Volume 3, Issue 1, Spring 2000 InStride The Quarterly Newsletter of AIDS Calgary
Mission Possible: Reinventing the Agency Mission StatementBy Kevin Midbo, Executive Director Hello, and welcome to the first Instride of the new year! After the festivities of Christmas and New Years, we are back to work - busier than ever it seems. As we move forward into the new decade, we continue to adapt and change as needed to ensure that we remain responsive to the HIV epidemic, and the people it affects. One of the things that the agencys staff and board of directors are currently looking at is the agencys mission statement. We want to reassess our mission given the many changes that have occurred both in the organization, and in the external environments that affect the work we do. This reassessment has largely been prompted by the changes that have occurred in the nature of HIV and AIDS particularly the fact that treatments are enabling some people living with HIV/AIDS to live longer and more productively and the fact that HIV is affecting more diverse communities now than at any previous time. As an agency, we have spent time and consideration addressing these changes in HIV/AIDS and we have adapted our programming accordingly. We think it is time to look at our mission statement to ensure that it accurately reflects these changes. The current mission statement, as you may know already, is to "promote life enhancing choices and supportive environments for persons living with or impacted by HIV/AIDS." While this mission still lies at the heart of what we do at AIDS Calgary, it may not address the full range of the services we offer, particularly our HIV awareness and prevention education programming. It is very important that the mission statement accurately reflect the services and the philosophy of the agency. For many people the mission statement is the first impression of the services and programs that we provide. The mission statement provides an overarching philosophy that serves to guide the agency as a whole from the Board of Directors, to staff, to volunteers. The mission statement as a philosophy ensures that all members of the agency are working in unison towards a common goal. The Board of Directors has begun the process of revisiting the mission statement. An important part of this will be community input. We will consult with our partners, members, clients etc. in the community to ensure that the mission statement is an accurate portrayal of our work. We welcome your input -- if you would like to contribute your thoughts to the development of the mission statement please contact Stephen Entwisle, our Communications Coordinator, and he will assist you. We will keep you posted as to our progress in future issues of InStride. Have a wonderful spring! Information
+ Training New
Community Trainer Briefing
Documents On the Web If you have any topics around HIV/AIDS that you would like to have examined in a briefing document, please give Leslie a call at 508 2500. Training for
2000 Making the
Connection: HIV, Resistance, and Risk Its
All Relative: The Impact of HIV Infection on Families Creating
Supportive Environments: Working with HIV What Are We
Saying: The Language of HIV/AIDS Community
Outreach The winter months have proven very rewarding for the Community Outreach team, as we have continued to diversify our role within the community. With the introduction and successful implementation of the Immigrant and Refugee Womens Project, we are now expanding its target population to include men and international students. Vimmi Bedi has increased the number of educational sessions on HIV/AIDS in culturally appropriate contexts. She has completed a resource guide for new volunteers and continued to expand our linkages and partnerships citywide. The YouthXChange program has also been active, developing three new discussion group topics. Welcome to Community Outreach
Practicum Students YouthXchange Jen Olsen has joined the team on a contract as a YouthXChange worker (until we hire our interns for May 01, 2024). Jen brings with her experience in this area, as she completed a social work practicum with the YouthXChange team only only year ago. Recently, she completed her BSW degree and will be a great energy on our team for the next couple of months. Please take a moment to welcome Jen and let her know a little about what you are each up to. Jen's phone extension is 320 and you can also drop her a line on email @ [email protected]. National Condom Week The success can be attributed to a team and agency-wide effort, and the ongoing partnership between the Calgary Birth Control Association and AIDS Calgary. This year, CCASA (Calgary Communities Against Sexual Assault) also joined in and helped out with the event. Approximately 14 volunteers from AIDS Calgary, as well as 