Resources for Youth

Here are some great resources for youth on sexual health, safer sex and HIV/AIDS:

It's Your (Sex) Life
RealTalk DC for youth in the DC area
Scarleteen
YouthResource for GLBTQ youth
Sex, Etc.
Ambiente Joven for Spanish speaking youth
My Sistahs for young women of color
CHATmosphere, a blog by and for youth
Teen Talk

Text your zip code to GYTNOW (498669) or KNOWIT (566948) to receive info on HIV/STD testing sites in your area.

Camp Starlight

Camp Starlight is a week-long residential camp that provides children whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS the opportunity to enjoy a caring, safe, recreational, spiritual, and fun camping experience. Every August since 1999, 65 children ages 5-14 travel to the Oregon Coast to enjoy a week of fun.

This amazing program is happening this week. It is one of the many programs that monies raised at AIDS Walk Portland supports. Please share this video far and wide.

CAP Program Highlight: Pivot

Pivot
a space for men into men

Open Wednesday through Saturday 3:00 - 9:00 pm
209 SW 4th Ave
Portland, OR 97204

Pivot is a community space for men into men and was formerly known as the Men’s Wellness Center. The new name and brand reflect the space as central to creating change, building community and a shift in thinking about sexual health. Pivot’s mission is to create a space where community members come together and build a stronger, healthier community free of stigma and shame.

To that end, Pivot holds social and educational events, provides HIV and STD testing, and offers a safe place for men into men to gather.

Pivot is open as a community space Wednesday through Saturday from 3-9pm. Visitors enjoy coffee and tea, computers and free WiFi, board games, a library of great gay/bi/queer/trans books and magazines, and a great spot to meet other men into men. Use the meeting space, attend an event or group (or start your own), pick up condoms (including hard to fit sizes) or lube, get safer sex info or just talk to someone about making sexual health choices that keep you happy and safe.

Additionally, Pivot offers free testing for men who have sex with men 3 times a week. All testing is walk in and first come first served. HIV testing can be done anonymously or confidentially. HIV testing for all youth (not just men) 24 and under occurs at Pivot on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month through CHATpdx’s CHAT(room). CHAT(room) has Wii, access to computers, snacks, and fun times with other youth.

Every Friday at 7pm Pivot holds a film night, with both gay-centric and non gay-centric films.

For more information, check out Pivot's website, call 503.445.7699 or e-mail pivot@pivotpdx.org. You can also check out Pivot on Facebook and Twitter.

A Day With HIV in America

What does it mean to live with HIV? Positive or negative, we're all affected. On Sept 21, take a picture of daily life & send to Positively Aware at artdirector@positivelyaware.com.

More info can be found here.

Reminder: Upcoming conference!

What's New in HIV?
6th Annual Conference
September 11, 2010
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Ambridge Conference Center
1333 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97232

Planning on attending the What’s New in HIV Conference? There’s still time to register, and we’d love to see you there!

This dynamic one-day conference provides up-to-date and accurate information on advances in HIV prevention, care and treatment. Offering critical educational and networking opportunities for individuals living with HIV and for service providers, the conference includes presentations from both consumer voices and service providers from some of Oregon's top medical and care facilities. There will be updates about recent advances in treatment and a keynote address from the wonderful Lisa Capaldini, MD, about aging and HIV.

Scholarships are available and Camp Starlight volunteers will be on hand the day of the conference to provide childcare. Just be sure to register and let us know if you will be bringing children! Lunch is included in the cost of attending, and all options are gluten free.

Click here to register. Click here for more information. If you have any questions, contact Jonathan Thompson, Conference Intern at 503.278.3843 or email intern.jthompson@cascadeaids.org.

AIDS Walk Portland 2010 Stats

As of Friday, August 27 @ 10.00AM:
Number of teams=197; amount of money raised=$93,241.

We're 5 weeks out- Talk the Walk and help us reach our goals:
12,000 Walkers in 300 Teams, raising $400,000.

