MATCHING GIFT INFORMATION
A matching gift is a donation made by a corporation or foundation on behalf of one of its employees. The donation matches (either in full or a percentage) the contribution made by the employee to a valid nonprofit organization. Matching gifts are a vital resource for nonprofit organizations because of the opportunity offered to double, triple or even quadruple an individual contribution.

Research your employer’s matching gift policies. Ask your company’s Human Resources department whether they offer a matching gift program. If they do, find out the procedures and take advantage of your employer’s generosity. You can also ask the people who donate to you if their employers have matching gift programs.

To download a list of local and national corporations and foundations that match gifts, click here.

SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS
Using social media is an easy and effective way to reach hundreds, or even thousands, of potential Walk sponsors. You’ll be amazed how much you can raise by simply including a link to your personal fundraising page in your status updates. Or even better, you can update your status right from your “My HQ” page which embeds a link back to your fundraising page.

Feel free to use our logo in your fundraising efforts. Click here to download the AIDS Walk Orange County logo.

Facebook and Twitter
Inspire your friends and followers to donate by including facts about HIV/AIDS in your status updates and tweets. Click here for up-to-date information about HIV/AIDS in Orange County.

Here are some recommendations for fund raising on Facebook…

• From the AIDS Walk website, click on the ‘Sponsor a Walker’ link and type in your last name to locate your page.
• Copy the URL for your personal fundraising page.
• Paste the URL into your Facebook status update box. You should see the direct link to your AIDS Walk Personal Page with whatever photo(s) you chose to upload.
• Type in your status update such as: “AIDS Walk Orange County will be held on May 4, 2013 at the Disneyland Resort. If you haven’t had a chance to check out my fundraising page please click on the link below and make a donation if you can. Any amount will make a difference in the lives of the men, women and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in Orange County.”
• When someone makes a donation, check out the Honor Roll listing on your fundraising page. If the donor’s name is displayed, then post a status update on your page thanking the person who sponsored you and include the link to your AIDS Walk fundraising page: e.g “I want to thank @John Smith for sponsoring me for AIDS Walk Orange County! If you haven’t had a chance to check out my page, please click on the link below.” OR you can thank the person and then post a separate status update providing the direct link to your page. (If someone chose to make an anonymous donation, don’t recognize them on your page but send them a direct message.)
• Once you’ve made your initial pitch, you can go back ever few days or so and add updates: “Thanks to all of you who have sponsored me for AIDS Walk Orange County–I really appreciate your support! I’m at XX% of my goal and if you haven’t had a chance to check out my page, please click on the link below and make a donation if you can. Your support will help make a difference in the lives of men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Orange County!”

Publicly thanking your sponsors by writing on their Facebook wall or Tweeting them directly may inspire others to donate, too! And use the thank you message as your status update to reach even more people.

A Facebook Garage Sale is a fun way to raise money and get organized around the house! Find items of value that you no longer need or want and that might be suitable for sale. On the Facebook Marketplace homepage, click “Sell for a Cause” and set pricing for your items. Click “Post,” add the AIDS Walk Orange County Facebook Cause and start your sale. Bring evidence of the sales you made to Check-In, and we’ll make sure the money counts towards your goal!

Follow AIDS Walk Orange County, AIDS Services Foundation or any other AIDS service organizations on Twitter and retweet any tweets you receive. Adding an additional message of your own, including a link to your fundraising page, may get your followers to donate!

YouTube
If you have access to a web cam or digital video camera, you can fund raise “in person” on YouTube. Create a video detailing your support of AIDS Walk Orange County. Include the facts you’ve learned through your Facebook updates and tweets. Ask your viewers to support your fundraising efforts and post the video on YouTube. Link it to your Facebook account, too! You can even thank your sponsors by video or keep an AIDS Walk video diary culminating with your day of event experiences!

Blogging
Popular blogging sites like Blogger.com, WordPress.com or even the Facebook Notes application could allow you to keep an online fundraising journal. Blog for dollars by announcing fundraising events (such as your Facebook Garage Sale) and include links to your fundraising home page.

The Virtual Walker
If you are unable to attend the AIDS Walk, you can still register online and participate by raising awareness and collecting donations. You’ll still be eligible for all the Walker Incentives and you’ll be walking with us in spirit!