2 practicum students and 6 staff members participated in this years event, ensuring event was a huge success Thanks to everyone for their help. The Mens Project Support Community Kitchen As a result of the success it has enjoyed, the Community Kitchen program is undergoing some exciting changes. We are now running two kitchens, usually on Tuesdays, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. As well, we have been fortunate to offer participants an educational component to this project. Lori Hards, the nutritionist at SAC, and Dr. Ann Kerr have provided valuable information sessions to the participants. For more information about their presentations or around the Community Kitchen in general, please contact Athena at extension, 316. Much appreciation goes to Athena Dorey and Mark Randall for getting this needed program off the ground. Marks contract finished in January and he has moved on to other projects. We thank Mark for his care and dedication to this project. Staff Changes in
Support In the wake of Wendys departure, we are fortunate to have Athena Dorey join our Support Team as a full-time Support Worker. Athena has been working with AIDS Calgary since July of last year as the Community Kitchen Coordinator. She will continue in that role but has also taken on the responsibilities of Support Worker. If you have the opportunity, please stop by and welcome her to our team. Also, we are pleased to welcome Lara McRitchie to AIDS Calgary in the role of practicum student. Lara is currently enrolled in the Social Work - Undergraduate Program at the University of Calgary in her third year. Her previous social work related experience includes crisis work with Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse (CCASA), as well as research on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with female adult survivors of sexual abuse. She also has participated in addressing diversity issues within the Social Work department as a member of the diversity group. Congratulations
to Roger Graham!! Prison Outreach Outreach Support
Program AIDS Calgary is
looking for Care Team Volunteers Urban Aboriginal
Outreach Project Relocates New team Leader
in Community Outreach On the brighter side, we are pleased to announce that Laurie Fownes has been appointed the new Team Leader of Cojmmunity Outreach to replace Sue Cress. Laurie has been involved in AIDS Calgary for over two years now, on and off, in different capacities. We know that the enthusiasm, commitment and intelligence that she brings to the job will be of great benefit to the Community Outreach program. Volunteer
Appreciation Week Currently, AIDS Calgary enjoys the commitment of 107 contributing approximatley 3292 hours in 8 different program areas during 1999. Support team utilises volunteers in the Community Kitchen and Care Teams. Community Outreach relies on volunteers for Speakers Network, YouthXChange, Immigrant Outreach and, in conjunction with CGLSA, the Mens Project. As well, the agency as a whole enjoys the support of volunteers at Reception particularly the efforts of Gerry and Coral and in assisting with our Fund Development/Special Events. On behalf of the staff, Board of Directors of AIDS Calgary, we would like to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude for the invaluable work that the volunteers do for us. Volunteer
Appreciation Event!!! Volunteer
Training Challenging
Stereotypes Safer Sex
and HIV/AIDS Living With
HIV/AIDS Volunteer in
Profile -- GERRY SWEETT On behalf of all AIDS Calgary staff, we would like to say thank you to Gerry for his outstanding contributions to the agency. AIDS Walk
Committee Seeks Volunteers We feel that the AIDS Walk needs to be revitalised although the event has been a successful fundraiser, we feel that it has become somewhat dull and predictable. Because fundraising is increasingly competitive, it is important that we make all of our fundraising events as exciting and memorable as possible in order to continue to attract people to support our fundraising events. We would like to broaden the appeal of AIDS Walk to audiences and participants who may not have participated in the event in past years. This will give us an opportunity to tap new markets for potential fundraising. As well, events such as AIDS Walk are as valuable opportunities to raise awareness as well as much-needed funds. By broadening the appeal of fundraising events such as AIDS Walk, we are broadening the audiences for our important HIV prevention messages. While it is important to continually attract new audiences to our fundraisers we are aware of the importance of including our long-term supporters in our vision of AIDS Walk. As part of this change, we are organising the Calgary AIDS Walk by committee this year. At the moment, we are looking for people who are interested in helping to organise this years AIDS Walk. We want to make it a fun and exciting event that will bring people back into the fundraising fold again next year. If you would like to help out and make AIDS Walk a memorable and successful fundraising event, please phone Stephen or Shane at 508 2500. Calgary Cares
