Hello friends,

ASF recently garnered some press for the collaboration between our Family Programs’ Kid’s Club and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts Education Department. The Center donated 6 weeks of fantastic puppetry workshops to our Kid’s Club participants. They made several different kinds of puppets from muppet-like foam puppets to marionettes and then used them to express their feelings about living with HIV. You can read the Orange County Register article here.

That’s as much as I’m going to market ASF in this blog entry, however. Something I saw on television a few Sundays ago made me think about other ways people are working to prevent the spread of HIV and help young people cope with the disease. In particular, I’m speaking about The Grassroot Project.

My interest was piqued when I saw Ethan Zohn, winner of Survivor:Africa (yes, I’m a Survivor fan), speaking about the “Team Up” partnership between his Grassroot Soccer campaign and the Grassroot Project. I was so impressed with what I saw, I want to promote them a bit!

The Grassroot Project website lists their mission as follows:

“The mission of the Grassroot Project is to use sports to educate at-risk youth in the community about HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Our curriculum focuses on creating a fun, friendly and safe environment in which youth learn healthy life styles. The programs allow kids to share their feelings and beliefs, increase knowledge, and develop healthy attitudes and behaviors pertaining to HIV/AIDS through the use of interactive games and activities. By using the vehicle of sports to influence social change, student athletes use the curriculum to combat the high rate of HIV/AIDS in D.C.”

The program utilizes the skills of Division I athletes at D.C. area colleges and universities to coach middle-school age children in a multitude of games and activities. Through participatory learning, the children focus on issues such as basic HIV prevention education, stigma and discrimination.

The use of accomplished college athletes highlights the abilities of those persons to overcome adversity, manage their time effectively, set and achieve goals, and learn to work in a team environment. And reaching out to the middle-school age group provides guidance toward a healthier life style during the period in their development when those choices begin to solidify into habits. The hope is that the impression is lasting and the life skills and attitudes developed through the program lead to healthy choices as adults.

The ultimate goal of The Grassroot Project is to lead youth in D.C. to create an AIDS-free generation. The program is the first step…empowering children with information on HIV, giving them access to role models, and providing a comfortable setting to speak openly and honestly about the disease.

A quick note…each ASF Kid’s Club meeting ends with a killer game of dodge ball. We use the arts AND sports! Just saying…

For more information about The Grassroot Project, visit their website. You can also visit Grassroot Soccer here.

Thanks for reading!

Marc Montminy
Director of Communications and Public Relations

Hello friends,

The word “volunteer” has been in use in the English language since about the year 1600. It is derived from the obsolete French word “voluntaire” which in turn had its origins in the Latin “voluntarius.” The Latin word has been shown to have two meanings, voluntary and willing.

We at ASF take very seriously the roles our volunteers play in the everyday operation of our agency. Not only do we ask volunteers to work in the food pantry stocking client orders or delivering those orders to homebound individuals, but we have volunteers as the frontline face of the agency, working the reception desk in shifts for 8 hours a day. We can all agree that it must be no easy task! How much more important can someone be?

Last year, volunteers donated over 26,500 hours of time to the agency. That is the equivalent of nearly 13 full-time employees! The equivalent dollar value of those hours? Over $622,000!

Sherry Marger, one of our volunteers who has an afternoon shift at the reception desk every Thursday, commented, “I have always done volunteer work for many organizations. None of my time has been as valuable an experience as working for ASF. I think this is because I see immediate results [for] the clients that walk through the door.”

On a personal note, I’d like to mention the beautiful soul that is Jerry Dunn. Jerry volunteers one day a week in the food pantry. That should be enough for one man. But on that day that he volunteers, he takes it upon himself to visit each and every one of us in the office to say hello and spread some welcome cheer. His visit is truly a highlight of my week.

Without special volunteers like Sherry and Jerry, and the hundreds of others they represent here, willing to voluntarily share their time and energy with our staff and clients, ASF would not and could not be as successful as it is. I would like to offer a special thanks to all of our volunteers for being here when they can. And I invite you, reader, to volunteer in your community. The time you put in is invaluable to the agencies and individuals you will serve. And hopefully, the experience will be rewarding for you, too!

For more information on volunteer opportunites at ASF, please contact Carolyn Spivak, ASF director of volunteer services and community outreach, at (949) 809-5771 or cspivak@ocasf.org.

Thanks for reading!

Marc Montminy
Director of Communications and Public Relations

Hello friends,

With AIDS Walk Orange County just around the corner, we are looking forward to lots of other events and venues to help promote it to the greater community. Coming up on March 3rd is one such opportunity. It’s the 46th annual Laguna Beach Patriot’s Day parade!

“We had so much fun last year! I hope you will walk with us in the parade to promote AIDS Walk, raise HIV/AIDS awareness, and highlight the work we do in the OC community!” exclaimed Carolyn Spivak, ASF director of volunteer services and community outreach. “Bring your friends and family! Who doesn’t love a parade?”

