act news SPRING 2015
act bold. act strong. act resilient. act now.
a look at the local impact of an emerging HIV prevention technology
IN THIS ISSUE
about safer sex that you need to know
AND MUCH MORE!
N E P P A
H s I ST J
HAVING SEX (EVEN ORAL) MEANS THAT YOU MIGHT COME INTO CONTACT WITH A SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTION
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GET TESTED. GET TREATED. ACTORONTO.ORG/ORALSEX
in this issue 4
Message from Executive Director
act news EDITOR Christopher Thomas CONTRIBUTORS
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Meet the new Director of Development
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Feature: Preparing for PrEP
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PROUD Study
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The Ten Myths About Safer Sex You Need to Know
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Buddy Program Revamped
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WomenZone – a celebration of cultural diversity
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Not the Ivory Tower: ACT’s Research Program
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Donor Profile: Simon Clements
Ryan Lisk Andrew Eaton Jason Patterson Josephine Okwera-Akullu Amanda Leo Mason McColl John Maxwell Winston Husbands LAYOUT & DESIGN Laurie McGregor PHOTO CREDITS Brigón Munkholm Christopher Thomas Cheryl Powers Ghassan El-Charif Daniel Waniz-Ruiz CONTACT AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) 399 Church Street, 4th Floor Toronto, ON M5B 2J6 Phone: 416-340-2437 Fax: 416-340-8224 ask@actoronto.org CONNECT WITH US
W actoronto.org f facebook.com/ACToronto t @ACToronto @aidscommitteetoronto Published: March 2015
Thank you to all of our volunteers who came out the Volympics - ACT's olympic themed volunteer appreciation party! Over the past year ACT's volunteers contributed over 20,000 hours!!
ISBN: 978-0-921918-64-6 (print) ISBN: 978-0-921918-66-0 (online)
Charitable Registration Number: 11877 9024 RR0001
act news
The relentless energy of the HIV sector, external scientific innovations and our never ending hope for a better future have been our most effective tools in addressing HIV. We have been innovative and resilient, perhaps the two uniting themes across the modern HIV landscape. It is my pleasure to report to you as ACT’s Executive Director that these themes have continued throughout 2014 and into the New Year. And not only have they continued, they have strengthened. New HIV prevention technologies continue to emerge, and few have generated the excitement and promise of a strategy called PrEP. No stranger to the pages of ACT’s work, the feature here aims to demonstrate how we have supported PrEP while acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead. We also hope to provide the information so that you can decide if PrEP is right for you. For the remainder of the issue I invite you to immerse yourself in the rich variety of programming that ACT 4
offers. We have updated our long-running Buddy Program to make it more responsive and inclusive, and we have also bolstered our programming for women living with HIV, to name just two examples. I am also thrilled to report that in 2013 the rate of new HIV infections dropped by 19%. This represents the lowest number of reported cases in over a decade. While it is important to celebrate our achievements we recognise the work that lies ahead. And so we proceed with determined optimism and the spirit of hope. As always the work we do at ACT would not be possible but for the dedication of our Board, volunteers, sponsors and donors. Thank you for your support – you enable us to continue to meet the changing needs of the people and communities we serve.
