Generosity Comes As A Real Shock On The Street

After a decade of aiding the sick and the disenfranchis-ed on Spokane’s meanest streets, Lynn Everson is by now pretty much shock-proof.

Distributing condoms, exchanging hypodermic needles and testing for the HIV virus, the Spokane Regional Health District outreach worker has seen it all:

Abused children, runaways, drug addicts, gang members, AIDS sufferers, teenage prostitutes….

The other day, however, something happened that was amazing enough to bring a genuine gasp of surprise out of this battle-hardened woman. It came in a telephone call from a 20-year-old Eastern Washington University sophomore named Mike Dwyer.

“I raised some money for you,” he told her.

“How much?” asked Everson, thinking 50 bucks would be a tremendous windfall.

She listened in stunned disbelief: $1,538.

The college student rounded up the largest donation in the eight-year history of the Outreach Center - the 1127 W. First storefront where Everson and other health workers fight the spread of AIDS.

Everson, 48, met Dwyer over a month ago when she lectured on AIDS prevention in his social problems class. As she often does, Everson asked students to donate items like a bar of soap or a toothbrush.

Everson is always begging for the humble necessities most of us take for granted. As well as trying to stop AIDS through education and the controversial exchange of used-for-new needles, the center gives away toiletries to any down-and-out person who walks through the doors.

“Just because you don’t have a place to live doesn’t mean you don’t want to get clean,” says Everson, who resents the commonly held bias that her troubled clients are somehow less than human.

After class, Dwyer asked Everson if she could use more items. Of course, she answered. Dwyer promised to do what he could and Everson quickly forgot about the conversation.

Dwyer didn’t. A resident adviser at Morrison Hall, he says he wrote Eastern’s 35 other dorm advisers and asked that they pass on his request for Outreach Center donations.

The generosity that flooded back surprised Dwyer. “My hall gave $700,” he says. “I couldn’t believe it.”

Dwyer spent the money on 20 cases of items he bought through the college at wholesale prices.

“Here’s a young kid in school, busy with all the things that students face,” marvels Everson. “Yet he took the time and showed the kind of spirit that can really make a difference.”

Dwyer knows about overcoming obstacles. Mainly 42-inch obstacles.

At Eastern on a track scholarship, the Tacoma resident is a promising athlete. He placed second last month in the 55-meter hurdles at the Big Sky indoor track and field competition in Arizona.

His social conscience, he says, comes from having a good upbringing and attending church, where he has helped feed the homeless on special nights.

Dwyer will be pleased to know the Eastern donations are being used by some very needy folks.

The enormity of Spokane’s drug problem can be quickly seen at the Outreach Center, where just under 63,000 needles were exchanged last year.

During my hour-long visit, close to 500 dirty needles came in. One talkative guy brought in a bundle of 200. The supply represented some of his own and others he collected from friends.

The biggest single exchange Everson remembers was 850 needles.

Critics of the Outreach Center argue that giving drug users fresh needles endorses their habit.

The truth is that drug addiction is so all-consuming that users will share dirty needles if they must. One case of AIDS will cost the public so much more than a supply of clean needles.

“It’s depressing at times,” says Everson. “Not many of the people who come in here are from warm, fuzzy families.

“We measure our successes in subtle ways. Just surviving until the next day is something.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo