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Soaring into stability with people who care

August 3, 2017

by Raven Feagins Millions of people across the country are unable to work most jobs and earn an income due to disability or other challenges. For these folks, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are available to help supplement, but the application process is known for being nearly impossible to navigate. This inspired the creation of the...
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Trump's shadow lingers over affordable health care

July 26, 2017

AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) strongly condemns the actions taken by a majority of Senate Republicans’ vote to advance a bill that would repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which has provided access to comprehensive health care coverage for nearly 24 million Americans. If signed into law by President Trump without a proper replacement, over 1.2 million Illinoisans would lose their...
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HIV, hepatitis C and the hope for health equity

July 25, 2017

by Ashley Brown   UPDATE: In November 2018, the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services (HFS) announced that a hepatitis C cure would be accessible for thousands more Illinoisans on Medicaid, many of whom were previously denied treatment until they reached end-stage disease. Learn more here .   Peter McLoyd doesn’t care what you think of him...
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Beyond a campaign, a testing program that elevates young women of color

July 17, 2017

By Raven Feagins "Our Girls Matter." That’s the tagline for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC)'s  Project Elevate . The marketing pieces -- developed for young cisgender (cis) and transgender (trans) women of color, by young cisgender and transgender women of color -- feature photos of young women, with inviting,...
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We finally have a budget!

July 11, 2017

by Dan Frey, Director of Government Relations It is my sincere pleasure to be able to say to you that as of last Thursday, July 6, 2017, Illinois has in place a budget for the current fiscal year. This means that the Illinois Budget Impasse, which had held our state hostage since 2015, has come to an end.  While this does not mean an end to the partisan fighting in Springfield...
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After three-year stalemate, Illinois legislature increases revenue and passes state budget

July 6, 2017

The Illinois budget impasse has finally come to an end.  Over the July 4th holiday weekend, the Illinois General Assembly passed bipartisan legislation for a full Fiscal Year (FY) 18 budget that supports health equity across the state. Legislators also passed a revenue bill (which increases the Illinois income tax from 3.75% to 4.95%) to actually fund that budget. The AIDS...
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Get your HIV status at these AIDS Run & Walk Chicago beneficiaries

June 26, 2017

Each June 27, National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) encourages people of all ages to get tested for HIV. Chicago has a vibrant network of testing sites at which you can #KnowYourStatus; plus, many of them are also beneficaries of AIDS Run & Walk Chicago's CommunityDirect program!  Here are two things you can do on National HIV Testing Day to build health equity in Chicago:...
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Ending gun violence means recognizing it as a public health threat

June 12, 2017

One year ago today, the Pulse nightclub shooting brought immense grief to our nation and reminded us about the havoc guns can reap on America’s most vulnerable communities. The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) was deeply saddened by the death of 49 members of the broader LGBTQ and Latinx community. We were also deeply moved to  end  gun violence in Chicago and across...
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Living with HIV — and without stable health insurance

June 8, 2017

By Anthony Millspaugh "Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant...." So begins the achingly poignant memoir The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, an exploration of love and loss, grief and resilience. In October 2005, it was the book I was reading when I received a call from a specialist who had recently conducted a procedure ordered by my doctor; the news...
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Quest Diagnostics employees experience a day-to-day connection to the HIV epidemic

June 6, 2017

by Ashley Brown Each year, corporate teams and sponsors band together for AIDS Run & Walk Chicago to raise awareness and funds for HIV services across Chicagoland and Illinois. One of these generous partners is Quest Diagnostics , which provides clinical laboratory services across the country. We spoke to Regional Marketing Director Joe Huber on how their involvement with...
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