spring 2015
Favourite Pride memory? One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is creating a signature event for the Windsor Pride Community Education and Resource Centre called The Big Reveal, where we transform prominent community leaders with fashion makeovers. They are shot and edited into 5-6 minute ‘reality tv-style’ makeover segments that are shown prior to being revealed at a gala dinner. I continue to Co-Chair the event and we are now in our fourth year. When people meet you, what fact do people find most surprising? – Probably my obsession with tennis. Since moving to Toronto four years ago, I’ve bought packages to the Rogers Cup twice and volunteered. I also still watch WWE... in some ways, I’m still five years old! What’s your favourite season? - Is it weird that I don’t have one? Perhaps spring… Stuck on an island and you can bring one item... - Toothbrush... can I also bring toothpaste? What about your work at ACT are you most looking forward to? – Continuing to illustrate the need for ACT’s work to potential donors, and also making the link between donations and our sources of support and ACT’s empowering programs and services. Celebrating the strength of ACT’s community! Beaches: overrated or underrated? - Overrated. I was fortunate to have my honeymoon in Hawaii and our favourite part of the trip was visiting Volcano National Park and hiking the Napali Coast in Kauai. Who is your hero? - Prince Boast about a meal you’ve mastered - I had a job in Canmore at the famous Rafter Six Ranch as the ‘Ranch Hand’ making breakfast for the guests. It’s the one meal that is hard to screw up. Who is your fantasy dinner guest? - Arlene Dickinson from Dragons Den. I admire her social conscience within the context of making business deals. Childhood nickname? - Toothpick... I weighed 75 pounds in grade nine. It took a few more years until I became a man. It happened when I was about 22. 5
act news
a look at the local impact of an emerging HIV prevention technology by Ryan Lisk, ACT’s Manager of Community Health Programs
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spring 2015
During the first ever World Pride in North America, held last June in Toronto, an exchange was taking place. This exchange was occurring in the streets, on hookup apps, in clubs and over dinner. Guys, many of whom were American and had come to experience the global festivities, were asking others if they were ‘on PrEP.’ At the same time, and among the same space, was the Hub. Offered by ACT in a partnership with CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), the Hub offered a safe space to relax and talk, with lots of information available about harm reduction and safer sex strategies. Despite handing out over six thousand condoms, only a handful of conversations occurred around PrEP at the Hub. But all that was about to change. Short for pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP is a pill that prevents new HIV infections. Currently marketed under the name
Truvada, the pill is a mixture of the drugs tenofovir and emtricitabine and has previously been used, in combination with other medications, as treatment for people living with HIV. As people started to talk about it the question quickly became not what is it but where do I get it? Talk of this exciting new HIV prevention tool had been taking place in the U.S. for several years, to the point where the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Truvada as PrEP in 2012. The questions were becoming louder: what is the state of PrEP in Canada? While PrEP had also been on the Canadian radar for some time, 2014 definitely felt like its breakout year. There isn’t one reason for this surge but rather a confluence of factors. Yes, our American neighbours imported conservations around it during World Pride, but several major studies were published verifying its very high efficacy, with other research sprouting up that furthered the case for PrEP’s widespread use. Also, July saw the World Health Organization ‘strongly recommend’ the use of PrEP for gay men. Here at ACT, few topics have generated buzz like PrEP. The effort began with equipping outreach volunteers with knowledge of PrEP in 2011. Then, as our knowledge of PrEP expanded, demonstrating its very high efficacy in preventing new HIV infections, ACT led the way in Canada with a position paper in 2012 endorsing the use of PrEP in HIV prevention. 7
act news
Despite these initial efforts, 2014 was the year in which PrEP entered the spotlight. Throughout the fall of 2014 we were busy researching PrEP’s logistics, such as its accessibility, coverage, efficacy and potential side effects. On Halloween, ACT launched Is PrEP Right for Me? The first of its kind in Canada, the campaign disseminated information for people who were looking to take PrEP, had never heard of it, or were just curious. “So far we’ve had a good amount of positive feedback from persons who were tired of PrEP information tailored for America and were itching for Canadian content,” reports ACT Communications Coordinator Chris Thomas. “And the media also helped with an uptake in interest spurred on by the campaign.” The Is PrEP Right for Me? campaign has been featured in the Toronto Star, XTRA! and on Shawn Proulx’s radio show on SiriusXM. ACT has also been involved for some time with several external efforts to bolster the scientific knowledge about PrEP, especially as it occurs in a local context. “Currently I am a co-investigator in what’s known as the PrEP-5 study,” says John Maxwell, ACT’s Executive Director. “The study is looking at a lot of different things, but perhaps most importantly it’s looking at whether people can use PrEP under real world circumstances, because something that we know is that PrEP is most effective when taken daily.” While ACT is proud of its achievements we recognise there are challenges going forwards. Making PrEP widely accessible is 8
what Rui Pires, ACT’s Gay Men’s Community Education Coordinator, sees as its biggest hurdle in 2015 and beyond. “The more guys know about it, the more likely they are to use it. And as more guys start using PrEP, the more pressure is applied to have it both approved and covered.” Rui encourages guys to ask their doctor about it: “no one is going to do it for you, you’ve got to make the decision yourself.” While ‘neg+PrEP’ might not be as common here as it is on American hook-up profiles, Rui and Mason McColl, ACT’s Gay Men’s Online Strategy and Resource Coordinator, have seen a rise in its use. Mason and his team of online outreach volunteers have seen a significant increase in questions coming from the community about PrEP. “We are seeing more questions from guys asking about PrEP in general, and lots of guys who already know quite a bit about PrEP who have specific questions about accessing it or about their experience using it. PrEP has definitely become one of our hottest topics.” The progress being made here in Toronto in regards to PrEP is encouraging, and I commend those who have pushed the conversation about safer sex strategies with their doctors, partners and friends. I believe PrEP to be a wonderfully useful and promising prevention tool. There are challenges ahead and we will do everything we can to meet them head on. If 2014 was about laying the groundwork for the launch of PrEP into mainstream gay culture, then 2015 promises to be its launch site. Hop on boys.