Following are the benefits of each level of membership and a listing of the generous supporters who have already joined the fight…

Hero ($1,000+)

• Invitation for you and a guest to join fellow Heroes, top walkers, and corporate supporters at the AIDS Walk Orange County VIP Brunch following the walk at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney.
• Official Red Ribbon Club lapel pin.
• Official AIDS Walk Orange County 2013 commemorative t-shirt.
• Listing as a Red Ribbon Club member on the AIDS Walk Orange County website and in AIDS Walk email correspondence.

Anonymous
Anonymous
Ken Babcock
Michael Bergman
David Carnevale
Roxy Caudillo
Roya Cole
Gayle Creasman
Richard J. Fasenmyer
Roberta Freeman
Arnold Henson
Robert Hodges
Brad Kinkelaar
Nick Labedz
Lucky Lippa
David Olsen
Albert Perez
Jared Pobre
Corinne Puga
Deborah Reed
Steve Rodosky
Dennis Sieting
Thibault Stracke
Drew Vaden
Robert Vince
Shelly Virkstis
Kevin Voelcker
Philip Yaeger

Champion ($500 – $999)

• Official Red Ribbon Club lapel pin.
• Official AIDS Walk Orange County 2013 commemorative t-shirt.
• Listing as a Red Ribbon Club member on the AIDS Walk Orange County website and in AIDS Walk email correspondence.

Michael Amey
Walter Blake
Carl Boland
Marilyn Brewer
Kevin Brueckner
Glenn Chong
Jeffrey Clark & Michael Thorston
Andres D’Mirand
Ronald Doyle
Charles Eberline
Brian Essman
Hugh Hvolboll
Daniel Hyman
Janice Johnson
Derek Kaufman
Blake Kleinman
Judy Lindsay
Idriss Maoui
Richard McManus
James Moore
Cheryl Nault
David and Cindy Olsen
Todd Orlich
Steven Pawliczek
Walter Reimann
Thomas Rooney
Ty Rose
Wesley Sasser
Steven Sorenson
Dwight Spiers
Even Tournier
Emily Vogler
Qi Wang
Ruth Weaver
Craig Wells
Michelle Williams

Friend ($250-$499)

• Official AIDS Walk Orange County 2013 commemorative t-shirt.
• Listing as a Red Ribbon Club member on the AIDS Walk Orange County website and in AIDS Walk email correspondence.

Anonymous
John Awad
Lori Barr
Stephan Baxter
Elizabeth Bernard
Thomas Bonds
Timothy and Annmarie Bowers
Kevin Broadwater
Larry Carr
Sandi Carson
Joe Chen
Clark & Greg Collins
Paul and Joe Cook-Giles
Roy Cordova
Julie Doleman
Jorge Felix-Delgado
Suzanne Fernandez
Bob Fetes
Ellen Fowler
Harry Freeman
Keith Geckeler
Christy Godber
Bart Greenberg
Robert Harryman
Dave Hoen and Darren Shippen
Shelley Hoss
Michael Jarvis
Pearl Jemison-Smith
Jayne Kubes
Pierre Labond
Alberto Leiva
Ron Lennox
Leslie Lindgren
Lillian Lobb
Eric Lord
Sharon Lord
Erika Masiero
Holly McCormick
Mary Ellen McNally
Ignacio and Socorro Mendez
Corinne Moroney
Maria Moriega
Doreen Newman
Tom Nieto
Tawny Ortega
Greg Ottinger
Jay Park
Glenn Parrish
Amisha Patel
Steven Payne
Tom Peterson
Christopher Pounds
Michelle Prior
Debi Ramirez
John Richards
Bruce Robbins
Al Roberts
Philip and Alison Romero
Lynn Rudolph
Charles Rusky
Nicholas Sanders
Andy Sandro-Yepes
Jerome Schneider
Harriet Smiley
Haley Spray
Stephen Sumandra
Albert Tamayo
Tamara Taylor
Sara Tava
Ross Trowbridge
Kym Tso
Robert Walls
Frank Wojno
Doug and Nina Yeomans

For more information, please contact Chris Bragg, ASF’s Director of Individual Giving and Events, at cbragg@ocasf.org or 949-809-8760.

Art With An Agenda: Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4

Click the photo above to be taken to the Art With An Agenda website.
50% of proceeds from the sale of art work will benefit AIDS Walk Orange County.

