Meet Melvin Francisquini, left, one of Snapple's "Best People in NYC"!

MVC celebrates AIDS Awareness Month in December by featuring volunteer, Melvin Francisquini, and the nonprofit organization Rivington House.

 

The mission of Rivington House is to create a caring environment for persons with AIDS, where all are respected for their unique humanness and empowered to treat themselves and others with kindness, respect and dignity. Rivington House is a 206 bed long term care facility for people with AIDS. They provide services that are interactive and holistic in nature, integrating traditional and alternative therapies to support the individuals living with AIDS. Financed mostly with state bonds, Rivington House is a remarkable transformation from a dilapidated 1898 grammar school to a striking state of the art health care facility for people with AIDS.

 

Volunteer opportunities include, but are not limited to, rehabilitation aides, recreation, creative or day room assistants, friendly visitors, computer trainers and library aides. For more information, visit http://www.volunteernyc.org/org/949611.html

 

Volunteer, Melvin Francisquini, nominated Rivington House for this award. He has been volunteering there for over a year now. Through helping out at various social events, Melvin became close with one of the residents named Jane and started forming a friendship with her. He noted that she liked the trendy rubber bracelets made popular by Lance Armstrong and, after completing the AIDS Walk in NYC, Melvin received a red band that said “A World Without AIDS.” He gave the red band to Jane the next time he saw her and said that “I had never seen someone light up the way she did.” Melvin stated that all the volunteers and staff there have “one mission and interest in Rivington House and that is to interact with all the residents and empower them to not let this deadly disease win.”
 
Rivington House’s Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, Val Dickerson, said that “Melvin Francisquini has been an inspiration for his fellow volunteers on Sunday mornings.. He’s caring and compassionate in dealing with the residents and has taken a liking to those with special needs.  He’s always patient and attentive to the needs of the residents and is always asking how he can make things better for everyone here.  It’s always a pleasure to see Melvin’s smiling face on Sunday mornings.”

 

Congratulations to Melvin and Rivington House for being the Best People in NYC!