they also are non-judgemental and great at helping find other resources in the community to assist those who need them.

I have only begun to become involved with this organization and can already see the incredible impact it has on the community. For 35 years they've been providing the support that people need when they need it. Without Shanti, San Francisco would not be the great, caring city that it is.

Shanti is an amazing organization and I am thrilled that I was able to volunteer and see the impact they make first hand.

the shanti project is an incredible organization. they have a mission to help people in need, but they do so in a unique and original way. they put the needs of their clients first, and they listen.

Shanti is a loving, non-judgmental organization that provides a critical service to people living with breast cancer or HIV. San Francisco would be worse without it.

I feel proud to be a part of this organization. Shanti goes to great lengths to provide services and resources to those living with HIV/AIDS and breast cancer.

In April 2005, I was matched with an HIV Services client. I enjoyed my client match and the organization so much that I wanted to get involved on a higher level. In September 2008, I had the privilege of joining Shanti's staff as the Volunteer Services Manager. I still love this organization and fully believe in what we are doing in the community!

The Shanti Project is one of those incredible organizations that changes your life, your perspective and the community at large. Founded under the ideals of humanism and harm reduction is their most base forms, the organization strives to make an emotional impact on the lives of people struggling with HIV AIDS and breast cancer. I've been a volunteer for over a year now and cannot express how positively Shanti impacts both the community and my life. Props out to Kaushik and Mindy, and of course, Charlie Garfield. AMAZING!

From the very beginning, Shanti has always been there for San Francisco's HIV+ Community! I know so many people who are so grateful for the help and support they received from Shanti and their Shanti volunteers, and as volunteer, I know it made a huge difference in my life!

Shanti is a fabulous organization. For volunteer and client there is opportunity to form a close bond with someone. I didn't want a volunteer position where I just went in did hours and left. In my experience I was able to get to know my client well and help her with her practical and emotional needs. I was able to see first hand how hard it can be for a woman with breast cancer and how she is able to manage her life with four children and take care of herself. Shanti training, staff and my support group have also been a benefit to my experience volunteering.

I have always found the staff at Shanti to be inviting and friendly. They are supportive and promote an excellent atmosphere to learn about healing and support. I agree with other reviewers in that Shanti acknowledges and shows great appreciation to volunteers. My experience at Shanti has been many things: emotional, fulfilling, fun, educational, and more. Shanti provides a unique opportunity for volunteers to learn how to form potentially healing relationships. After training the staff will carefully match volunteers to clients. The processes and staff are organized at Shanti. I never felt confused about my role at Shanti, thanks to its good organization. Volunteer hours can be flexible. I recommend Shanti to anyone who would like to contribute to the community, to be a part of a great non-profit, to have the opportunity to advance in personal development, and/or to learn about healthcare.

Shanti is a fantastic organization with an attentive and friendly staff who do everything in their power to make sure their volunteers have a positive experience.

The organization itself is well run, friendly and flexible. The Shanti staff goes out of their way to support the volunteers, and make sure the volunteer experience is healthy and positive. Volunteers are carefully matched with clients whose needs fit the volunteer's schedule, personality and comfort level. The Shanti model of support is absolutely inspiring. It is based on the simple humanitarian principles of kindness and empathy. The basic idea is providing non-judgmental support for the ill, which can take many different forms. Some clients may need sympathetic listeners while others need someone to do the grocery shopping, or activity partners. I have been volunteering for Shanti for two years now. When I started the program, I knew that it would be a positive thing for me, but I had no idea how much my relationship with my client and my involvement in the organization would enrich my life. I consider volunteering for Shanti to be one of the best decisions I have ever made and I plan to remain involved with the project for a long time.

i searched for at least 6 months to find the volunteer opp where i thought i could most make a difference - and feel fulfilled personally. shanti has been more than i imagined. from the training (everyone should do this), to meeting and getting to know my client, to my peer support group, to the shanti coordinators - it is an incredible organization that truly makes a difference.

The service Shanti provides for the city of San Francisco is priceless. The staff at Shanit is made up of individuals who have a true passion and commitment to being of service, to individuals with life threatening illnesses. I have been a volunteer for three years and can honestly say that staff's commitment extends to all human kind. Their passion to be of service is truly from the heart.

Shanti exemplifies dedication, compassion, reverence, humbleness, friendship, professionalism, perseverance, community, and so many other beautiful things that this world needs. The one thing that stands out in my mind, is that it's a family atmosphere when you're with Shanti, so you automatically feel the love. Shanti is a great, wonderful organization that proves there are people who really care for those in need.

Volunteering for Shanti has been a profound experience of compassion, friendship and love. I've been privileged to spend two memorable years as a volunteer for my peer support client in the HIV/AIDS program. Left with very few friends and no family, he reached out to Shanti for a volunteer to be his companion and help him with simple tasks he could not do. The staff at Shanti are all wonderful and they make a great effort to acknowledge and show their appreciation for the volunteers. Shanti is more than a great nonprofit agency. It's a community of caring people who support each other give of themselves to serve others.

Shanti provides an excellent outlet to provide peer support to people in need. If you feel compelled to give back, Shanti is the place to do it.

I moved to the US from Scotland and was lucky enough to be able to find my new home in San Francisco. After a year, I realized that while there was plenty to do between work and play, I wanted to find a volunteer opportunity in San Francisco. A friend took me to a Volunteer Appreciation event in 1995 and the Shanti staff and volunteers I met made an immediate impression on me. Charlie Garfield, Shanti Founder, gave a wonderful and moving speech to thank volunteers for their commitment and hard work. Shanti has created a peer-support model that is now used throughout the world. It teaches how to listen, witness, park judgements outside, provide validation and emotional/practical support for clients who may have no other people in their lives. So, a month later, I signed up for 2 weekends of intense training, learning about the organization and how to provide support to people with HIV/AIDS. I'll never forget how the training put me in touch with new ideas, people from a great variety of backgrounds and knowledge of how to deal with difficult client situations. I was matched with a client a month later and there began a 13 year volunteer/client relationship, that has been one of the most rewarding relationships of my life. The support of the staff at Shanti, their deep compassion about the plight of so many who need emotional and/or practical support in the city has been incredible, through the years. For 10 years of my time as a volunteer, I decided to facilitate a group of volunteers as well. Frequent staff drop-ins, facilitation training and hours collection help to keep these groups going. They are important to providing an environment where volunteers can share experiences and provide support to one another. Like virtually every charity, Shanti has had difficult times financially, causing some staff turn-over and sometimes some major changes organizationally to survive. But one thing that never changes with Shanti is their ability to adapt, but continue to provide amazing services, training and support of volunteers who are incredibly inspiring. In terms of working voluntarily for a charity that in turn reaps unexpected life rewards, Shanti is second to none.