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News: Chicago

Jeraldine’s journey to better health

July 11, 2019

By Raven Feagins Jeraldine Taylor is a petite, 60-year-old woman who enjoys the simple things in life. She loves to cook, read and watch TV when she gets a chance to catch up on the news or indulge in shows like Judge Mathis and Steve. These are the things that help keep her mind off the past and humble her to be grateful for where she is today.   For most of her life, Jeraldine...
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Study shows PrEP4Love campaign reaches millions of individuals to build awareness about vital HIV-prevention tool

June 19, 2019

A recent study by the Chicago Center for HIV Elimination at the University of Chicago reveals the PrEP4Love social marketing campaign generated roughly 41 million unique views across various social media platforms within four months of its pilot launch across Chicago.    In 2016, the Chicago PrEP Working Group (now the Illinois PrEP working Group) launched PrEP4Love , a citywide,...
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The joy that's coming

June 13, 2019

By Jamie Hock Barely being able to contain his smile, Dyonte explains the significance of the tattoo on his lower forearm. The verse from Romans 8:18 reads “The pain you feel today can’t amount to the joy that’s coming”. Beaming he explains “It means a lot to me because I go through a lot, you know? So it’s like I got that tattoo you know so when I do...
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The State of Illinois, City of Chicago, and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago Announce Getting to Zero Illinois HIV Plan

May 16, 2019

On May 14 , Governor JB Pritzker, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH),  and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) introduced the Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL) five-year comprehensive plan that details actions to end the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030. As part of the Getting to Zero Illinois collaboration,...
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Meet two new leaders addressing HIV in Chicago’s Black communities

May 10, 2019

By Raven Feagins HIV affects people of all genders, sexualities, races and ethnicities, but Black Americans in particular are overrepresented in the numbers. While Black Americans only make up about 12% of the US population, 43% of people with new HIV diagnoses and approximately 42% of people living with HIV in the U.S. are Black . Multiple factors contribute to this enormous health disparity,...
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From Ryan White to running a marathon: my story

March 27, 2019

By Sarah Pasternak When I tell my friends and family that I’m fundraising for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago through TEAM TO END AIDS (T2) , I tend to get some follow-up questions: Why am I SOOOO into raising money for HIV and AIDS services? Why am I signed up for a second marathon with T2? Why have I had the Until There’s a Cure bracelet since 1996?* Why did I join the Ribbon...
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Black women in Chicago invited to catch desire while preventing HIV

March 8, 2019

To improve awareness of PrEP among Chicago’s Black cisgender women and the providers who serve them, the local award-winning HIV prevention campaign PrEP4Love today released a three-song “visual EP” in partnership with local OB/GYN and rapper Dr. Every Woman — a.k.a. Dr. Wendy Goodall McDonald — and Northwestern University-based media platform OTV - Open Television...
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New grant opportunity for “small but mighty” community orgs

January 9, 2019

The application process for capacity building and technical assistant mini-grant support to bolster Chicago-area HIV/AIDS organizations will be released in January 2019. This opportunity will support up to five community-based organizations in Chicago. The grant will offer selected CBOs a one-year program to improve their strategic clarity and strategic planning goals, board development,...
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Housing is the foundation for better health

December 20, 2018

By Raven Feagins Darrow Alexander is a Chicago native originally from the Englewood neighborhood. He thrives on connecting with others, especially if it’s through food, and he loves giving back to his community. However, before he settled into his cozy apartment in Uptown almost six years ago, Darrow whole-heartedly believed that he would forever be alone.   “I...
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Justice has been served -- AFC lauds the justice received for the murder of Laquan McDonald but more must be done

October 5, 2018

The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) lauds the justice received for the murder of 17-year-old, Laquan McDonald. Nearly four years after the fatal shooting was caught on video, Van Dyke was found guilty on two counts of second-degree murder, sixteen counts of aggravated battery, and not guilty on one count of official misconduct. Van Dyke shot 16 bullets at Laquan McDonald for 14 seconds...
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