According to the parade’s Facebook page, “The first Saturday of each March, the Patriot’s Day parade steps off from the street corner in front of the school district office. Marching bands, equestrian units, vintages cars and local organizations of nearly every stripe make their way to the reviewing stand at city hall. By 1 pm it is all over. Everyone in town has been in the parade, watched it or both.”

ASF has been participating in the parade for many years as a way to get the word out about AIDS Walk, Orange County Ride for AIDS, The Friends of Dorothy Guild and the agency in general. A group of us, consisting of employees, volunteers and clients, get together and march carrying banners, wearing t-shirts, and handing out flyers in honor of the agency. The Laguna Beach community is always very welcoming and supportive. It is a great time!

If you’d like to join us, contact Carolyn at (949) 809-5771 or cspivak@ocasf.org. We’d love to see you! For more information on the parade, please visit LagunaBeachParade.org.

Thanks for reading!

Marc Montminy
Director of Communications and Public Relations

Hello friends,

On this the first day of February, most year-end lists have gone by the wayside. We know who the best and worst dressed starlets were. We got to see which housewives had the biggest tantrums. And we’ve even heard the state of the union. But we at AIDS Services Foundation Orange County (ASF) have year-end information we’d like to pass on, too.

At ASF, an important focus of our energy is pointed toward HIV education and prevention. We employ a talented and dedicated department of individuals whose sole purpose at the agency is educational outreach to underserved and at-risk communities as well as HIV testing. The knowledge of one’s own status and the ability to prevent infection are the two easiest and most important ways to halt the spread of HIV.

Last year, our HIV testing specialists administered 2,062 tests in Orange County. A quarter of those tests were conducted at 16 health fairs in Yorba Linda, Fullerton, Anaheim, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana and Buena Park. And over 200 tests were provided around World AIDS Day during civic events and at college campuses such as California State University Fullerton and Golden West College.

The number of tests ASF provided last year is indeed impressive, especially when you consider some other numbers.

• In 2010, we tested 1,928 individuals for HIV. So, a 7% increase in testing was realized in 2011.
• The rate of total HIV infections in Orange County grew 2.325% in 2011 over the 2010 numbers.

We can all agree that any increase in HIV infections is bad. However, if we can continue to outpace the rate of infection with our rate of testing, perhaps we can turn the tide and eventually see reductions in infection rates.

What’s the message here? Get tested today! Know your status! Prevent the further spread of HIV!

There are many resources available to you around Orange County. Start right here with ASF. For information on free, rapid, HIV testing sites, please click here. For general information about HIV/AIDS, please click here.

Thanks for reading…and for getting tested!

Marc Montminy
Director of Communications and Public Relations

ASF is joining the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau in emphasizing the importance of case management to the health and well-being of our clients, in particular, and our community, as a whole.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released some startling statistics…

• 1 in 5 people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. don’t know their HIV status.
• 2 in 5 have not seen a primary care doctor.

That first statistic obviously emphasizes the need for HIV testing. The second indicates the need for case management. Case management can be complicated to explain. But simply put, it connects clients to medical care and helps ensure the receipt of treatment. The ultimate goal of ASF’s case managers is to return our clients to self-sufficiency.

I would like to thank the generous public companies and private foundations that realize the importance of case management to the community and have supported ASF’s HIV and Medical Case Management programs over the last 3 years. Many thanks to…

• Western Digital
• Kaiser Permanente Foundation
• Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
• Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
• Employees Community Fund of Boeing California
• Community Care Foundation, Inc.
• Wells Fargo Foundation

You’ll be able to read more about case management as the cover story in the February-April issue of ASF’s quarterly news magazine, The Voice. It’s entitled “Making the Case for Case Management” and I encourage you to read it once it’s published. You can also visit the ASF website Case Management page by clicking here.

Philip Yaeger
Executive Director

(Irvine, Calif. – Jan. 5) – AIDS Services Foundation Orange County (ASF) announced today that the Disneyland Resort will once again serve as the venue for AIDS Walk Orange County. The 26th annual walk takes place Sunday, May 6.

Five thousand supporters are expected to attend and enjoy the magical route through Disneyland park, Disney California Adventure park and Downtown Disney. The walk is scheduled to begin at 7:00 a.m.

“ASF is thrilled and humbled to be returning to the Disneyland Resort for AIDS Walk 2012. We received such amazing feedback about the location from last year’s walkers and volunteers. And the experience for our clients in attendance was emotionally overwhelming,” said Philip Yaeger, executive director of ASF. “One of our clients remarked, while standing among a crowd of thousands on Main Street, USA, at Disneyland, that he now knew he was not alone in his fight against AIDS.”

The Disneyland Resort, which agreed to host the 25th AIDS Walk last year, has been a corporate sponsor of the event since 2000. That support has included Disney VoluntEARS who have participated as walkers and provided volunteer assistance.

“We raised nearly 25 percent more for AIDS Walk in 2011 because the event was held at the Disneyland Resort,” commented Chris Bragg, event organizer and ASF director of events, “We’re certain that the experience for all of our walkers will be even better this year!”

