James Parsons of Bloomsburg University is a "Buddy."

With the hysteria AIDS has generated, he realizes victims of the disease often find family and friends unsupportive.

"I think at some point in your life you need to do something else for somebody else," said Parsons, who is an associate professor of biological and allied health science. "I don't have a vested interest in this in any way, shape or form -- it just me feel good."

Under the new program sponsored by the AIDS Resource Alliance (ARA), a division of the HIV Public Health Program of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, volunteers meet with AIDS victims in the Northern and Central parts of the state to provide comfort on a personal basis.

The "Buddy" system is also a part of the State College AIDS Project, located on the second floor of 112 E. Beaver Ave.

AIDS is currently an incurable and almost always fatal disease. Although it is often viewed as a gay disease, it affects everyone, said State College AIDS Project Executive Director Diana Shepley.

People who have been diagnosed with AIDS may call or be referred to ARA by a physician and request a "Buddy."

"We tried support groups in Williamsport and found that people were not showing up for them," ARA coordinator Rick Schulze said. "People were stating that they wanted to be hooked up with someone but they did not want to be threatened by . . . going to a support group. They felt that they really needed somebody on a one-to-one basis to assist them in getting through."

The program is modeled after similar programs that exist in cities such as San Francisco. Currently the ARA has 29 trained "Buddys" with 10 now assigned to AIDS victims, Schulze said.

"To my knowledge, there's never been anything like the "Buddy" system (in response) to a disease," Shepley said.

The AIDS Project currently has four trained "Buddys" and no assignments, she said.

Along with the "Buddy" system, the project also offers a telephone call-in line to answer AIDS-related questions and provide peer education services, she said.

Schulze said the duties of the "Buddys" differ from situation to situation. Some "Buddys" help AIDS victims by lending an ear and listening to their problems while others make sure the victim is eating well and that his or her prescriptions are filled.

Some "Buddys" have assisted all way to the planning of the victim's funeral, he said.

Parsons gave two other examples in which "Buddys" help victims.

One "Buddy" may deal with the family of an intravenous drug user and provide comfort and support, he said. Another volunteer may sit and talk with the victim to relieve the pressure from family and friends.

"You have to be totally nonjudgmental and a good listener and you have to encourage the person to be themselves without being prejudicial," Parsons said.

Parsons, who has been a "Buddy" for more than a year, first became involved while serving on the regional Red Cross and Community AIDS Network, of which he was president.

"I went into the "Buddy" program not expecting to get anything out of it," he said. "I have learned a lot about the disease on a human-to-human level which you don't get in textbooks, reading the press or listening to news reports. I have much more compassion for individuals (with AIDS) regardless of their lifestyle."

The people who become "Buddys" are a very diverse group, Schulze said.

"We do have a number of gay men, obviously, because they see their community and maybe even their own friends discriminated (against) by AIDS," he said. "We try to emphasize that the program is not just for health professionals, it can be for someone who feels they need to help," he said.

Some volunteers have had AIDS touch their lives through a family member or friend who became a victim, he explained.

"Some people do it out of the good of their own heart," he said. "If it wasn't (the "Buddy" system) they would be helping with something else."

In order to become a "Buddy" the prospective volunteer must fill out an application telling why he or she wants to help and complete a day of instruction, Schulze said.

"In our training we try to go over a whole range of issues -- basic listening skills, death and dying, sexuality, homosexuality, safe sex, infection control," he said.

"Buddys," who often serve as information resources, need to be patient and understand that AIDS cannot result from casual contact, he added.

All "Buddys" are required to sign a confidentiality agreement, Shulze said.

"AIDS is such a volatile issue that our patients need to be assured that our volunteers are adhering to strict guidelines," he said. "(Volunteers) cannot share anybody's name or address."

Schulze said through the program he and fellow coordinators Linda Dieffenbach and Judy Polites hope to bring about heightened public awareness and more understanding about AIDS.

The program has been extremely successful, he said. Without the "Buddy" program, many victims of AIDS would be left out in the cold emotionally.

"I think we've done the job we've intended to do but I wish the program didn't have to be, because every time someone does their job their "Buddy" dies and then they're re-assigned," Parsons said. "It's not the sort of thing where you scratch notches on the head-board, because each time it means another person . . . with AIDS (has died)."