IVC New Orleans service corps member Tom Adler acknowledges defeat to Project Lazarus resident Ray after a round of pickle ball.
Tom Adler serves as the Life Skills Coordinator at Project Lazarus, the oldest and largest residential facility in the Gulf Coast region providing assisted living to people with HIV/AIDS. Founded in 1985 by two compassionate priests in cooperation with the Archdiocese of New Orleans, it was initially a hospice where people with nowhere to live could come to die with dignity. While medical advances have significantly improved the life expectancy of people diagnosed with HIV, the stigma and fear continue. Many of them have been shunned by family and friends and find the companionship, love, and care at Lazarus that they so desperately need.
Tom’s job description includes being “a role model, advocate, and motivator for participants.” His Fridays always include a shopping trip to Wal-Mart for residents, but occasionally he also gets to drive them on field trips, such as a recent trip to the Zoo.
Many of the residents wear a rosary (including Roy, pictured above), but many have never learned how to use it. On one of the van trips to Wal-Mart, he learned that one of the residents, though she was a lifelong Catholic, didn’t own a rosary or know how to use one. The next week, Tom brought some of the rosaries he used to distribute in prison ministry before the pandemic restricted his access to detention centers.
“I feel like when people hit rock bottom, the first step has to be prayer… I invite [the residents] to pray with me but just have to wait for them to respond.”
Tom is great at finding ways to connect with residents, whether that’s just conversation or playing games, including playing “pickle ball” in the back parking lot. After a few of these games, Roy did ask Tom if he would teach him to pray the rosary that he wore daily.
Tom especially looks out for the new residents, who can’t leave the grounds for their first two weeks and usually take some time to feel comfortable with the other residents and staff. If they’re wearing a rosary, he offers, “Hey, I’d love to pray that with you if you’re ever interested.”
Tom exemplifies what it means to be an Ignatian Volunteer by humbly offering his skills and compassion to bring love, joy and human dignity to people who are suffering. His experience is truly making a difference.
Tom worked with resident Darrelle to repair two of the dilapidated bikes so residents could have a better mode of transportation to go farther and more quickly than walking.
In addition to rosaries, Tom applied his love and knowledge of bicycles to engage with and assist the residents of Project Lazarus. An avid bicyclist, Tom rides nearly 20 miles each direction on the Mississippi River levee for his commute to Project Lazarus. With all that cycling, he’s become very skilled at bicycle repair – which was fortuitous for the residents of Project Lazarus! “One of Tom’s passions that has been put to great use is fixing up our community bikes, while teaching the process, so that participants both have usable transportation and learn some transferable skills,” reports Clinical Director Hamilton Cerrone.
Tom exemplifies what it means to be an Ignatian Volunteer by humbly offering his skills and compassion to bring love, joy and human dignity to people who are suffering. His experience is truly making a difference.