Sign up as a Walker or sponsor a Walker at the AIDS Walk Portland 2010 website. After you've registered, you can customize your personal and team pages with graphics and text. You can use the Email Center to contact teammates and supporters. Go to the "Community" Tab to read fundraising tips and talk to other Walkers- see you there!

Potential Donor Checklist

Don't know who to ask? Here are some ideas!


You can download it here!

Fun event: CHAT(room) Drop In!

Tonight is the CHAT(room) Drop In night for youth 24 and under!

Come on out to Pivot (209 SW 4th Ave) between 3pm and 7pm for an evening of fun. There will be games, peer education, Wii, snacks, free HIV testing and more.

RSVP here or just drop by with some friends- we'd love to see you there!

AIDS Walk Portland 2010 Stats

As of Friday, August 20 @ 10.00AM:
Number of teams=182; amount of money raised=$86,223.

We're 6 weeks out- Talk the Walk and help us reach our goals:
12,000 Walkers in 300 Teams, raising $400,000.

Sign up as a Walker or sponsor a Walker at the AIDS Walk Portland 2010 website. After you've registered, you can customize your personal and team pages with graphics and text. You can use the Email Center to contact teammates and supporters. Go to the "Community" Tab to read fundraising tips and talk to other Walkers- see you there!

CAP Event Highlight: What's New in HIV? Conference

What's New in HIV?
6th Annual Conference
September 11, 2010
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

With 300 participants anticipated to attend, this one-day conference provides an opportunity to learn the latest information about HIV and supports networking among consumers and those working in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and care services.

Every day – those living with the virus and those working in the HIV/AIDS field are faced with important questions. How do we talk about prevention for those already infected? How does nutrition impact HIV? What does being co-infected with HIV and HEP C mean? What are treatment options? What is it like to live and grow older with HIV? How do I disclose my status to a loved one? These questions and many more will be answered at this conference.

Created to meet the needs of consumers who wanted up-to-date information regarding medical developments in HIV/AIDS, the conference now includes programming for service providers as well as consumers. Over the last five years the conference has expanded, attracting people from across the state of Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Goals of the Conference are:

• To ensure consumers have access to the most-up-to-date information related to HIV/AIDS care and support, empowering them to take an active role in their own care.
• To ensure those caring for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) (including family, friends, medical providers, social workers and community organizers), have the critical information they need to ensure the best care and support.
• To further develop community networks among consumers, social service agencies, providers and other community resources.

This year’s conference includes some exciting panels, including medical updates for both providers and consumers, a panel on Women, HIV, and Self-Worth, a discussion of naturopathic medicine in relation to the treatment of HIV, a panel on nutrition therapy, and one on stigma.

Sponsors and Presenters:
BMS, Central Pharmacy, Merck, Multnomah County HIV Clinic, Genentech, Gilead, OHSU, HIV Day Center, OHSY, Our House of Portland, Partnership Project, Quest Center for Integrative Health, Cascade AIDS Project

Click here to register. Click here for more information.

If you have questions, feel free to contact Jonathan Thompson, Conference Intern at 503.278.3843 or email intern.jthompson@cascadeaids.org

AIDS Walk Portland 2010 Stats

As of Friday, August 13 @ 10.00AM:
Number of teams=170; amount of money raised=$81,727.

We're 7 weeks out- Talk the Walk and help us reach our goals:
12,000 Walkers in 300 Teams, raising $400,000.

Sign up as a Walker or sponsor a Walker at the AIDS Walk Portland 2010 website. After you've registered, you can customize your personal and team pages with graphics and text. You can use the Email Center to contact teammates and supporters. Go to the "Community" Tab to read fundraising tips and talk to other Walkers- see you there!

CAP Now Provides Testing For All!