Hello friends,

I just read an interesting article that confirms what I have been advocating at the agency for a few years. Social media can be a powerful tool in educating the public about HIV/AIDS. And it can serve as a gateway to prevention and treatment efforts, too.

A UCLA study recently published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases found that “African American and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) voluntarily used health-related Facebook groups, which were created by the study’s investigators, to discuss such things as HIV knowledge, stigma and prevention and ultimately to request at-home HIV testing kits.”

This is really exciting information for those of us charged with getting the message out to at-risk groups in our area. ASF needs to reach Latino MSM’s, who are not necessarily homosexual, and straight youth aged 16-29. They are our two most at-risk communities in Orange County.

If we can use social media to get people talking and reduce the stigma of HIV in every community, we would see, as the study demonstrates, an increase in the possibility that they will get tested. If they test positive for HIV, we can get them into care immediately and substantially reduce the risk that they will ever display any symptoms of infection.

That’s how we are going to conquer this disease…one person at a time. Help us reach that person and talk about HIV and AIDS on social media. If it helps get a conversation started, link them to this blog.

Click here to read the full article from Infection Control Today.

Thanks for reading!

Marc Montminy
Director of Communications and Public Relations

Online Giving Portal Registration & Login

To register for the online giving portal or login to your account (if you’re already registered), please click here.

Remember, registration and login allows you view your personal ASF giving history, your biographical information in the ASF database, and contact preferences.

Patron’s Council Membership

To join the Patron’s Council or renew your membership, please click here.

For information about Patron’s Council, please click here.

Register for an Event

There are currently no events available through the Online Giving Portal.

Make a General Donation

To make a donation without registering for or logging into the Online Giving Portal, please click here.

Hello friends,

Following is a short list of things for all of us to think about during the year to come. Not only will they you, they will help the community. We are still working toward an AIDS-free generation in 2015. Keep these resolutions in mind and we just might get there!

Resolve to know your status.

Resolve to get tested and end the spread of HIV.

Resolve to talk about HIV with your friends and loved ones.

Resolve to end the stigma of HIV and AIDS.

The more open and honest we all are about this disease, the more mainstream it will become. The more mainstream it is, the easier it will be to stamp it out with prevention efforts and managed care.

HIV has not gone away. AIDS is not curable. It is still a pandemic.

Resolve to do your part.

Thanks for reading!

Marc Montminy
Director of Communications and Public Relations

Hello friends,

Last week I introduced you to our first-ever guest blogger, Ariel Vapor. If you missed the first part of his story, you can access it via the link at left. I am proud today to present part two of Ariel’s story. In part two, Ariel details his experience with ASF and how the care he received he changed his life.

Please, read on…

Paths to Recovery
After a friendly hello from the reception-desk staffer, I was assigned to Case Manager Todd Stevens and we discussed my situation. What surfaced from that conversation were my immediate needs: social work; medical services; individual and group therapies; psychiatry; 12-step recovery information; financial coordination. He told me to continue the clinical trial for Kaletra and Truvada, and suggested other HIV specialists at the 17th St. Clinic in Santa Ana.

At the clinic, I met with clinical social worker, who coordinated my visits to a clinic HIV doctor, a nutritionist, and a dentist. There was such continuity of care. Everything was under one roof, which was a great benefit, because I was so fatigued when I went to my appointments. I sometimes look back and wonder at how I made the two bus trips to and from Costa Mesa to the clinic, which would take up most of my afternoons. But I trudged on; I was so desperate to get my life together. I did everything that my doctors and social workers told me to do—especially adhere to the medications.

Network of Support
Back at ASF, Todd introduced me to Benefits Counselor Rob Natsuhara, who helped me focus on the financial programs that would help pay for my medications and health care. Many of my friends who are ASF clients are disabled, and Rob has helped them complete the paperwork for disability and Medicare benefits.

I was also introduced to ASF psychologist Dr. Judy Flour-Runels in Mental Health Services. My work with her made me realize that the AIDS diagnosis was symptomatic of deeper issues: I was dually diagnosed with depression and addiction, along with crippling anxiety from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from a rape as a child. Dr. Judy helped me to focus on the therapies that would treat those conditions. We engaged in individual therapy for quite some time, and decided that the depression and the PTSD would need psychiatric treatment, along with therapy at ASF.

