Spring is in the air and change is here. Sometimes the change is vibrant and exciting, such as our upcoming Many Voices, One Song concert. Other times it is very challenging and unexpected, such as the recent cuts in federal funding to Multifaith Works and the Shanti Program.

Last December, the Ryan White Care Act was reauthorized and Shanti was chosen as a program that no longer fit into government priorities. Multifaith Works lost $37,000.00 that had been awarded to the agency. Again, this is one of those times when change is challenging. While the impact is quite dramatic to the agency there are no immediate plans to cut any services that have been provided in the past. Shanti services have changed many people’s lives and the work of the Shanti volunteers is and remains a cornerstone of AIDS-related work in King County and in Multifaith Works. As one of the first organized responses to AIDS at the outset of the epidemic, Shanti continues to provide support and community for people who are isolated and alone.

Our annual Many Voices, One Song concert is one way we celebrate the work of Shanti and all of the Multifaith Works programs. Originally designed and implemented by the CareTeam Program as a fundraising project for the agency, Many Voices, One Song has become the second-largest fundraiser for Multifaith Works. You can read about the concert and all it has to offer in this issue. I would like to extend a special thank you to Linda Stemler who has created another beautiful quilt that will be part of a drawing at the end of the evening; her artistry is a gift and blessing to us all. This event is an exciting and beautiful way to share in the spirituality of our work and to honor the many clients who have passed through our lives and the volunteers who love them.

This year we are hoping to exceed our financial goals so that we may make up the loss to the Shanti program and continue to support CareTeams and our Housing Program. I hope you will be to attend this wonderful concert or make a donation so that the works of Shanti and the other programs of Multifaith can continue to build a community of compassion.

Arthur G. Padilla

Executive Director