What: HIV testing for all – regardless of risk
When: Mondays through Fridays, 10am – 4pm
How: Appointment or walk in
Where: CAP main office, 8th floor, check in at reception
Charge: $25 donation (strongly encouraged)
Why: Because everyone has an HIV status – and shouldn’t we all get the chance to find out what it is?

More information:
• For appointments call 503.223.5907 during normal business hours, walk ins may require a wait time of 30 minutes to an hour
• Nobody is turned away for inability to pay, but we strongly encourage folks to donate what they can (more than $25 is gladly accepted too!)
• We accept cash, check, or charge
• We offer anonymous (no name provided) and confidential (name and contact information provided and kept safe and secure)
• If people test anonymous we can’t provide give them a paper copy of their result
• We will be using the OraQuick Rapid HIV test – results in about 30 minutes

What Sponsors' $$ Supports

Here are some examples of what donated funds can do:

$25 - Covers the cost of 439 condoms for distribution. CAP distributes condoms to CAP clients, through Pivot, in five local colleges and universities, at 17 bars and nightclubs in the Portland area, and through Sisters of the Road Cafe.

$50 - Covers the honorarium for one member of CAP Speaker’s Bureau to go into the community and speak. The Speaker’s Bureau is a program in which HIV+ men and women educate the community on HIV from a personal perspective.

$100 - Covers the cost of one HIV test at Pivot (formerly Men’s Wellness Center). This includes working with an HIV test counselor to explore how to protect themselves and their partners, and to connect to important HIV care and support services.

$250 - Sends two HIV affected or infected people to a school or an organization for a two-hour presentation on HIV. Includes brochures, educational resources, and staff follow up.

$500 - Supplies over 40 rapid HIV testing kits. Each test allows one person to learn their HIV status within 20 minutes of being tested.

CAP Program Highlight: CareLink

CareLink is a short-term program (3 to 6 months) that connects people to medical care who are newly diagnosed with HIV as well as those who have not seen an HIV medical provider in more than six months. It is a bridge to more permanent care, such as medical case management and housing support services.

Carelink Client Advocates have small caseloads and are able to commit significant time to each client, attending medical appointments, connecting clients with housing services, and making appropriate referrals. CareLink services are available in both English and Spanish to persons living in Multnomah, Columbia, Yamhill, Washington and Clackamas Counties.

Many EIS/Carelink clients have one or more of the following barriers to care:
• homelessness
• domestic violence
• substance abuse
• non-English speaking
• recent/current incarceration
• mental health issues

Services CareLink provides include:
• accompanying clients to medical and other HIV/AIDS related service appointments
• advocating on behalf of clients with service providers
• teaching clients to advocate for themselves with service providers
• providing rides or bus tickets to medical appointments
• obtaining Honored Citizen cards for public transportation
• obtaining IDs, birth certificates, social security cards, driver’s license or OR Identification
• referring clients to mental health or drug and alcohol treatment services
• referring clients to housing, clothing, and food resources
• advocating for clients with housing providers and assisting with housing applications
• teaching clients about HIV and its effects, as well as providing information about sexual health and the prevention of HIV transmission
• assisting clients with legal issues around residency/documentation, open warrants and probation/parole requirements
• advocating for clients at trials, providing character references, and assisting clients who are releasing from correctional facilities

For more information, contact:
Adam Kutrumbos at 503-278-3835 or akutrumbos@cascadeaids.org
Sye Laird at 503-278-3832 or slaird@cascadeaids.org

Marc's Fundraising Tips

I have loved being an AIDS Walk Portland Team Captain and I’m very proud that the CAP Volunteer team, “Passion Into Action” has seen significant increases for the past two years.

