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Main Forums => Pre-HAART Long-Term Survivors => Topic started by: synergyhomepage on November 02, 2012, 12:25:36 pm

Title: A quick question and your opinion.
Post by: synergyhomepage on November 02, 2012, 12:25:36 pm
What is Advocacy?

Advocacy represents the strategies devised, actions taken and solutions proposed to influence decision-making at the local & state level to create positive change for people and their environment.


I any trying to prepare several topics for discussion that I will use as a Positive Speaker with the Valley Aids Information Network.  As LTS I never really had much information before becoming infected, my mission now is to use my experience to work towards "GETTING TO ZERO". 

What do you think people need to hear? 
Do you see your community educating and informing its population?
Do your schools have any HIV education.

Anything you want the world to know about how HIV has effected you?


These responces will only be used to form general discussion topics, no personal information will be shared.

If you have any experiences like what I am trying I would love to hear from you ;)
 

http://www.valleyaidsinfo.org/ (http://www.valleyaidsinfo.org/)
Title: Re: A quick question and your opinion.
Post by: deibster on November 06, 2012, 03:54:31 pm
My reality is very different from most peoples' reality. I live in Provincetown, MA, a small town that is more than half gay/bi/transgendered. We have a large, active ASO here. Every Tuesday night, the ASGCC - AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, has a community dinner for clients, volunteers & friends. The dinners are sponsored by other members of the community For Us. Once a month, the Catholic church & the Knights of Columbus provide us with a delicious, hot meal. Yes, the Knights here has many gay members. The other 3 or 4 weeks, of the month, other churches & organizations chip in & provide us with a hot meal. I know that it has taken years to build up this network of support, but it is possible. The network starts one hand, or one brick, at a time. Sometimes I answer phones at the ASG, or deliver lunches to homebound clients. We deliver roughly 20 lunches every Monday through Friday. My lesbian neighbors & straight neighbors also volunteer for these activities.

See if there is one liberal church, or one church's men's group that will welcome a speaking & educational engagement from you. Maybe then they will agree to have a clothing drive, now that it's getting colder out, or a food drive, & place a donation box in the church lobby to collect lightly used clothes, or non-perishable food, for your ASO. This same idea could be used at a high school if they have a club or sorority that does charitable work. Maybe a vocational school, that teaches repair work, would agree to donate repaired appliances, or home repair services to clients of your ASO. Best wishes in your endeavor. God speed.
Hugs from Provincetown, Deiby