Last week a dear college-era friend, Susan, found ourselves straying from our conversation about Bucky Fuller and geodesic domes to a particular one that housed Synergy counseling services. Synergy was located at the far north end of the Strip (near the old Ahmeds falafels and Burts Sandwich shop). My friend worked there as a volunteer counselor while studying at SIU. As she explained it, I liked sitting down with people when they were in emotional crisis. I was happy to be there, to be of use. We had good training at Synergy and it dovetailed with my studies. Susan recalled a particular incident when she helped possibly save the life of a young volunteer...and her own. We were only ones in the dome--Synergy director Bill Homer was at Ahmeds having dinner--when a knife- wielding man walks through front door. Once I assessed that he was deranged, I motioned for my coworker to go into a side room where he couldnt see her, then sneak out the back door and go get Bill. Oddly--now that I remember this--I dont know why I chose to stay and hold down the fort. Anyway, within seconds Bill burst through the back door, got a hold of this guy, knife and all, and got him out into the back lot...omg, my heart is pounding thinking of it. Thank God for Bill Vollmer...who I just found on LinkedIn. Hes now in not-for-profit management and an adjunct professor in Oregon. Despite that incident--Im sure other counselors have similar stories--Synergy was a great was a good resource for all kinds of people in need, be they lost traveler types, those broke without money and resources, or people just about to lose it.
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 13:16:24 +0000
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