今日吃瓜

ABOUT nine years ago, Joe Borg was roped into helping pack the Pozlink – the quarterly magazine of the organisation now known as Living Positive Victoria (LPV).

After he was diagnosed with HIV in 2008, Borg became a regular visitor at the Positive Living Centre (PLC) in Melbourne. It was there he met Vic Perri, LPV鈥檚 long serving Health Promotion Officer, who convinced him to come and help out in the office by packing the magazine.

At the time, LPV was known as People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and had just moved into new offices.

鈥淎s a joke I said to Sonny (Williams) who was the executive officer at the time, 鈥榳ho is going to finish unpacking?鈥�,鈥� Borg remembers.

鈥淪o I walked in there the next day and started unpacking and putting things away and then I turned into a piece of furniture.鈥�

Borg, 53, describes himself as 鈥渕ore or less a glorified office assistant to everyone鈥� at LPV but his work is vital because he takes care of 鈥渢he small niggly things the guys don鈥檛 have time to concentrate on because they鈥檝e got bigger things to worry about鈥�.

鈥淚 take care of things like making sure we鈥檝e got enough stationery, making sure the photocopier is constantly full, all the little fiddly things that seem insignificant don鈥檛 stop them from doing what they need to do,鈥� Borg explains.

In 2012 he won the Volunteer Commitment Award for this contribution and commitment to HIV positive people through their volunteer work.

LPV staff say Borg is always the first to put his hand up to help out and is always full of creative ideas to get things done.

When he won the volunteer award, Borg was commended for his enduring and consistent support to the organisation as an office volunteer.

鈥淗e played an active role during the relocation process of PLWHA Victoria to Southbank in April last year and worked long and tirelessly at providing logistical and practical support to ensuring the office was set up and running within days of the move,鈥� LPV said at the time.

鈥淗is experience, knowledge and love of the organisation has supported new staff and volunteers to immediately feel welcome within the organisation, and his ability to locate any item within offices, cupboards and the darkest recesses of the building is legendary.鈥�

Borg loves volunteering at LPV because he wants to be able to help people living with HIV (PLHIV) and to give something back.

鈥淏eing HIV isn鈥檛 exactly troubling me, but I鈥檝e got the type of brain that has to keep learning and I鈥檝e learnt the disease is extremely lazy, it hides in obscure places in the body and since my HIV diagnosis my panic disorder has surfaced,鈥� he explains.

鈥淪ince I鈥檝e been disowned (by family), they (LPV) have become my life.

鈥淔irst we鈥檙e ostracised because we鈥檙e gay, but we鈥檙e also HIV, we are also ostracised by our own community.

鈥淲e come to rely on each other and support each other and that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so important.鈥�

Leading up to December, Borg goes into the office everyday to help fill the very important Christmas hampers to deliver to PLHIV who are isolated at home or in hospital.

鈥淚t gives them something to look forward to,鈥� he explains.

A few years ago, the creative Borg came up with the bright idea for LPV to collaborate with lolly manufacturer Suga to make some custom World AIDS Day candies that were red on the outside and featured a picture of the iconic red AIDS ribbon on the inside.

鈥淲e went ahead and ordered 30 kilos of them, and I still have one bag left as a reminder of what I put forward and did, because I was very proud of that,鈥� he says.

鈥淲hat I saw and what I envisioned actually came to fruition. I got to see the entire process not only from an idea, but I got the support from everyone to see it through.鈥