spring 2015
PROUD enrolled 545 participants at 13 sexual health clinics in the UK. After three years of waiting we now have what seems to be a definitive example of how PrEP can be used in the real world, and the results are overwhelmingly positive. Here is a snapshot of the results.
Participants • The study looked at all men who have sex with men and trans women who reported having sex without a condom in the past three months. This placed these people in the category of high risk for transmitting HIV.
Effectiveness rate: 86% • Effectiveness is the percentage of cases that were prevented by the intervention. In this case, 17 out 20 cases were prevented, meaning without the use of PrEP, 20 people in the study would have become HIV positive. • This is the highest effectiveness rate reported from a major research trial on PrEP.
What the PROUD study aimed to demonstrate is overall effectiveness: When this type of intervention is offered to a group of people, are they actually going to take it? PROUD says Yes.
What about ‘risk compensation’? The study showed that people taking PrEP had the exact same incidence of other STIs as people in the study who were not using PrEP. In other words, taking PrEP does not mean that other STIs will flourish, as many of its opponents warned (see the following page for other myths about safer sex in 2015).
PROUD showed that PrEP greatly reduces people’s risk of transmitting HIV without putting them at a higher risk for getting another STIs, like chlamydia or herpes.
How does the PROUD study link to what is being looked at in the PrEP-5 study in Toronto? • The PrEP-5 Study aims to evaluate specific ways in which community organizations like ACT can play a role in PrEP rollout. For example, linking high-risk individuals to clinical PrEP programs or gauging the need for community-based counselling and other social services among potential PrEP candidates. As a community partner in the study, one of our goals is to find out what PrEP-related services are still needed, and how they can be better integrated with clinical PrEP delivery in Toronto.
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actact news news
TOP TEN myths about Safer
Sex we need to get right in 2015 Little known fact: the HIV/AIDS movement invented our current practices of safer sex. First we had condoms. But those didn’t work for everyone so we kept looking. By this point, both science and ingenuity have given all of us lots of great ways that we can fuck and get fucked safely, while keeping that pleasure pedal floored. But some crud some stigma, some bias, some fear - has gotten in the way of these safer sex tools. Access is key, so don’t throw away those condoms just yet: they’re still readily accessible. Whoever you are and regardless of your HIV status this list brings your safer sex game into 2015.
