Part of a buddy system

Sara Wilson

Kirk Preble blushes at the slightest mention of the good that he

has done by volunteering at the Laguna Shanti, an organization that

is committed to helping people with HIV, AIDS and other

life-threatening diseases. He doesn’t desire praise and downplays his

role as a volunteer.

“It’s not like I’m fighting a war or anything,” Preble said.

His work as a volunteer may not have the same world effect, but

Preble has made a difference.

“He is a steady volunteer that has helped with endless projects,”

volunteer coordinator Richard Martinez said.

Although answering the phone and drafting letters for mass

mailings sometimes requires Preble to be there full time, he is

always willing to give more.

He will soon become a buddy to a Shanti client. Having just

completed the orientation, he will be committing three to five extra

hours per week to his buddy. The goal of the program is simple: from

talking on the phone to spending a weekend afternoon together, the

goal of the program is simple: the volunteer is to be a companion to

someone who needs that extra support.

Although he has been a volunteer at the Shanti for only four

months, Preble has had a history of volunteerism. Seven years ago, he

was involved with the Arizona AIDS Project and, before that, was

working during the holidays at food warehouses. Having worked at the

UC Irvine AIDS hospice, it was Preble’s mother who first inspired him

to help with the AIDS project.

“She kept telling me how lonely they all are, and that really

tugged at me,” Preble said. “There’s a big social stigma to it, and

for so many people, family and friends disappear with news of the

disease. It is a very lonely thing.”

He has even found relief from a depression that he has had to

struggle with throughout his own life.

“I felt that I could cope with it a lot better if I just got

outside of myself,” he said. “I take care of myself, and I find some

time to take care of others. They seem to go hand-in-hand a lot.”

Preble plans to continue at the Shanti. In addition, he has no

complaints about its location. As he rides from his home in Dana

Point along Coast Highway on his motorcycle, Preble takes the time to

enjoy his life.

“It’s the small things that lift me up,” he said. “This couldn’t

be located in a better place.”

After half an hour of talking, he begins looking at his watch and

thinking about the mail that needs to be ready to go out by 5 p.m. He

doesn’t especially enjoy talking about himself, but hopes that, by

sharing his story, others will be inspired to volunteer their time.

“I kind of have the feeling that just doing volunteer work is

rewarding enough that I don’t need to be noticed for it,” Preble

said. “It almost negates doing it when you are praised so much for it

or recognized in any big way.”

* SARA WILSON is an intern for the Coastline Pilot. She writes

features and gathers news information. She can be reached at

494-4321.