AFC and Pride Action Tankstrongly condemn the announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division (CRFD) in the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The Trump administration and HHS announced the CRFD will be tasked with “restoring federal enforcement of our nation’s laws that protect the fundamental and...
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By Raven Feagins
Dec. 13, 2017 was a cold night on the west side of Chicago, but just over 30 community members from across the city made the trip to gather at Malcom X College for the first Getting to Zero Illinois town hall . Getting to Zero is a state-wide initiative that will end the HIV epidemic in Illinois by implementing a statewide plan that is informed by communities most affected...
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By Brian Solem
Housing and health are inseparably linked. You’re more likely to be in consistently good health if your housing costs (rent or mortgage plus utilities, groceries and other household needs) take up a limited slice ( 30% by most estimates ) of your overall budget. If you are barely making ends meet, your health might show it, and you become more susceptible to unstable...
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By Will Wilson
Longtime HIV advocate and Chicago resident Will Wilson was invited to share his first-person account of using Medicaid and Affordable Care Act services to the people in charge of nationwide Medicare and Medicaid services.
It was cold, dark, and I was up way earlier than normal. Still, I was excited. I was heading to Washington D.C. to share my story with Calder...
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Are you interested in creating equity and justice for people living with and vulnerable to HIV and related chronic diseases? If the answer is yes, we have just the volunteer opportunity for you!
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago is seeking candidates for board membership. Please apply by Wednesday, Feb. 28.
We’re looking for individuals who are passionate about creating...
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By Raven Feagins
Until the age of 45, Latesha never had a place of her own. For years, she relied on friends and acquaintances to have a safe place to sleep at night, but, when she wasn’t lucky enough to find someone to stay with, she resorted to sleeping on the streets of Chicago.
“I was always here, here, here and here. Each time there were setbacks after setbacks,”...
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By Raven Feagins
As advocates, we work hard to ensure the rights of our communities are protected. Despite the whirlwind that was 2017 (a.k.a. the year that made me question my faith in humanity), together we did have some wins.
Below are six major victories we've achieved this year.
1. The ACA is still the law!
One of the biggest challenges this year has...
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By Raven Feagins
Veronica* is the loving matriarch of her Chicago-area family. When she’s not taking care of two of her grandchildren, her mom and her aunt, she works as a talented seamstress. She’s open with her family about most things - except her own health status.
Veronica is living with HIV and has for the past 20 years. Most of her family, except her husband, don’t...
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By Raven Feagins
Imagine a world where the people from communities most affected by HIV are leading the HIV workforce to end the epidemic. That’s the world Anthony Betori, Youth Program Manager at Chicago House and Social Service Agency, is striving to create with their new Community Health Apprenticeship program (CHAP). This 8-week training helps committed young people get their...
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By Alaina Kennedy
The Trump Administration issued a detailed budget proposal for 2018 and the next decade. This budget does not contain any binding language but does lay out the president’s priorities for federal programs. It is regarded as a powerful directive from the executive branch to Congress regarding national policy and priorities, but the “power of the purse”...
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