A New Beginning...
Dan Holinda, Executive Director
In the previous, special issue of the newsletter,
the agency staff and board provided information about our year-long community consultation
and planning process, highlighting the agency's current priorities and addressing areas of
change. The newsletter included an invitation to a membership meeting on March 23rd, where
some members of the association brought forward their concerns and feedback about a range
of issues. We would like to thank the individuals who shared their feedback with us. It
will assist us as we move along through change.
We're proud to bring you our current newsletter
issue the premiere issue of InStride. We have planned the general content of the
quarterly newsletter to address a range of issues that will interest and inform a wide
group of agency stakeholders from clients, volunteers, and members to funders,
donors, and the general public.
This issue of InStride will include some further
information related to program changes, and the agency's move to a new location. We
welcome Artichoke Design to our communications team, and look forward to communicating
with, and informing our stakeholders, through InStride.
A New Look...
As you may have noticed, the AIDS Calgary
Newsletter format has undergone some changes since last time you received it. The
newsletter has been revamped in look, timing and name.
The name InStride refers to the spirit of
individuals who stand up and face difficult challenges head on. In addition, the name
speaks to this stewardship within the broader scope of a supportive and understanding
network.
Since the key function of InStride is to be the
primary means of communication for AIDS Calgary, the new layout style is clean and simple.
This allows the message of AIDS Calgary, its clients, volunteers and supporters to be
communicated clearly.
The newsletter will be produced four times a
year. This format allows us to communicate key messages and provide updates in relation to
the AIDS Calgary programming schedule.
We are thrilled to be working with AIDS Calgary
and hope you are pleased with the new face of InStride.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Lussier + Elizabeth Reeve
Artichoke Design Ltd.
Volunteer in Profile:
Robin Clysdale
Each Friday AIDS Calgary offers a lunch to agency
clients. The success of this program depends on volunteers to prepare the meal, set up and
clean-up the lunch room. Robin Clysdale has been a volunteer in the Friday Lunch program
for the past year.
He has brought in his friends from the Taoist Tai
Chi society to prepare scrumptious lunches and has scrubbed more than his fair share of
pots and pans. Thank you Robin for being part of what makes the program such a success!
Interested in Volunteering?
General Volunteer Orientation
Provides information about the
agency and its programs. Focuses on the volunteer system and the responsibilities of
individual volunteers.
Saturday, May 23, 2024 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
AIDS Calgary is always looking for more volunteers! If you are interested, contact Susan
Cress at 228-0155.
Volunteer Training
A reminder to all volunteers to complete
their annual AIDS 101.
AIDS 101
Prevention and Treatment: Provides
basic HIV prevention and transmission information, along with a discussion of the HIV
continuum from the point of HIV infection to the diagnosis of AIDS. Includes aspects of
treatment.
Saturday, May 16 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Tuesday, June 16 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
AIDS 201
Psychosocial Aspects: Provides
information about living with HIV/AIDS, including psychosocial aspects. The focus is on
personal stories.
Tuesday, May 19 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Wednesday, June 24 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Safer Sex Guidelines
An overview of the Canadian AIDS
Societys Safer Sex Guidelines. Clarifies risk factors associated with specific
behaviors. Includes a discussion of harm reduction principals.
Tuesday, June 9 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Challenging Stereotypes
Provides an opportunity to discuss
homophobia, racism and sexism. The focus is on creating a safe environment for persons
living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Saturday, May 16 /98 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Thursday, June 25/98 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Loss and Grief workshop
Vathana Chandtan addresses the
stages and tasks of loss and grief, and offers strategies for caregivers and others
dealing with this sensitive issue. Vathana has a Masters Degree in "Transcultural
Palliative Care" and brings with her extensive experience in dealing with death and
dying issues. Open to volunteers and any other interested individuals..
Saturday, May 9/98 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
CALL 228-0155 TO REGISTER!
