This disease sometimes attacks your brain and there are periods in time where confusion reigns supreme and nothing can get in to straighten it out. This was happening to me on a regular basis, but Mr. Bill, as I have come to call him, and the Whitman-Walker Clinic really made all the difference in the world. It started with just a cup of coffee and a friendly talk. At the Clinic, on that first day, without hesitation, Mr. Bill was able to make a doctors appointment to confirm that I was suffering from HIV infection, and to what degree. During the next few weeks, I was seen by a physician at the Clinic six times. Besides physical

examinations, I was given laboratory tests and was counseled about my disease so that I could understand it better and learn to take care of myself better.

But there were other things, more immediate things, that needed to be attended to. I had no clothes, indeed, I didn't even have my teeth. My dentures had been lost during this ordeal. Well within a couple of days Mr. Bill had warm sweaters and clothes for me to wear. He was able to secure a bed in the medical section of Mitch Snyder's Center for Creative Non-violence.

I stayed there

for approximately a month. During that time, I was a regular daily visitor to the Clinic. It gave me a place to go, something to focus on, something to look forward to. It kept me off the streets, out of the cold, and I was meeting some very nice people.

My legal matters were all tended to by the Whitman-Walker legal department at no charge.

Application was made to Whitman

Walker Clinic's housing program. I was accepted, thank God, and was put into a house. I still had no visible means of support. At this point I was unable to hold a job in my regular profession, as a chef. I could no longer function, at least not up to the performance that any hotel or restaurant would expect.

support still continued through the Clinic.

Financial

Shortly after being assigned to the house, the next day, as a matter of fact, there was a phone call from a young man who wanted to be my buddy, another program provided through the Whitman-Walker Clinic. A buddy is a friend, a friend to help, a friend to talk to. I was learning valuable lessons at the Clinic. Up until now I had been trying to do all this on my own, not tell anyone that I was ill, and still continue with a normal daily life style. An impossible task at best, more difficult that even I realized.

The food bank was also made available to me, another program funded by the Whitman-Walker Clinic. It allows people with AIDS, on minimal income, to go and supplement their shopping needs at no charge. An endless stream of programs have been available to me through the Clinic. From Medical, to housing, to food, financial, legal, and last but not least dental. I was in need of a set of dentures, rather expensive these days. However, the Clinic arranged that it could be done. They also paid the bill, amounting to I believe $400.00, through an AIDS Foundation grant.

Since those dark days back in December of '87, I've come a long way. And none of it, absolutely none of it, could have been possible if it not been for the Whitman-Walker Clinic and their fine, fine staff. Overtaxed and over-burdened at the most, they still try to offer all these services to more than 700 people with AIDS at any given time. From the food bank, where I have volunteered my time, we handle 150 clients that are shopping on a regular basis. The dental clinic has seen well over 300 patients on a regular basis by one part-time dentist. The housing services can accommodate up to 45 people, not nearly enough, but it is a start. Medical services provides care to over 1000 HIV infected people per year. The aerosolized pentamidine clinic is now treating over 100 people.

And still they keep coming. There seems to be no end to this, but I know somewhere down the line there will be. Resources of places like Whitman-Walker are stretched to the limit. There is only so much volunteer time and money which can be raised from an already beleaguered community. What is needed now is financial support, so that these services can continue to be offered on a regular basis to the people who need it, the people who desire it, and the people who in some cases can't ask for it or don't know how. For instance, the little babies who have lived in one of the houses with their mothers. Housing is all supplied by the Clinic at a small charge, if any at all. Support services are there, and

as always, continues to be there, even if its just someone to talk

to.

I still go and talk with my friend, Mr. Bill, on a regular

basis. My buddy has been there whenever I have needed him. He doesn't get paid for that; he just doesn't want it to happen to anybody else. The friends I have met through the Clinic, some of which have since passed away, have all benefited greatly, and will continue to do so.

Recently, this past month, a book was released. It is titled "Epitaphs for the Living" and is a photographic essay of people with AIDS. I would like to include in my closing remarks, a quote from the book. Simply it says "You've got to let go of the past, hold on dearly to the present, and never be afraid to dream of a future". That young man is me and continues to be me.

Thank you.

Mr. WEISS. Thank you very much, Mr. Overrocker. I very much appreciate your participation in today's hearings.

Mr. Ceyrolles, is there anything you would like to add?

Mr. CEYROLLES. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

As a social worker with the Whitman-Walker Clinic, which as you know is a community based AIDS organization here in Washington, all I can tell you is that, unfortunately, Mr. Overrocker's story is not unique. There are literally thousands of people with such experiences, who utilize these community based clinics like Whitman-Walker.

I also want to thank you for your concern and especially thank John for his courage and the nice things he said about me and the other staff and volunteer members of the Whitman-Walker community.

All I can really add to his testimony is to please ask you to help fund these overwhelmed community based agencies who are doing so much for so very little money.

Mr. WEISS. Do you know if the Whitman-Walker Clinic receives any kind of governmental funding?

Mr. CEYROLLES. We receive money which is funneled through the District of Columbia and also northern Virginia and some from Montgomery County. We do have an HRSA grant and we are looking into some other grants that may be coming.

Mr. WEISS. What percentage would you say of your funds or your total budget are from private sources and what percentage from government sources?

Mr. CEYROLLES. As a social worker, my understanding is it is about 40 percent, a little bit over 50 percent of our money is coming from the community, private funding.

Mr. WEISS. Thank you so much for your participation. Since we will be talking for the balance of the day about a variety of services, clinical and outpatient services, I think it is important to start off our hearing with people who utilize those services. Thank you so much.

We have been joined by our distinguished colleague from California, Ms. Pelosi, and if you have an opening comment, you may make it now.

Ms. PELOSI. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Please forgive me for getting here late. We had some business on the floor to attend to, but I commend you for holding these hearings. In the interest of time, I'd like to submit a statement for the record, without objection.

Mr. WEISS. Without objection, that will be done.

[The opening statement of Ms. Pelosi follows:]