01 2 0
d u ce t l y re a e r sg ’t ndom hey don g e co t l i , h s e t t in u g W l . P d . e n f f a o a d o s r olp ely e s te p let aren ’t fo ing t Get t com y . x s e i l e h i es ph I V, t mak as s y x . ng H o ms ansmi t t i T Is such se d r n e for Co s af rS f tr eme x . ot he f hav ing isk o r r t p n e u e h t se ds re v ar t o ys p ig ne afer so p al wa v e re h a v in g s e ce i v in g re al a a h d te ms of nd r t rea ondo hods i ve a
03
C t et s e d . c t i ve m HI V n e ga re u e e a ff ’r e s u hl y yo om ond r hig EP i f x i f c are ot h e ak ing Pr e s re n t fe re et diffe l l y s a now t he t hese ar h n t i o w ra I t ’s bu t among ople es v i des t i v e. d . Pe s u p r e s s t f o r S T I s e dec a effec ti ve ’re posi b o s n t y th t f you a t io n t re a t m e Mos ent i h is m V m e di c d t m n t t a u a I H ng t re op te s t i k ing me t t ’s ti other. Ta use and I . x se h m afer with eac . Condo ve s V I x ing a e H h s n li v h as ing n’t fer t e t a a i h s c m W y c jo ns ple sex . r r ier s su n en f t ra peo a afer Po z e s c a h e r isk o b s s u t g t . u I in ta st abo n ST d us HI V s d lower rr y g an as sing a o n n i . w a t k s d s p to Te lo a ce r i g or ave ant . re d u et tin n ’ t h impor t g o f als o d o yo u l t h is chance s r s to t hat xual hea a r r ie ing e b n h t e a c s e ss fa se ’t m ease a c ce our ople decr ro m y pe oes n top of y f s n d e a l m V p o ,m . da n HI e pe oms ce s s ng o nt al ing co n d v e n t s o m e t t h e a c H av I V, s t a y i d de e n t a u g ib H re es c an dis t r h ma y p w ith ms , glov you eel y c w i r f o o h h d o w , st rn con co s t ffor t o lea i te e ave a or t t p h ff s e n e e n .D s of t e n t io rsal n d o m H I V p re v n i ve o c u d s i or an sex bes linic lth c a f e r to o l s . L u a s e o h t l ess r s e x a l s e x ua Acc s a fe c g o l n i r s u s to y o a c ce . Talk m e h t
04 5 0
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spring 2015
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p the o s to e r s of t e tt t im ’ t ma . It ’s h e m e s e are n t e . se r v S T Is . T h er io d o de h and w I V. P V e H I l r H p o , I x eo d se n ST to p r o u n ’ t o ge t a pen a p a a h es gm S TIs ser v d s ti oms e an e ‘de n m o co n d a d o sh n N a . Is rEP. ali t y n t S T il e o n P e mor v e pr wh h e lp oms o m s i n g co n d c h o i ce . d n o s C ’s ue u ms . ople ndo o n t in s o m e p e o c c y f a nd o le m t be h e e ny p e o p t ill mig h our ns t s a a s nd y m e a m o m y o s at bod P r E P o r d a b l e , b u t co n d w wh our o y , n ff t s k a s to ow a re e tr u eed e kn EP w e y. ey n o on h N t I n Pr e is k . t l d u b e b a t , e r e mfo ou n g uid e l co s t s y elp as a e f e t u t o h wha c an om y c tor cide h wh t o e i d d w r r to you o c to ets eans or g gad t t m n i c t d o a g rea c an Th rd F in s are a Yo u ing. you. v s m e a o k m h i d sl on ndo c u ’re o e o c f un! v y need i er t ned sex r ti ve s n e f n s i a o l , n I -p er k ind n l y. ar tn r pre en o i ve p f t ime fo t m p o e w o ec ead r c is by the r r t ah le re fo n e r a s o n s peop , .W x. I om e g e d n n s l n o u is ny na co yo r a ge for a nt al or a t i ve t for u r s n o e u o y j i s t at In ot f ro op i t ’s n re or w h inal, ate x t u ff, a nonl d for vag s e. l u x b yo se ya se a fer t ter w ho enjo s be u e s r i o th o ma nd m ll of it . A r tner s . N x s afer a t a we le pa ke s e n’t s ul t ip help ma , do m 0 h 4 t i o r o v e v e s e x w n t a ke t a u ’re a c o h u y r o y If yo t hat par t teps w ho s e r ea ther
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From Service Users:*
by Andrew Eaton, ACT's Group Programming Coordinator
T
“The Buddy Program helped me talk out my problems with another person without the fear of being judged”
he Buddy Program was one of the first services that
ACT offered to people living with HIV in Toronto. The program sought to respond to community needs by matching people living with HIV with volunteers who could provide compassionate, friendly support and help fight the isolation, fear, and stigma that HIV/ AIDS was causing in the early 1980’s.