Program Updates:
Support
Garth Goertz, Team Leader
For many years a focus of AIDS Calgary was to
provide support through therapy oriented counseling. Since less was known about the
disease and few resources were available to people living with HIV/AIDS, this was an
appropriate way to provide support to those coping with the unknown. While there is still
much to learn about this baffling and cunning disease, there is even more to learn about
how to provide appropriate support for those living with it. We acknowledge that the face
of HIV/AIDS is changing which impacts how support is delivered.
Today we are seeing an increasing number of
marginalized populations contracting the virus. HIV infections are increasing among women,
aboriginals, intravenous drug users and young gay men. AIDS Calgary needs to be accessible
to everyone, however, accessing this support does not come easily to all individuals. As a
result of varied circumstances, not everyone views AIDS Calgary as a safe haven.
Therefore, AIDS Calgary needs to become more visible in these marginalized communities and
reach out to those individuals where they are.
Partnerships with other community agencies will
help provide support to people who are falling between the cracks of the existing system.
Stepping up our involvement with organizations like Safeworks, AADAC, SAC, HAS Coalition,
Positive Action, etc., will help to link consumers to a broader base of supports.
Furthermore, strengthening our referral base will
address issues of Health Management facing many AIDS Calgary consumers on a daily basis.
Issues of appropriate housing, adequate food, and drug/alcohol addiction are primary
concerns for many. Without addressing these concerns, many cannot begin to even think
about dealing with the virus. Programs such as the Friday Lunch program will continue
growing to meet nutritional needs as well as providing individuals the opportunity to
connect and expand their support system.
Another focus for the Support Team is helping
individuals reintegrate into the workplace. Now that people have the resources and
treatments to help them stay healthier, we need to break down the barriers that keep HIV+
people from reintegration. We are providing tools to help re-entry into the workforce
through connections with co-op programs, training workshops, and advocacy.
Helping individuals to advocate on their own
behalf is also a key component of support service delivery. We need to be able to support
and empower people to make informed choices. With the ever changing challenges that face
us, the ability to self-advocate is imperative.
The continuation of the Care Team program is an
integral part of the support that AIDS Calgary provides. Offering an invaluable service,
our volunteers provide a consistency in care at a time when it is greatly needed. The need
to be loved and appreciated never diminishes regardless of how other needs change.
Above all, it is important key stakeholders are
involved in the evolution of programs and support services. Communication is vital in
developing appropriate services for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. I welcome you
to bring any concerns and issues regarding support to my attention.
At present the Support team members are: Roger
Graham and Deborah Amo who are Support Workers providing problem-solving, advocacy, and
referrals. Two practicum students, Wendy Deakin and Salimah Walji, have just completed
their practicums with us and have worked in a variety of support programs and projects.
Garth Goertz is the Team Leader for this program area.
Community Outreach
Audrey Gardner, Team Leader
The Community Outreach team was developed out of
the community consultation process that the agency has carried out for the past year. You
told us to go out to the community! Get out on the street! Go to where the risk of
transmission is! And this is what we are doing.
Community Outreach is situating staff and
volunteers within environments where prevention strategies can be most effective. These
are environments that are chosen by the consumer as part of their life. By going directly
to the consumers, we are facilitating comfort, trust, and opportunities for dialogue on
the consumer's terms.
This means that staff and volunteers find
themselves working in a variety of settings: a downtown street, a mainstream classroom, a
university nursing class, a rave party, a public park, a gay bar, a bathhouse, a sex trade
stroll, a group home, a young offenders centre, a supportive housing program for young
pregnant women, a worksite, as well as hanging out at some of our partner agencies such as
EXIT.
At present the Community Outreach team members
are: Cindy Fischer who coordinates the Speakers Network program, and Scott Bayley who is
the Outreach Worker for the YouthXChange program that works with street involved youth.