A couple of easy things I have found successful for AIDS Walk team fundraising:

•PRIZES! – Yes, CAP offers prizes for the overall top fundraisers, but you can do the same thing on a smaller level. Get a great prize donated for the top fundraiser on your team. Many businesses find it easier to contribute products or gift certificates versus cash. Last year, I got tickets to two different events and was able to reward the top and second-place fundraiser on the team.
•FACEBOOK! – This may seem like an obvious one, but I am surprised how few people use it. It’s so easy to share a link on Facebook and reach all your hundreds of friends. Concentrate especially on those friends outside the Portland area, who haven’t already been asked for an AIDS Walk donation from someone else. I raised over $1,000 last year and 85% of that came through asks on Facebook.
•UPDATES! – Everyone likes to feel like they are part of something bigger, like they are part of the momentum. Share occasional email updates with your team members with news about growing fundraising dollars, new prizes, team recruitment, etc. Make your enthusiasm contagious.
•FUN EVENTS! – Last year – don’t laugh – I was part of a lube-wrestling fundraising event at a local bar benefiting AIDS Walk Portland. We raised over $600 for the Walk. But the benefits didn’t end there. It was an opportunity to bring team members together and recruit more folks to the team. It was also a perfect excuse to spread the word and get people to attend a really fun evening who might not have engaged with AIDS Walk otherwise.

I’m hoping to employ all these ideas again this year and once again beat my team’s fundraising total from last year.

Marc Kochanski
Volunteer Resources Coordinator
Cascade AIDS Project

AIDS Walk Portland 2010 Stats

As of Friday, August 6 @ 1o.00AM:
Number of teams=150; amount of money raised=$75,470.

We're 8 weeks out- Talk the Walk and help us reach our goals:
12,000 Walkers in 300 Teams, raising $400,000.

Sign up as a Walker or sponsor a Walker at the AIDS Walk Portland 2010 website. After you've registered, you can customize your personal and team pages with graphics and text. You can use the Email Center to contact teammates and supporters.

Kick Off Party photos now available!

Thanks for everyone who raised $100 or created a team of four and came out to our kick-off party! You can check out the pictures here on our Facebook. It was great to see so much support from our community- keep it up, and we'll be sure to reach our goals!

CAP Program Highlight: LUES

Latinos Unidos Enfrentando el SIDA (LUES)

LUES is the Spanish language acronym for Latinos United Confronting AIDS. LUES provides culturally driven HIV prevention education in the Latino community. Over the past four years, CAP has seen the number of its Latino clients increase by 31%. Based on the continued disproportionate effects of HIV in the Latino population combined with feedback from the community, CAP secured funding from the United Way to expand its prevention efforts in the Latino community.

The goal of LUES is to reduce stigma and promote healthy behaviors in relation to HIV and STDs through education, training, outreach, and social marketing. Partners include Multnomah County Capacitation Center, the Oregon Council of Hispanic Advancement (OCHA) and Hacienda CDC.

LUES works with Latino youth to develop and produce social marketing materials. Middle school and high school students participate in age appropriate and culturally relevant sessions learning HIV and STD information, as well as information on how to use the media as a tool for educating their communities. With the support and guidance of CAP staff, youth produced six short radio novellas. They were broadcast on the radio in Spanish, reaching thousands of listeners with messages about HIV prevention, and are now available on CD.

In collaboration with the Multnomah County Community Capacitation Center, LUES provides HIV capacity building training to Community Health Workers. Sessions are based on popular education. They also offer two popular education basics trainings per year and will be offering an STD training in the near future. In addition to the trainings for community health workers, shorter trainings are offered for more informal HIV Educators ideal for groups interested in creating HIV experts in their community (church groups, alcohol and drug treatment groups, etc). Some of last year's Educators include Hacienda's parent involvement group.

LUES participates in several community events per year. Events vary from film screenings to health fairs. We usually partner with county health departments to conduct on-site testing at these events.

Cascade AIDS Project conducts outreach and education in migrant camps and with day laborers. These critical services bring HIV education and testing to populations at increased risk for HIV and late detection. In the camps, our long-time partner, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, provides mobile medical care services and Washington County Health Department does rapid testing. At the day labor site, Outside In provides medical services and testing.

For more informations, contact Maricela Berumen at 503.278.3867.