Dr. Judy also suggested group therapy through ASF’s “Choices” program. Using a harm-reduction model for clients living with HIV and substance abuse, the group meets each Wednesday for discussion and check-ins. It’s interesting to see what surfaces in the sessions. One day it could be living with symptoms of HIV, like neuropathy or the various side effects of medications; other days the group might discuss the struggles and accomplishments of living a clean and sober life with HIV. The other advantage of group therapy is the friendships I’ve made with people just like me. I’ve learned that I’m not alone. I’ve never left “Choices” feeling disconnected.

Living Life Today
What is life like for me today? In one word, it’s flourishing. Thanks to the life-saving medicines for HIV, my viral load is suppressed (I’m undetectable) and my T-cells have risen, from 26 back in 2006 to the high 500s today. I continue with psychiatry and therapy. I attend “Choices” regularly, which complements a 12-Step recovery program. To be perfectly honest, I had one relapse on drugs between October 2008 and July 2009. That experience showed me addiction is a cunning, baffling and powerful force. I now stay right in the middle of my recovery community, and I have 40 months clean and sober. Life is flourishing!

My association with ASF is more connected than ever. I am so grateful to the agency, and I try to give back to it as much as I can. I am a member of ASF’s speakers-bureau program called “Positively Speaking.” The speakers travel to local high schools, colleges and universities, and we share personal accounts of what it’s like to live with HIV/AIDS. Topics of my presentation include disclosure, the effects of stigma, and ASF’s programs.

This year, I was invited to be the client representative on ASF’s Board of Directors, and I am so humbled by this invitation. I chair the client advisory committee which captures and reports client ideas and needs to the Board. This interfacing contributes to the strategic planning and overall vision and mission of the agency. I am also furthering my education. I am a master’s candidate in a summer graduate program at the University of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Indiana. My expected graduation is August 6, 2014.

Life is full today. Life is in session. And I thank AIDS Services Foundation Orange County for supporting me and so many other clients who are living with HIV/AIDS. For more information about ASF, its services, volunteer opportunities or how to donate to the agency, please visit www.ocasf.org.

I am thankful to Ariel for sharing his story with us here on this blog and for being part of ASF’s Positively Speaking program. It is a brave thing to do to talk about such personal issues in any forum, but doing so in large groups or on the internet, in my book, is heroic. Ariel is saving lives by sharing his experiences and I am glad to call him “friend.”

Thanks for reading!

Marc Montminy
Director of Communications and Public Relations

Hello friends,

This week’s entry marks something new for this blog. We have a guest blogger! It was not my intention that I, solely, would write the entries here. But up until now, I had no other offers to contribute. I’m very happy this week to serve only as editor and present a new voice from ASF.

Please allow me to introduce you to Ariel Vapor. And please enjoy part 1 of the story of his journey with HIV/AIDS.

The Diagnosis
In the spring of 2006, something different was happening to my body. I didn’t know what it was, but it wasn’t good. First there were painful boils on my skin that looked like the eyes of a monster—purple, red, blistered. When the blisters burst open, the pain was excruciating. It was pain like I had never before experienced. I’d later find out it was a bacterial staph infection called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusil, or MRSA. Then my nose wouldn’t stop running. Then the chills would shake me. Then the sweating and fever.

I went to the emergency room at the UCI Medical Center and there I heard the words that would change my life: “You have AIDS.” They staff was very “clinical” about the explanation of the diagnosis—it was very surreal. Their words blurred and I felt as if I was falling from the sky, crashing down to earth. It was scary.

I left the ER with my brother. He was the first person I told about my AIDS diagnosis. There wasn’t much conversation beyond that disclosure. The ride home was silent, yet my mind was whirling a thousand miles and more a minute. My first thought was, “How am I going to heal?” I didn’t have health care because I hadn’t worked in so long. I had heard the medicines were expensive. How would I pay for them? How would I react to them? I was also coming out of the grips of addiction and I knew I had to change my life. But how? In what ways? With what support?

The following morning, I told a friend about my diagnosis. Thankfully, at the time, he had a primary care physician who was an internist/infectious disease doctor. With diagnosis in hand, I was introduced to that doctor in a matter of days. He told me he was working on a clinical trial for the dosing of Kaletra and Truvada. He said that he would include me in the trial, if I would stay clean and sober. That was the day I stopped using illicit drugs and drinking heavily. That was the day I got my first bottles of Kaletra and Truvada. And, that was the day I first heard of AIDS Services Foundation Orange County (ASF) in Irvine. I went to ASF the following week. Little did I know at the time that my life would drastically change—all those questions of how I’d begin to heal and who would support me were to be answered with my first visit to the agency.