Two practicum students, Marilane Koutis and Natalie Cox, are just finishing their
practicums with us and have worked in all Outreach programs and projects. Audrey Gardner
is the Team Leader for this program area. Many volunteers are also part of the Community
Outreach team. Whether they are Speakers Network, National Condom Week, YouthXChange, or
kit stuffer (condom and lube) volunteers, their dedication and contribution is crucial.
Along with the entire agency, the Community
Outreach team provides direct service to consumers based on two models central to HIV/AIDS
prevention. The Health Promotion and Harm Reduction models support our working philosophy
of providing life enhancing choices, supportive environments, and meeting the consumers
where they are at. In addition, these models acknowledge that risk for HIV/AIDS is
influenced by poverty, injustice and drug use, as well as racism, homophobia and
heterosexism, violence, sexism and ignorance. Community Outreach provides opportunities
for choice and behaviour change through interpersonal interaction between staff or
volunteer and consumer. It is a much more specific way of working rather than only
providing general education on HIV/AIDS. The responsibility of education on HIV/AIDS is
now shared amongst the three program areas: Community Outreach, Support, and Information
and Training. Education is achieved through activities such as discussions on sexuality
and values, drug use and values, training and problem solving skill building.
The Community Outreach team focuses primarily on
marginalized populations that are at high risk for HIV. These are street-involved youth of
all orientations, genders, and cultures (YouthXChange program), and gay and bisexual men
(Men's Outreach). We also target youth in general in diverse learning, residential, and
social settings (Speakers Network program). Finally, we target sexually active young
adults as we know that there is a high level of STD (sexually transmitted disease)
transmission, which definitely increases the risk of HIV transmission (National Condom
Week and Speakers Network).
This spring the team is evaluating Speakers
Network to further develop effective strategies and increase accessibility to the program.
YouthXChange is investing more time in the community and building partnerships with
agencies that serve street-involved youth.
Presently AIDS Calgary is negotiating a
partnership with GLCSA (Gay and Lesbian Community Services Association) to increase
awareness and accessibility to the Men's Outreach project. The project is planning to
expand its direct service with an outreach worker who will provide safer sex tools (condom
and lube), and a supportive dialogue around HIV risk, drug use, and social impact on
choice. In addition, referral information for men having sex with men in the most high
risk locations (baths, public places, bars) will be provided. If you are interested in
volunteering with the Men's Outreach project, or have any suggestions or ideas please call
Audrey at 228-0155.
If you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions
about the work the Community Outreach team is doing please do not hesitate to contact any
member of the team.
Information +
Training
Susan Cress, Team Leader
The initial concept for AIDS Calgary to offer a
specific area dedicated to providing and sharing information on HIV/AIDS began with the
Resource Centre. The birth of the Resource Centre can be credited to a group of innovative
and dedicated staff and volunteers who saw the need for AIDS Calgary to have a lending
library. The needs of the Calgary community have changed since then and so must the
services offered through the newly formed Information and Training team.
The community consultation process has led to a
renewed vision of AIDS Calgary's role in providing information and training. We have been
asked to deliver more training workshops on HIV/AIDS to other service providers. We will
be helping human service organizations and businesses to develop the skills and knowledge
necessary to address HIV/AIDS in these environments. Volunteers will also benefit as we
offer more workshops that will further assist you in your various roles as volunteers.
Information and training will be focusing on distributing more "for keeps"
resources such as pamphlets and updates on treatment information. In the very near future
the information and training team will be creating HIV/AIDS information products for
distribution.
The Information and Training team is also
responsible for producing the newsletter on a quarterly basis. InStride will keep up you
updated on programming at AIDS Calgary and some of the ongoing changes in HIV
demographics, treatment and prevention strategies. Through the agencys Web site we
will be promoting the services offered by AIDS Calgary and researching emerging issues in
HIV/AIDS.