First held in 1987 at Mason Park in Irvine, the walk has taken place in various locations and raised over $14 million in donations to help provide services for people affected by HIV/AIDS in Orange County. ASF organizes the event with proceeds shared among several nonprofit agencies that provide services to people living in Orange County that are impacted by the disease.

Among the agencies expected to benefit from the 2012 event are: AEGiS; The Center Orange County; Laguna Beach Community Clinic; Mercy House; Orange County Cornerstone Outreach; Public Law Center; Shanti Orange County; Straight Talk Clinic, Inc.; and AIDS Services Foundation Orange County.

ASF is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985. Annually, the agency assists more than 1,600 men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. Among the services ASF provides are food, transportation, housing, emergency financial assistance, mental health counseling, HIV testing, and HIV prevention and education programs. To learn more about ASF go to www.ocasf.org. For more information about AIDS Walk visit www.aidswalkorangecounty.org.

Happy New Year!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support in 2011. The efforts of our amazing Board, donors, volunteers, staff and other supporters resulted in an outstanding year for ASF. And, wishing you all the best, we look forward to an even greater 2012.

Our 25th year of service to Orange County had many milestones. Most importantly, ASF was able to continue offering our services to over 1,600 men, women and children affected by HIV. Despite more cutbacks in state and local funding, no one was turned away from ASF. In fact, some of our newer programs, such as SOMOS, continued to blossom and grow last year. I’m grateful for the continued support of private citizens and corporations that assist us in funding such outreach programs for the community.

AIDS Walk Orange County also had its silver anniversary in 2011 and we were able to celebrate that milestone at The Disneyland Resort. I’m excited to inform you that AIDS Walk’s return to Disneyland was just announced in the press today. I hope you and your family and friends will be able to join us on May 6 for AIDS Walk Orange County at the Disneyland Resort. We had a great time last year and this year should prove to be even more exciting!

More information on SOMOS can be found here. Electronic copies of The VOICE can be downloaded here.

Philip Yeager
Executive Director

(Irvine, Calif. – December 23) – AIDS Services Foundation Orange County (ASF) was surprised last week with a legacy gift from an old friend of the agency, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Famer, Bea Arthur. ASF learned of the $25,000 gift from Arthur’s son, Matt Saks.

Arthur, who died in April 2009, was a longtime supporter of ASF. Co-founders Al Roberts and Ken Jillson befriended Arthur many years ago and later approached her about doing a character voice over for their Laguna Beach “Big Splash” backyard charity show. She eagerly accepted their invitation and became an ASF star volunteer for many years.

Upon receiving news of the gift, Jillson commented, “I can’t believe it. After all these years she’s still doing wonderful things for ASF.” The Splash writer/director continued, “Her legacy goes far beyond this gift. Bea’s involvement opened the door for other celebrities including Jack Lemmon, Lauren Bacall, Walter Matthau, Whoopi Goldberg, Kirk Douglas, Cher and Dolly Parton. They all volunteered and helped sustain the Big Splash for its 25-year run. And the Big Splash raised millions of dollars and helped sustain ASF.”

The gift comes at just the right time for the agency. Like most AIDS service organizations in the country, AIDS Services Foundation is struggling to maintain its full complement of services for its clients. The elimination of HIV education funding alone from the California state budget left a half million dollar hole in the agency’s $5 million budget.

ASF is currently nearing conclusion of its annual year-end campaign. The campaign is intended to raise the much needed funds to help cover general operating expenses, although gifts can be designated for specific programs as well. Donations are accepted online at www.ocasf.org, by mail at 17982 Sky Park Circle, Ste J, Irvine, CA 92614 or by calling the agency at (949) 809-5700.

ASF is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 by a small group of dedicated volunteers. Annually, the agency assists more than 1,600 men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. Among the services ASF provides are food, transportation, housing, emergency financial assistance, mental health counseling, HIV testing, and HIV prevention and education programs. To learn more about ASF go to www.ocasf.org.

Media Contact: Marc Montminy, ASF 949-809-8766
mmontminy@ocasf.org

Ken Jillson Contact: kenjillson@aol.com

We are excited to announce that a new weekly blog will be added to the website begining the first week of February. The blog, titled “Around ASF,” will eventually feature both text and video and will highlight some of the exciting things happening at the agency…from new staff member and volunteer introductions to community involvement and the HIV testing process!

When a new blog is published, a message will be sent out on our Twitter feed and Facebook page. So, if you’re interested in reading about the behind the scenes goings on at ASF, be sure to follow us on those social websites!

Please check back in early February for our first posting or watch Twitter and Facebook!

Thanks for reading!

Marc Montminy
Director of Communications and Public Relations

Mr. SOMOS OC 2012 – HIV Prevention

SOMOS OC is a project coordinated by ASF’s Health Education department. It is based on the core principles of ASF’s successful, though now defunct, MPower Project, but focuses on gay and bisexual Hispanic men, ages 18-29. SOMOS, English transalation, “We are,” focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention messaging through peer-to-peer outreach and the annual MR. SOMOS OC event.