Ariel’s story will continue next week in the “Around ASF” blog.

Thanks for reading!

Marc Montminy
Director of Communications and Public Relations

Hello friends,

It’s been quite a while since I’ve added to this blog because we’ve been quite busy at the agency. Most recently, we commemorated the 27th annual World AIDS Day on Saturday, December 1. In addition to the events ASF held on the actual day, our Health Education and Prevention staff participated in events the entire week prior to World AIDS Day.

Following are some highlights of the work we did:

• On Wednesday, November 28, ASF social services case manager Miguel Rodriguez and nurse case manager Stefanie Kochen participated in a University of California Irvine (UCI) panel discussion for students entitled “Zero to Hero” highlighting ways students can become heroes in the battle to get to zero new infections.
• Eighty-five rapid, HIV tests were conducted at California State University Fullerton on Wednesday, November 28, and Thursday, November 29.
• At UCI, 60 rapid, HIV tests were conducted on Thursday, November 29.
• Also on Thursday, November 29, at Golden West College, 61 rapid, HIV tests were conducted.
• At ASF offices on Saturday, December 1, 17 rapid, HIV tests were conducted.
• Including regular testing hours at ASF, nearly 250 HIV tests were administered.

The Microsoft store at South Coast Plaza hosted ASF’s World AIDS Day commemoration on Saturday, December 1. About 60 people participated in the 2 hour event. Speakers included Philip Yaeger, ASF executive director; Shelly Virkstis, ASF board president; Ariel Vapor, ASF client and board member; and Pearl Jemison-Smith, longtime AIDS activist and one of the founders of AIDS Walk Orange County. On products around the store, Microsoft used as screen savers images of posters created by students. Poster submissions were requested from over 180 schools in the county and ASF staff and volunteers voted to select 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners who best demonstrated the theme of “Getting to Zero” from two age categories. Winners were announced and recognized at the event and prizes from the Microsoft store and the Discovery Science Center were awarded.

Vivianna Foust adds a message to the World AIDS Day 2012 canvas that will hang at ASF until December 1, 2013.

Also speaking at the event was ASF co-founder Ken Jillson and ASF director of individual giving & events Chris Bragg. They were on hand to launch the 2013 AIDS Walk Orange County on Saturday, May 4, at the Disneyland® Resort.

It was a busy week to say the least. At ASF, every day is World AIDS Day but we would like to thank everyone who came out in support of the actual World AIDS Day on Saturday and during the week prior.

Thanks for reading!

Marc Montminy
Director of Communications and Public Relations

Hello friends,

For the entire 4+ years that I’ve worked at AIDS Services Foundation, there has been an unstoppable presence associated with the agency. She led a group of volunteers that worked super-human miracles in fund raising and outreach for the agency. They are Barbara Venezia and The Friends of Dorothy Guild which she chaired.

After 6 years of the guild’s existence, they have decided to sunset. Their final event was Saturday, October 20.

In my first position as Development Administrator, I worked pretty closely with Barbara, providing administrative and creative support. I also worked each event helping the Dorothy volunteers at registration or run credit cards for membership or raffle ticket purchases. It was great fun helping this great group achieve the goals they set for themselves.

As the guild became more autonomous, the Dorothy’s needed me less and less. I still attended the events but mostly oversaw activities such as registration and helped with Silent auction check-out. I got to see more and more of the actual events and see Barbara and the guild in action. They were so passionate about what they were doing.

My contact with the group lessened further when I changed to my current position. But every time I needed something from Barbara, she was always available and grateful for being asked. That’s rare in someone as busy as she is.

I just wanted to take this blog posting and write a quick tribute to the force of nature that is Barbara Venezia and the work that she did with The Friends of Dorothy Guild to promote ASF and the work we do in the community. I also wanted to recognize the over $700,000 the guild raised for ASF over the last 6 years. Amazing and irreplaceable!

To Barbara and the Friends of Dorothy Guild…thanks for the memories, the thanks and respect you always offered me and the work you did for ASF’s clients.

Thanks for reading!

Marc Montminy
Director of Communications and Public Relations