The volunteer program is also situated within the
Information and Training portfolio. Mark Randall provides administrative assistance to the
volunteer program on a part-time basis. He will ensure that volunteers have their training
workshops completed, TB test results submitted and annual dialogues completed. Annual
dialogues are now being completed by the program area instead of on an individual basis.
This means that every January for example, volunteers in the Speakers Network will be
evaluated. Changes in programming will also mean changes in volunteer opportunities and a
shift in current volunteer work. The volunteer program will address the training and
information needs of volunteers as programs continue to expand and evolve.
Mark and Susan would be pleased to answer any of
your questions and would like to know about your ideas and suggestions.
InStride Notes
Casino!
AIDS Calgary casino dates have
been set for August 17 and 18 at the Elbow River Casino.
We are in need of volunteers to work various shifts on these two evenings. Contact Thom
Kyle at 228-0155 to complete an application. Applications are due by June 15, 1998.
The agencys high profile fundraiser,
Calgary Cares, will not be held during the spring, as in past. The Calgary Cares committee
has selected February 20, 2024 as the next date. Please mark your calendars!
Positive Action Update
Positive Action will be holding
an election for our new Board Representative on Friday, May 15. All candidates will
present a brief speech at this time, directly following the weekly Friday lunch. Any
self-declared HIV positive individual who is also a member of AIDS Calgary is welcome and
encouraged to vote.
Currently Jennifer Hebert, the present Board
Representative alternate, is the only candidate, however any member of the Positive Action
Executive Committee is invited to run. You may also nominate any committee member to run
if you wish, though they will have the option to decline.
Please participate we are trying to make a
difference!
Are we Moving?
In the last newsletter, we discussed some of the
reasons behind the board and management team's preparation for a possible move to a more
stable, affordable space.
The board of AIDS Calgary would like to announce
to the membership that the agency will be moving to a new location near 4th Street and
17th Avenue SW, most likely during late August this summer. We are in the process of
working with a design group linked with the locations redevelopment, and floor plans
are being drawn up. In addition, agency staff are obtaining quotes from movers and
preparing a plan for the move.
The board and management team will be able to
provide more detailed information about the move during upcoming weeks, and in the next
issue of InStride.
AGM & Membership
Meeting
The association's annual general meeting will be
held on Monday, June 22nd. Watch for details in the next newsletter.
The second membership meeting regarding ongoing
agency change is scheduled for May 12th at 6:30pm at AIDS Calgary.
other ways to reach us...
Talking Yellow Pages
AIDS Calgary maintains a
thorough and well-used information site through the Telus Talking Yellow Pages. For a
range of information about HIV/AIDS, call (403) 521-5222 (long distance charges apply
outside of the Calgary area), and enter codes as follows:
Topic |
Enter this Code |
Are HIV & AIDS the same thing? |
4680 |
The Most Important Thing You Need to
Know |
4688 |
What Are the Symptoms? |
4682 |
How Do I Get a Test? |
4683 |
Everything You Need to Know About
Condoms |
4684 |
All About Safer Sex |
4685 |
Women & HIV |
4686 |
Youth & HIV |
4687 |
interested in contributing?
For more information, comments about, or
contributions to InStride, contact Susan Cress at AIDS Calgary, 228-0155.
help!
We are continually updating our mailing list to
ensure that you receive InStride on a regular basis. If you have not been receiving the
newsletter, have been receiving duplicate mailings, or have any changes to your address,
please contact Shan Pancoast at 228-0155.
We will put forth our best effort to make sure
InStride reaches you!
by the way
InStride is published quarterly by AIDS Calgary.
The newsletter is mailed free of charge to association members. InStride is also available
at AIDS Calgary, the Southern Alberta Clinic, and Beswick House.
AIDS Calgary is a member of the Canadian AIDS
Society, the Alberta Community Council on AIDS, and Calgarys HIV/AIDS Strategies
(HAS) Coalition. The agency receives funding from Alberta Health, Health Canada, United
Way, and City of Calgary FCSS.