2014 Fall newsletter by AIDS Services of Austin

WHAT’S INSIDE: Letter from the Executive Director The Q Austin’s New Space Calendar of Events Meet Jeff! Back to the Boathouse Spotlight on CLEAR Mike VanderVoet: AIDS Walk Austin Chair

AIDS WALK AUSTIN OCTOBER 19, 2014 REPUBLIC SQUARE PARK 11:30 AM - 4 PM

aidswalkaustin.org Join us for AIDS Walk Austin 2014 at Republic Square Park on Sunday, October 19. Last year, we had more than 1,500 walkers and raised over $240,000. This year’s goal is $250,000, and we need your help to get there! Walk to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and collect funds for care services and prevention education in Central Texas. Enjoy live music and a bite or two from premiere Austin food trucks throughout the day. Hear words of inspiration from AIDS Walk Honorary Chair Mondo Guerra. Register or donate online: aidswalkaustin.org.

MONDO GUERRA | AIDS Walk Austin Honorary Chair Mondo Guerra, winner of Project Runway All Stars, revealed his HIV-positive status on air during the eighth season of Project Runway after 10 years of personal silence. Mondo has since become an advocate for HIV education and services, inspiring people nationwide. Mondo will be leading the Walk and speaking at the opening ceremonies.

Influential, Visionary, Leading the Way Forward AIDS Services of Austin (ASA) was born from a group of volunteers who saw their community struggling and rose up to provide support in the face of a new epidemic. Today, ASA serves over 14,000 people a year in Central Texas, providing testing, linking people to care, and helping them take charge of their health. Over the past 27 years, we have always strived to not just help individuals but to positively influence the community as a whole. Every day, we see the impact of our services throughout the community. Each person we serve gains confidence, knowledge, and skills that in turn spread to their loved ones and friends, helping to make all of Central Texas a healthier place. By testing people early and getting them into care, we help reduce the strain on public resources and minimize the spread of HIV.

a brand new dental clinic, conveniently situated and equipped with an additional three chairs. With an expanding condom distribution network and mobile testing van, we’ll be able to provide services Each person we serve across Austin to gains confidence, the populations at the highest risk of knowledge, and skills that infection.

in turn spread to their loved ones and friends, helping to make all of Central Texas a healthier place.

In order to see our vision of the future come true, we rely on the support of our community. Together, we can work towards a future where we no longer have to fight HIV. Respectfully yours,

As we look to the future, we know we have to align ourselves with the community’s needs. Our newly expanded youth space at the Q Austin is located near several universities and on easy-to-access bus routes. We plan to meet the increasing need for quality oral healthcare in 2015 with

Paul E. Scott Executive Director

VIVA RED WOMEN’S GIVING CIRCLE LUNCHEON

THE Q AUSTIN HAS MOVED! In an effort to better serve Austin’s young gay, bi, and questioning men, the Q Austin recently expanded to a new space, located close to several colleges, at 2906 Medical Arts Street (just two doors down from the Jack Sansing Dental Clinic). Q staff and core volunteers have been working hard to tailor the new space to meet the styles of Austin’s unique queer communities, providing a safe and inviting place where young men can express themselves and be empowered to take control of their sexual health.

Prevention Promotions Specialist Marcus Sanchez paints the new Q Austin space.

2014 CALENDAR of EVENTS SEPTEMBER Freddie for a Day September 5, 9 PM Austin Beer Garden Brewing Company

DIFFA Urban Picnic by Design September 11 Textile Event Space

Red Ribbon Dinner: Fabi + Rosi

INK Back-toSchool BBQ

National HIV/AIDS & Aging Awareness Day

September 27

OCTOBER

October 6 303 Red River St.

September 15, 16 Participating restaurants in Austin

September 13 Good Life Realty

National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

September 15 509 Hearn St

Red Ribbon Dinner: Moonshine

Dining for Life

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day October 15

Leaf for Life Drawing

October 19 AIDS Walk Austin

Visit dinin forlif g e .org

September 18

Visit lk wa aids tin aus .org AIDS Walk

Austin

October 19 Republic Square Park

VAMP!

October 31 Ironwood Hall

LEAD the WAY!

raffle benefiting

Form a Team

Go Green

October 19 aidswalkaustin.org

Drawing October 19 asaustin.org/leafforlife

Fundraising is better with friends! How do you raise $1,000 in one day? It’s as easy as 10 team members each asking 10 people to donate $10.

Save gas. Help the planet. Support people affected by HIV and AIDS. Why wouldn’t you buy a raffle ticket? Enter today to win an all-electric Nissan Leaf!

Gather your family, friends, or coworkers and create a team today! Teams can be just two people or dozens of people. You can even make custom t-shirts for all your team members at the AIDS Walk store on our website!

With only 5,000 tickets total, your odds of winning a brand-new Nissan Leaf look pretty good. In fact, the odds are better than bowling a perfect 300 game, winning the lottery, or getting struck by lightning.