“I got what I needed”
spring 2015
As HIV/AIDS and the communities that ACT serves have changed, so has the Buddy Program. From the mid-1990’s to 2012, the Buddy Program was a space primarily for older adults who had been living with HIV for many years and were facing health challenges, possibly near the end of their life, and needed a volunteer to support them through such a difficult time. However we were hearing from other people living with HIV who were also looking for Buddy support. These other people included those who were recently diagnosed with HIV and young adults. The need was still there for older adults to access Buddy support, but now there were other distinct groups looking for support as well. In response ACT conducted a review of the Buddy Program from December 2013 to April 2014. During that time, the Buddy Review Committee met with over fifty people representing people living with HIV, past Buddy Program participants and volunteers, and community members. These consultations led to an updated and restructured Buddy Program that officially launched in July 2014. The new program matches a volunteer with a person living with HIV to provide emotional support. The volunteers are well-trained through ACT’s agency-wide Core Skills Training followed by program-specific Buddy Volunteer Training. The volunteers are trained to be active listeners, caring companions and non-judgmental, objective supporters. Each Buddy match is now three months long. Within those three months, a volunteer and service user can meet for up to three hours per week, depending on the needs of the service user. These meetings can be held at ACT, in the service user’s home, or at a public space such as a coffee shop. The volunteer helps the service user address the emotional, practical and health-related issues that arise as a result of living with HIV/AIDS and improve their quality of life by supporting them to problem solve, navigate complex systems, reduce isolation and barriers, increase confidence, build resilience, seek health services, and get involved in the community. Are you a person living with HIV who would like to register for the Buddy Program? Contact Andrew Eaton, ACT’s Group Programming Coordinator, at 416340-8484 ext. 283 or by email at aeaton@actoronto.org Are you interested in volunteering in the Buddy Program to provide emotional support? Contact Sergio Martinez, ACT’s Volunteer Resources Manager, at 416-340-8484 ext. 224 or by email at smartinez@ actoronto.org
“My Buddy was able to listen to me and give me support”
“The Buddy Program is a reminder that there are still people out there who are caring and compassionate about people.”
From Volunteers:
“I feel well supported by ACT in this volunteer role. The training and ongoing support have been great”
“It’s a nice feeling to be there for someone, to support them in their journey.”
* The quotes provided throughout this article are from volunteers and service users that were active in the program from July to October 2014.
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by Josephine Okwera-Akullu
A celebration of cultural diversity at the WomenZone cooking sessions. WomenZone is a health promotion program that provides opportunities to women living with HIV to socialise, discuss current issues related to their health and enhance their knowledge about nutrition. The cooking sessions provide a great opportunity to learn about nutrition as the women shop for groceries, prepare and then cook the meals, all with their peers. As the women work together to create these meals, and later sit down to enjoy them, they build strong social bonds. These bonds go a long way in assisting to overcome the isolation that is too often a part of a person living with HIV’s life, especially for women. WomenZone cooking sessions also help women diversify their food choices. We have had traditional Ethiopian, Nigerian, Rwandese, Chinese, Jamaican and Burmese
dishes, and all ingredients purchased locally, in downtown Toronto. Toronto is truly a culturally diverse city! According to one woman who loves cooking, coming to these sessions has greatly enriched her recipes toolbox. “Each time we cook something different here, I make sure to try it at home and sometimes I make modifications that make it come out even better” she reports. Would you like to try one of the group’s favourite recipes? According to a volunteer that has attended some of the cooking sessions, “it’s better than what some Ethiopian restaurants downtown offer.” Are you a woman living with HIV and are interested in taking control of improving your health through nutrition? You can diversify your diet choices by choosing nutrient-rich foods from different cultures and traditions. The cooking sessions are every 4th Thursday of the month from 124pm at 490 Sherbourne Street. Big thanks to FIFE house for their generosity in providing the cooking space.
For more information please contact Sarah Schultz at 416-340-8484 ext. 239 or email sschultz@actoronto.org
spring 2015
Ethiopian beef stew (serves 5-8)
Instructions
Ingredients
Wash the cubed beef well and drain off the water.
