By Coleman Goode
On a dark May morning, I arrived at work before the sun was up fighting off nerves ahead of my first large Springfield Advocacy Day here at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC). Our mission: deliver over 100 advocates to the state capitol to advocate for a positive budget with their state legislators. Our message was clear: they need to fully fund HIV programs and...
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The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is pleased to announce the top eight Chicago-area care organizations in its HIV medical and non-medical case management network for Dec. 1, 2016 – Nov. 30, 2017. By connecting people living with HIV to case managers who help them achieve their health goals, these eight organizations support more than 711 members of AFC’s 5,869 clients. ...
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By Jes Scheinpflug
I’m greeted with, “Good afternoon, ma’am. How can I help you?” as I walk into the office. “I’m here to see Judy,” I tell the receptionist as I question to myself exactly what about my appearance made her gender me with ma’am. “I have 3 o’clock appointment,” I continue, wondering if I should tell her I am...
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By Raven Feagins
When Rex Gaimari was homeless, he was constantly concerned about his safety. He was in and out of shelters for about 3 years, which was the direct result of losing the home he shared with his mom. Rex had been her caretaker for years, but when she passed away he needed to find a new place to live. He tried several times to move in with extended family, but nothing ever...
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By Cris Lee
In September 2015, I started my first full time job and besides getting used to the responsibilities of my new role, my other major life task was to purchase health insurance. I found a plan that fit my needs and set up an online profile so I could track my premium, co-pays, appointments, and overall wellness.
Before I had even chosen a Primary Care Physician, I...
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By Kirstin Brockenborough
Coleman Goode is our new Community Organizer! You may have most recently seen him around Springfield serving as Chief of Staff for long-time HIV advocate State Representative Greg Harris. We’re getting into who Coleman is and how he’s tackling health inequalities.
You can get to know Coleman and his plans for turning up our advocacy...
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by Peter McLoyd
POZ published Mark S. King’s article, “ The Truth About the 7,000 – Why are there still so many AIDS-related deaths? ” on April 2, 2018. The article moved HIV leader Peter McLoyd ; this is his response.
I woke up to the headline above in an article POZ Magazine. As I frantically read Mark S. King ’s...
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By Paige Miller
If you’ve googled “sexual health” recently, you know the only results are how to improve sexual performance. Well, you can’t improve anything until you know you’re educated on what you like and are being true to yourself. But what does that really mean?
Sexual health is the state of being mentally, physically and socially comfortable...
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by Raven Feagins
Having a stable place to live can determine our health , including our vulnerability to HIV. This is especially true for young people who already account for 22% of new HIV diagnoses in the US. In Chicago , an estimated 15,000 youth experience homelessness each year and of those young people, about 3,000 identify as LGBTQ.
Some of the top needs of LGBTQ youth...
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By Andrea Dakin, Senior Director of Program Development at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago
Editor's note: Looking to make a career transition into grant writing and management? Visit aidschicago.org/careers to apply for our Program Development Manager position!
While fundraising or grant writing may not be the obvious career choice for those receiving a Bachelor of Social Work...
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