Faces of Ogden: Sarah McClellan
In 1996, the Reverend Shirley Jones moved to Weber County from California to be the minister at the local Religious Science Church. She became friends with Ogden resident, Sarah McClellan, and persuaded her to apply for an HIV/AIDS grant through the Utah Department of Health. During that time Sarah was enjoying her first year of retirement from her job as the Equal Employment Opportunity Diversity Director at the IRS site here in Ogden. While Sarah hadn't given much thought to HIV/AIDS, Reverend Jones convinced her of the need in the area. Together, they applied and were awarded the grant to provide education in Ogden. It was only a year later that Reverend Jones was called to lead a congregation in Manhattan, NY, which left Sara to carry out the work here in Ogden herself.
In those days, there was a great need for education and awareness about HIV/AIDS which had emerged on the public health scene as a little known virus a decade before. In 1981 the first cases of AIDS in the US were being described but it wasn't until 1982 when the CDC first used the term "AIDS" (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). In 1985, Dr. Robert Gallo and his colleagues identified the human immunodeficiency virus that caused AIDS. Shortly thereafter, the first commercial blood test was produced and the screening of the U.S. blood supply begins. That same year, Ryan White was diagnosed with AIDS and was refused entry into his middle school. His fight led to the creation of the Ryan White CARE Act. Fast forward 10 years later to Ogden, UT.
Sarah began her AIDS outreach at the old Weber County Jail site on Kiesel Avenue. She moved with them to the current site where she taught prevention education for 15 years. She battled the stigma and myths of HIV/AIDS as she reached out to community organizations, schools, and businesses. She recalls, "I remember when people wanted a new keyboard when they were [switching] shifts, because they didn't want to get AIDS from the person that was there before... it was scary that they might have left something on their keyboard. They thought they could touch it and get it."
Without much community dialogue about HIV/AIDS, she saw the need for education. To her surprise, people were quite open about the topic. However, people were more terrified about the "C"-word than they were about HIV/AIDS. The "C"-word, she says, is 'condom'. "It seems silly now, but it was a large barrier back then," she says. She has since worked in a variety of settings addressing a variety of topics.
Working through the barriers and building relationships, she began working with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Sarah lent her office and home as a safe place for leaders and youth to meet. "People were scared back then to be seen gathering," Sarah remembers. The group grew to become the OUTreach Resource Center Ogden.
It had never crossed her mind that 22 years later she'd still be doing the work she and Reverend Shirley Jones started in 1996. You can now find Sarah Monday thru Friday, 8 am - 5 pm, at her office located at 727 24th Street, Suite 2, in downtown Ogden.
For more information on the Northern Utah Coalition, visit their website: http://www.aidsinfoutah.net/nuc/
Sarah began her AIDS outreach at the old Weber County Jail site on Kiesel Avenue. She moved with them to the current site where she taught prevention education for 15 years. She battled the stigma and myths of HIV/AIDS as she reached out to community organizations, schools, and businesses. She recalls, "I remember when people wanted a new keyboard when they were [switching] shifts, because they didn't want to get AIDS from the person that was there before... it was scary that they might have left something on their keyboard. They thought they could touch it and get it."
Without much community dialogue about HIV/AIDS, she saw the need for education. To her surprise, people were quite open about the topic. However, people were more terrified about the "C"-word than they were about HIV/AIDS. The "C"-word, she says, is 'condom'. "It seems silly now, but it was a large barrier back then," she says. She has since worked in a variety of settings addressing a variety of topics.
Working through the barriers and building relationships, she began working with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Sarah lent her office and home as a safe place for leaders and youth to meet. "People were scared back then to be seen gathering," Sarah remembers. The group grew to become the OUTreach Resource Center Ogden.
It had never crossed her mind that 22 years later she'd still be doing the work she and Reverend Shirley Jones started in 1996. You can now find Sarah Monday thru Friday, 8 am - 5 pm, at her office located at 727 24th Street, Suite 2, in downtown Ogden.
For more information on the Northern Utah Coalition, visit their website: http://www.aidsinfoutah.net/nuc/