Update It promises to be a fun night and, of course, will be raising money to help fund the important work that we do here at AIDS Calgary. Community-based
Research Project Positive Action: Friday Lunch Program By Jen Hebert Positive Action is excited and pleased to announce that we will be reviving the highly popular Friday Lunch program in the near future. In order to ensure that the program meets the needs of participants, we need to have your input. Positive Action will be running a series of focus groups in March, some of which will be devoted to this program. Other focus groups will have topics such as issues facing AIDS Calgary, as well as a community consultation to determine if AIDS Calgary's mission statement is still relevant. This affects all clients of AIDS Calgary, so we hope to get a large turnout. All focus groups are expected to run for about 90 minutes. Participants in any of the workshops will be eligible to enter a draw for one of two computers that we are giving away. Please come out to have your voice heard. Anyone interested in participating in any of the focus groups should contact Jen at 508-2500 or 714-8560 to find out dates and times. Websites: For information on treatment and advocacy for HIV positive women, see the Project Inform website at http://www.projinf.org/pub/ww_index.html. For peer-reviewed medical information about HIV and AIDS, see the HIV/AIDS Information Centre of the Journal of the American Medical Association at http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/. For a bibliography on various issues related to HIV/AIDS and Older Adults, see the Chicago AIDS and Aging Partnership website at http://www.uic.edu/depts/matec/hivage.html. For information on insurance benefits, see the Canadian Aids Society - AIDS Committee of Toronto website at http://www.cdnaids.ca/pdf/Ins_e.pdf. For live video broadcast of Richard Hollingsworth and his family coping with the daily challenges of the Richards life with HIV/AIDS, see The AIDS Channel website at http://www.theaidschannel.com/. A survey of Alberta residents,
released November 10, 1999, shows support for HIV public education efforts such as condom
distribution in high schools (72% support), proper condom use education in schools (85%
support), and increased public health messages on HIV (63% support - up from 56% in 1996).
"Albertans remain concerned about the spread of HIV. They want to ensure that young
people in particular have the information they need to protect themselves from this
disease," said Alberta Health and Wellness Minister Halvar Jonson. Government of
Alberta News Release. A UNAIDS Press Release on December
1, 1999 stated that "Throughout sub-Saharan Africa and around the world, the damage
being wrought by HIV/AIDS has a new face - the millions of children who have been orphaned
by the pandemic, left behind to struggle not only with their personal losses but with the
stigma and discrimination that often accompany AIDS". "The figures are
staggering: By the end of this year the world will have seen 11.2 million children
orphaned by AIDS, 95 per cent of them in sub-Saharan Africa," said Peter Piot,
Executive Director of UNAIDS. "By the end of the year 2000, we estimate that the
cumulative number of AIDS orphans will rise to 13 million." "Cooperation in the search for
an AIDS vaccine is intensifying with the creation of a new initiative by the World Health
Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to promote
the development of a vaccine. The WHO-UNAIDS HIV Vaccine Initiative is set to heighten
international cooperation into AIDS vaccines in the face of mounting urgency as the
epidemic spreads. The initiative is guided by a new joint WHO-UNAIDS HIV Vaccine Advisory
Committee." UNAIDS Press Release, February 21, 2000. According to a National Institute of
Health document, released February 10, 2000, "Researchers at the National Institute
of Health have demonstrated that a widely used herbal product -- St. John's wort -- could
significantly compromise the effectiveness of an antiviral drug often prescribed to treat
HIV infection". Dr. Stephen Piscitelli, of the NIH Clinical Centres Pharmacy
Department states that "When St. John's wort and the protease inhibitor indinavir are
taken together, the levels of indinavir in the blood drop dramatically". This causes
the antiviral drug to be eliminated too quickly from the body and thus reduces or
eliminates therapeutic benefits of indinavir. |
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