• 5 large purple onions, finely chopped
Finely chop the onions into dices.
• 1-4 Teaspoon Berbere (more or less, depending on how spicy you like it). Paprika powder may be used instead of berbere.
Simmer the onions, garlic and ginger with vegetable oil in a heavy pot & cook on medium heat until they turn a reddish-brown color.
• 1 lb. stew beef, cut into bite size pieces • ½ cup water (or more) • ½ cup vegetable oil • 1 Teaspoon salt (more of less as needed) • 1-4 Teaspoon minced garlic • 1-4 teaspoon minced ginger • 1 teaspoon Wot Kimem (Mekelesha)
Add the water and berberi. Cook an additional 15 minutes, stirring periodically, adding more water if needed so the sauce doesn’t get dry. (This process allows for the berbere to become less bitter). Add the meat to the sauce & turn the heat down to low. Simmer until meat is cooked. Stir occasionally, adding a little water, if needed, to prevent the onions and meat from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Finish off cooking by adding wot kimem (Mekelesha) and salt. Serve hot with Injera (Ethiopian flat bread made of teff).
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act news
by Winston Husbands, ACT’s Director of Research ACT’s community-based research (CBR) program makes a valuable contribution to strengthening the HIV knowledge base to benefit our stakeholders. In doing so we also focus on addressing community needs, promoting stakeholder engagement and collaboration, and strengthening capacity for community responses to HIV.
health research. These collaborative studies, which were developed under the auspices of the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN), include research on the factors that facilitate or impede people’s participation in HIV and health research, and the relationship between changes in employment status and health among people living with HIV.
COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH (CBR) Community-based research (CBR) is an approach to undertaking research on issues that affect the health and wellbeing of communities, such that a range of affected stakeholders are equitably involved in developing, implementing and disseminating the research. How various stakeholders are involved may be subject to negotiation, but all stakeholders have the opportunity to access the research in ways that benefit them within the limits of their capacity and the available resources.
THE RESEARCH Over the years we have initiated, led or supported a number of research studies in collaboration with university-based researchers, policy makers, community-based organizations and communities of people living with or affected by HIV.
Our record of collaboration with other community-based organizations clearly demonstrates our commitment to communitybased research and action. For example, we We’re also playing a leadership role in innovative led a team from six AIDS service organizations province-wide studies that help influence health in a research study to understand whether or and social service policy across Ontario, and how the use of party drugs by some gay men in result in more creative approaches to HIV and Toronto may affect HIV prevention efforts. We’ve 16
spring 2015
also collaborated with Casey House Hospice to Currently, the OHTN supports my work through study long-term survivorship of HIV, which is a Community Scholar Award and supports ACT emerging as a new direction for HIV programs. Research Day through an annual grant; we also apply to OHTN for funding to support specific In a similar way, since 2003 I’ve been working research or capacity building initiatives. Our with the African and Caribbean Council on HIV/ other main source of support is the Canadian AIDS in Ontario and its affiliates to enhance the Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)––we have an breadth and depth of research with African, excellent record of success in CIHR competitions Caribbean and Black (ACB) communities in the that accept applications from “knowledge users”. province. This research builds understanding However, research funders do not typically of HIV-related issues among ACB communities, support the overhead costs that inevitably accrue helps to engage them in responding to HIV, and to projects. There is an ongoing need for funding supports the development of interventions to that will cover some infrastructure costs, as well address identified priorities. as funding to support initiatives that fall outside the mandates of traditional research funders. We have developed a number of initiatives to help enhance the role of practitioners and ACT RESEARCH DAY affected communities in producing research ACT Research Day (ACTRD) is our marquee knowledge. For example, in the last five initiative. We have implemented the event each year since 2003 as an opportunity for stakeholders years, two projects have been implemented to discuss current research and the implications to mobilize, assess and disseminate available for program development. The ACTRD steering research knowledge and practitioner insights committee comprises service providers, knowledge on key issues of interest to ACT. We have also brokers, research funders and community mounted an innovative program (“What’s in it members. The event attracts 80-100 participants for me?”) that affords people living with HIV each year, and includes keynote presentations, an opportunity for critical reflection on some research panels, and workshops or skills building sessions, organized under a specific theme. of the determining issues in HIV research. ACT’s research program also supports service providers to initiate research and participate in research teams. Evidently, mentoring This year for ACT Research Day the theme is service providers, community members, and ‘Treatment and Wellbeing: getting to the end of undergraduate and graduate students is a HIV.’ It will be held on May 28 and runs all day at big part of how we build research capacity the Ramada Plaza Hotel (300 Jarvis Street). ACTRD and support more equitable and sustainable 2015 will help set the stage for implementing a new strategy for HIV in Ontario. Very exciting. involvement in research. FUNDING ACT’s research program is remarkably ambitious and productive. We fulfill a particular niche through a distinctly community orientation to our work. And we use resources efficiently –– regular staff consists of a director and projectspecific staff. Nonetheless, we still have to compete with traditional and better-endowed research institutions for resources to support the work we do. Over the years, the OHTN’s support has been instrumental to our success.
