On April 9, three clients and I, an Open Door Clinic staff member, joined the Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy (IL ASAP) and over 100 other advocates as we converged on Springfield to advocate for issues that impact to the HIV/AIDS community. Our biggest push was for the continued funding of HIV/AIDS services. When Illinois Governor Pat Quinn proposed his budget for next year, he maintained...
Read more...
AIDS Foundation of Chicago's (AFC) top donors and supporters will be venturing to Ignite Glass Studios in the textured West Town neighborhood for this year's spring fundraising event, where we'll kick off our 30th year of service. IGNITE, named after the industrial venue, will feature an open bar, world-class fare and dancing. Guests will also enjoy live glass artistry and roof-top views of the city...
Read more...
Through its Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA) program, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded nearly $3 million to AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) for two of its core housing programs.
The Re-entry Housing for Health Partnership (RHHP) was awarded a $1,419,482 HOPWA permanent supportive housing renewal grant to continue to provide housing...
Read more...
Before she met with State Representative La Shawn Ford at the Illinois state capitol building, Jacalyn Boyd had never had much interaction with her elected officials. But on April 9, Boyd, a peer navigator on the Austin Health Center of Cook County CBC Initiative in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, joined more than 100 advocates to meet with their elected officials and advocate for their support...
Read more...
Improved prognoses, but many still at-risk for infection
Illinois HIV Care Connect is taking major strides to reach out to a changing HIV-positive population benefiting from improved prognoses due to advances in treatment and access to care. The AIDS Foundation of Chicago is one of seven lead agencies coordinating the services provided through the program, which is funded by the...
Read more...
World AIDS Day is December 1!
Here are a few important events going on in Chicago to honor the occasion.
World AIDS Day is an opportunity to celebrate the gains made in ending the epidemic, embrace those living with HIV/AIDS, and commemorate those who have died from complications with AIDS.
It’s also an occasion for HIV testing, advocacy, education, and celebration...
Read more...
“We are ‘People with AIDS.’ ”
After 30 years, that line is still powerful, still true. It’s the opening to the Denver Principles , the core document of a self-empowerment movement that grew out of San Francisco in the early 1980s. People first, condition second.
The Denver Principles are, in many ways, the Bill of Rights for people living with...
Read more...
Vendors packed the auditorium. Pamphlets lined tables and tables lined the gym floor. Even though we were in the basement at the field house in Chicago’s Riis Park, we had reached the Summit of Hope .
According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, “the Summit of Hope is a community expo, bringing together local service providers to create a one-stop environment for...
Read more...
At our November 7 Annual Meeting, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) honored the many branches of our collective AIDS response: the essential service providers, clinicians, advocates, and friends who everyday help intensify our power and reach.
David Ernesto Munar, AFC’s CEO/President, delivered a speech that highlighted our work in strengthening communities, integrating services,...
Read more...
January will be pivotal for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Congress is set to decide whether or not to continue sequestration, which is the term for across-the-board funding caps on vital services.
The longer Congress waits to end sequestration, the more holes this practice puts in a safety net that millions of Americans rely on. This January, Congress will have the opportunity...
Read more...
