Interview with Josh Weinstein, Volunteer and Chair of Shanti’s Board of Directors

Can you tell us about your journey with Shanti Project, from starting as a peer support volunteer to now becoming the board chair?

When I moved to San Francisco a decade ago, I looked for opportunities to serve my new community and its most vulnerable citizens. I found the Shanti Project and became a peer support volunteer in early 2016. Since then, I’ve had three Shanti clients – Dan, Jamie, and Jesus – and facilitated a monthly support group for volunteers. I joined the board in 2019, and became board chair at the end of 2023.

I have a deep commitment to Shanti’s mission and the people we serve. I became the board chair because I believe that mission is more important than ever before, and that Shanti can have a positive impact on the San Francisco community I love.

What have been the most rewarding parts of your experience with Shanti so far?

My first experience as a peer support volunteer really impacted me. My client, Dan, was born in Illinois, and moved to the Bay Area in 1978. In the 80’s and 90’s, he managed a plant store in the Castro and was a massage therapist. Dan contracted AIDs in the late 80’s, and watched many of his friends die from the disease. His kidneys failed at age 58, and he was on dialysis for the last 13 years of his life. Estranged from his family, Dan had very few people in his life. For some weeks, the only human contact he had was with the technicians at the dialysis clinic, his social worker, and his two Shanti volunteers – myself and another man named Jason. Dan and I would go for drives and get lunch together. As his health began failing, he moved to hospice care, where I’d pick him up to take him to a dog park. In November of 2017, he passed away at the age of 71. What mattered in our relationship was for me to show up, to bear witness to his story, and to tell him, I see you.

I am one volunteer of thousands we’ve trained over the last half-century, and my experience isn’t unique. I feel grateful to be part of that lineage, and believe that the work is more important than ever.

Can you share a memorable moment or experience from your time volunteering with Shanti that has stayed with you?

When my first client passed away, his Shanti care navigator organized a memorial for him at Ocean Beach. Because most of Dan’s friends had passed on, there were 5 of us at the memorial – his care navigator, his two Shanti volunteers, his nurse, and his social worker. We sang his favorite songs and shared wonderful memories of him. The memory of those moments together stay with me to this day.

Shanti is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. How do you feel about being part of such a significant milestone, and what do you think it says about the organization’s impact over the years?

I believe that Shanti’s mission and commitment to addressing social isolation are more important than ever. A recent study showed that loneliness can increase your risk of death by 26% (source). This is a sobering statistic that reinforces the importance of the work we do.

And at the same time, our care navigation and peer support model have touched so many lives in San Francisco over the last half-century. Our legacy, from our founding on the UCSF cancer ward, through the crisis of AIDS, to our current programs, is strong and our impact on the city indelible.

What message or encouragement do you have for folks who may be considering getting involved with Shanti in some capacity?

Shanti changed my life by giving me the opportunity to serve the most vulnerable in our community. I am grateful to this organization for what it has given me, and our community in San Francisco. I’d encourage you to volunteer and support Shanti Project in celebration of 50 years of service to the community.