ACT is a pioneer in community-based research. We’ve been bold—supporting a research program within a community development ethos, putting “community” at the centre of social and behavioural HIV research in Canada, and helping to institutionalise an approach to knowledge development that engages, rather than alienates, a broad range of stakeholders. We’ve been enterprising and creative, and we’re optimistic about our ability to strengthen our resource base and sustain our promise. 17
act news
Simon Clements is a successful lawyer by day and champion of great art by night. For over twenty years, he has demonstrated his support for the arts and HIV communities in Toronto through education, volunteerism and profound generosity. ACT has had the benefit of working with Simon for years - in fact, Simon created the first ever SNAP! salon, which he continues to host to this day. ACT – Why have you chosen our organisation to be the lucky recipient of your support for so long? SC – I was a volunteer docent at the Art Gallery of Ontario, I continue to teach at the University of Toronto law school, and I am a very strong proponent of education. ACT provides great education and services, many of which are specifically targeted to young people. So to me, I support ACT from different angles: from education, my love of art, from personal connections with people living with HIV/AIDS and ACT brings those together for me, which is why it is an organisation that is worthy of a great deal of support. ACT – You mentioned your love of art – do you have a favourite memory of SNAP!? SC – To be honest with you there isn’t one memory that jumps out at me because what I like so much about the event is that there is a great buzz, a great energy, and people seem so excited to see each other – I get a great sense of community at the event. I want people to buy pieces that are meaningful to them, not just a picture that looks nice hanging over their couch. So my SNAP! memory is that people embrace the idea of actually talking about the art. ACT – Will we see you at SNAP! 2015? SC – Oh yes, I can tell you that I am planning my spring vacation around SNAP! ACT – Do you have any pieces in particular that have caught your eye? SC – The Vivian Maier piece is incredible just to have. It’s a coup, and a great image. Sailors! That’s tough to beat. I also really like Laird Kay’s Goodnight Lego City. One of the criticisms some people have about photography is that there are multiples of the image. The SNAP! One Offs address that as each image is unique. I love the story this piece tells about how our built environment has become disposable. 18
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e is my donation of:
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please see reverse
please make payable to AIDS Committee of Toronto
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Email: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If your name and/or address has changed, please make changes as required. Thank you.
name and/or address has changed, please make changes as required. Thank you.
A receipt for the total year’s contribution will be sent at the end of the calendar year. You can change or cancel this authorization at any time by contacting ACT. To receive receipts for donations ceive receipts for donations under $20 please check this box: under $20 please check this box: ❒
spect your privacy. From time to time, ACT may trade your name with other essive and like-minded charities. It’s the most cost-effective way for finding new donors. prefer not to have your name traded, please check here:
AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) 399 Church Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5B 2J6 T 416-340-2437 ext. 279 F 416-340-8224 E donations@actoronto.org W actoronto.org Charitable registration number: 11877 9024 RR0001
We are gearing up for the 27th Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life Toronto!
to.ca
Lear n more at aidswalktoron
Funds raised at the Scotiabank l AIDS Walk for Life support the vita S programs and services of the AID Committee of Toronto (ACT).