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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The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is gearing up for its third annual TEE UP TO END AIDS, set to be hosted at Harborside International Golf Center in Chicago on Wednesday, May 22. We sat down with golf-enthusiast and AFC Board of Directors member Tony Tintinalli to learn more about the event and his connection to AFC’s mission.
Q: First off, can you tell me what you do for...
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AFC’s 2018 Annual Report: Setting the Pace
Review photos from the event
Hello and good evening! Thank you, Anna, for kicking our party off tonight and for leading AFC’s Board to achieve great things in 2018. I’m so grateful for the leadership and support you have offered me and AFC this past year.
In 2018, we kicked off a great race toward an...
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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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By Raven Feagins
UPDATE : On June 26, 2019, Governor Pritzker signed a bill into law that will legalize recreational cannabis for adults in Illinois by the start of 2020. Once this new law is in place, all Illinoisans 21 years and older will be legally allowed to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis, as well as varied amounts of THC (the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis)-infused products...
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Happy 2019! The new year brings in renewed energy, and AFC staff are back at work continuing their plans towards advancing health equity! With new and continuing projects underway, we checked in with three staff members about to see what they are most excited about for 2019.
"In 2019, I am looking forward to being able to give the reentry returning citizens housing and employment opportunities...
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By Jared Smith*, Edited by Raven Feagins
AFC received a packet in the mail in May 2018 with AIDS ribbon lapel pins and a beautiful, hand-written note. We followed up to find out more. Here’s a story from a young man about his father and how the pins arrived at AFC.
An eye doctor by profession, a friend to many, a husband, an uncle and a father. My father was a man of many...
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2018 was another year full of policy and legislative ups and downs on all levels. However, AFC and like-minded advocates across the country stayed strong when faced with sometimes harsh and inhumane policies that threatened the livelihoods of our communities. Here are a few of the most influential policy and legislative highlights of the year.
Illinois Medicaid hepatitis C...
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By Raven Feagins
This post originally appeared on November 29, 2018 on GTZIllinois.hiv .
Conversations around U=U , PrEP and condom use are common among folks in the HIV workforce, but how can these conversations get started in middle and high school classrooms? The Hult Center for Healthy Living addresses this, among other topics, in their comprehensive sexual health curriculum...
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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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