by C. D. Willis

"I think I make a little bit of difference," acknowledged longtime SAN volunteer Dan Mitchell in a telephone interview richly imbued with an understated brand of wisdom and an unequivocal love and respect for all of the people who call Spokane home.

Dan came to Spokane AIDS Network in 1993. "I was quite angry with the political system at the time," he explained. The AIDS epidemic was devastating lives and no one wanted to talk about it. "It was just an issue to put on the back burner. And then I was dismayed at society. ... So many people didn't have any compassion. There was just too much sensationalism. ... So I did what I could."

Dan Mitchell with his wife Cathy of 51 years.  Photo courtesy of Northern Exposures Photography.

In the early days, there were more volunteers, at times too many, he recalled, but more jobs to do – from moving people to cleaning their houses to taking them to see their doctors.

The role of the volunteer at SAN has changed as staff and community resources have grown. The need remains, he added not once but twice during a 30-minute conversation. "Join us! There are plenty of things to do. ... You might not be working with clients but there sure is need. I think we could use a few more volunteers at the reception desk."

Dan's been serving at that post, greeting people and answering phones, Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for the past 5 or 6 years. "I enjoy the work," he affirmed. "I enjoy the people at SAN."

And they treasure him. "Dan has been at the front desk as long as I can remember," noted past board president and fellow volunteer Paul Tiesse. "He has a calming affect on all who meet him. As long as he has the time he will help out at any event. He is a very nice and caring man. SAN is very lucky to have him as avolunteer."

Volunteer coordinator Cherie Moss echoed the sentiment. "Dan was the first person I encountered here at SAN when I brought in my résumé. When he can he will volunteer at Oscars, Stem and Stein and Holiday Boxes. (He always buys the green beans for the holiday boxes, every year.) When I think of Dan Mitchell I cannot find the words to convey his kindness and graciousness to those he encounters. He is anoutstanding example for all of us."

Service has been his byword throughout his life. Born and raised in Butte, Montana, Dan served four years in the Navy during the Korean conflict and then settled in Spokane, where he earned his bachelor's degree at Gonzaga University and later entered public service, working for the U.S. Government, primarily at the local office of the Small Business Administration.

For four years in the 1960s, Dan attended night classes at Gonzaga Law School, receiving his juris doctor in 1966. He did not practice law, however. "I had a very good job with the federal government," he said. "New attorneys were not doing as well then."

For a time, Dan did volunteer work on the crisis line at Spokane Mental Health. Now, in addition to his service at SAN, he volunteers regularly at the Women's and Children's Free Restaurant. There he stocks shelves and helps distribute produce and dairy products to low-income clients.

Asked about the poverty situation in Spokane, Dan unhesitatingly declared it "much worse" than pundits and politicians admit. "I think that can be backed up by theincrease in people looking for food and shelter" at "so many good, good places. ... [All charities] are swamped and donations are down."

Discouraging truths notwithstanding, Dan has a well honed sense of humor, a gift he has used to SAN's advantage in his volunteer service. Several years back, he visited a man in a nursing home who could not speak and had not been out of his room in months. Learning that the man liked the quirky comedy style he himself favored, he started taking old movies with him when he visited once or twice a week. The two would sit together eating ice cream while they laughed and laughed and laughed at the antics of the Marx brothers.

No finer movie was ever made, said Dan, than A Night at the Opera (1935).