Carl Arthur and Tom Cummings

Volunteerism. We’ve all rolled up our sleeves a time or two, perhaps to help a friend in need or to serve alongside others at an annual organized event to benefit a charity. An hour here, an hour there, and then we’re done for a while because life, as we all know, gets busy.

For Carl Arthur and Tom Cummings, the term “volunteer” is a weak description. It barely scratches the surface. Super Volunteer? Maybe. Advocate? Sure. Passionate? Absolutely.

Carl began his work at the Panhandle AIDS Support Organization nine years ago after a close friend of his died from complications with the disease. Having seen how PASO helped his friend live out his remaining years, Carl, a nurse, decided to offer his time and clinical skills to the organization.

“I originally wanted to help on the clinical side of things but I ended up being asked to be on the board of directors,” he says in Michael Timcisko’s office, PASO’s eight-year executive director. “Once I got on the board, I got even more involved. Our whole board is very dedicated. They all donate a lot of their time.”

Tom, who sits adjacent to Carl, is one of those board members who is always around the office, ready and willing to lend a hand.

“I started at PASO five years ago when Carl asked me to help build a set for Turnabout,” he says. “Then I just got more involved and became a board member.”

Turnabout is one of three major fundraisers PASO holds each year. While the other two, Friends of PASO and Wine and Dine, provide a more relaxed and classy atmosphere, Turnabout is an all-out cabaret-style production traditionally held at the Sunset Center and, just last year, brought in more than $30,000 for the agency. Don’t expect to see the board members tucked away at their own table either. They will more than likely be serving your food or making an appearance on stage.

As the president of the board of directors, Carl oversees the distribution of all donated and grant funds, as well as organizing annual board meetings and fundraisers. Both speak modestly about their work with PASO, as if the time and energy spent doesn’t faze them at all.

With nearly 500 logged volunteer hours last year between Carl and Tom collectively, it begs the question – why?

“I became aware of what PASO stood for. I’ve known people who were affected by AIDS or had a loved one who was infected,” says Tom. “The more I’m around the agency, the more I see what’s involved. We help save people’s lives by giving them resources to keep on living.”

The estimated number of people living with AIDS in the Texas Panhandle is 431, but that only reflects known cases and doesn’t include those diagnosed with HIV. Currently, there are 252 people receiving medical, dental and housing assistance from PASO, part of the thousands they’ve helped since it began in 1987. This is the largest case load the agency has ever had in its 22-year history.

“I don’t know what some of these people would do if it weren’t for PASO,” says Carl. “That’s why we work so hard.”

“We save lives,” adds Tom. “This organization saves lives.”

The flip side of working with an organization like PASO is that losing a client, friend or loved one is all too common. Such was the case a few years ago when Carl chatted with a client at one of the fundraisers, and at the time, he seemed to be doing well. Carl was surprised, then, to hear the client died the following week.

Then there’s the stereotypes, one of the biggest being that HIV/AIDS is a disease that only affects homosexual men. It is this kind of misinformation that leads to the rising number of infected persons. The reality is that PASO is seeing an increase in younger clients, both male and female, of all races and sexual orientations. The disease doesn’t single out, exclude, or pass over anyone.

“You know, people are living with AIDS in the way they haven’t before,” says Tom. “But that also makes people think it isn’t a big deal anymore.”

This brings us back to the passion, the reason why someone would spend hours every week, for years, giving his time and resources freely, especially when the subject matter at hand is hard on the heart.

“I don’t think you can do anything like this if you don’t love it,” says Tom. “We make a difference, and if I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t do it.”

Carl nods, “I agree with that. We both love what we do.”

Next: Heidi Ochs and Holly Robinett, 2 Sisters

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