Be a Table Captain September 15 & 16 diningforlife.org

Donating to a cause has never been so easy. Sit down to stand up against HIV. By dining out at your favorite restaurants, you can help raise funds for ASA’s great programs and enjoy a tasty meal or two with friends! Check out the website to see which restaurants around town are participating. Each eatery will donate 10% to 50% of proceeds on either September 15 or 16.

MEET JEFF FALCONER ON THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE

“The doors are opening.” For two years, Jeff Falconer could describe himself in three words: homeless, confused, and miserable. After a mugging left him with a traumatic brain injury, Jeff woke up in a Houston hospital having lost six weeks of his life. Homeless. He also learned that day that he Confused. had HIV.

Miserable.

“I took my old life for granted,” Jeff admits. After the injury, he had to learn how to walk again and perform basic tasks. He couldn’t think straight, and he was soon in debt with hospital bills. After moving to Austin for his rehabilitation, Jeff was introduced to ASA through a friend. “I was fortunate to find great doctors and resources.” However, being homeless took a great emotional toll on Jeff. “You need your place,” he explains. “It’s the cornerstone of your existence.” At the same time, Jeff says, “I was petrified to get out on my own.” At ASA, Jeff connected with the Best Single Source Plus (BSS+) program which, combined with Medicare

and disability assistance, helped him move from the shelter into his own place. “I left ASA, walked down the street and asked if they had an apartment available.” As luck would have it, the building had exactly a single unit left.

The doors are That day, Jeff not only set up his opening. apartment but started to take the steps he needed to become independent. He can now manage his time as he wishes and control when he wakes up, eats, and goes to bed. With help from the Food Bank, Jeff has enjoyed making healthy meals with fresh vegetables and wholesome ingredients. “[Next], I had to force myself out of the house to meet people,” Jeff recalls. With the encouragement of several staff members, Jeff joined the Healthy Relationships Program. “It’s fantastic. I’ve met guys from every socio-economic level, every background.” The program has helped him connect with a new community. Jeff’s immediate goal is to get a job to become financially independent. “I feel mentally able to take these next steps,” he . “What I really like about ASA is all the [people] in my life: a good group of people.”

Liberated. Safe. Secure.

Long gone are the days of being homeless, confused, and miserable. Now, Jeff describes his life with three completely different words. “Liberated, safe, secure.”

ASA Staff Directors PAUL E. SCOTT, Executive Director | SUSAN E. CAMPION, Chief Programs Officer | BILL R. GARZA, Chief Financial Officer DR. GREGORY STOUTE, Director of Dentistry | ERIN BECNEL, Director of Access Services LIZA HINOJOSA, Director of Prevention Programs | MICHAEL O’DONAHUE, Director of Development SANDRA CHAVEZ, Associate Director of Direct Services

BACK TO THE BOATHOUSE A popular Austin night club from 1981 to 1991, the Boathouse was loved by many, maintaining a huge Facebook following even to this day. “This was ground zero when the epidemic started,” explains Scott Dinger, ASA Events Coordinator. When Scott visited the space in the spring, currently the restaurant Frank, he had an idea: “If we could have the bar open for a night in this location, we could have people step back in time.” ASA, along with Frank, reopened the Boathouse on June 15 to a full house with a line stretching down the block. “People remembered those days so fondly. Many flew in from out of town, waiting for hours in the heat to get in,” describes Kanaka Sathasivan, ASA Communications Coordinator. Two original Boathouse DJs as well as several original Rubber Fairies rounded out the night. In the ’80s, the Boathouse was owned by NFL linebacker Jerry Smith, one of the first

This was ground zero when the epidemic started.

professional athletes to come out. “The Boathouse helped break that lock on the Warehouse District,” says Rob Faubion, native Austinite and ASA supporter. “At that time, the only thing in the Warehouse District was empty warehouses.” While attendees had a blast dancing, a large part of the night involved remembering those that had once danced on the floor but were no longer with us. Hosts pledged support in memory of lost loved ones, people brought photos, and many wrote tributes on ASA’s memorial chalkboard. Scott explains: “We wanted to bring in an audience that was affected by HIV and AIDS in their youth but also a younger crowd that could come in and step back to see what it was like.”

Program Spotlight: CLEAR

This year, ASA’s PATH (CRCS) program made the transition to CLEAR (Choosing Life: Empowerment! Action! Results!), a one-on-one program aligned with the CDC’s high-impact HIV goals. Clients identify their goals, direct progress, and increase their communications skills. Clients participate in five core sessions and choose additional sessions based on their stressors. CLEAR staff hope the program will help clients reframe how they view stressors related to being HIV-positive and address those in a way that promotes better mental, physical, and sexual health.

MIKE VANDERVOET | AIDS Walk Austin Chair “I know how important the AIDS Walk is in Austin because I’ve been able to see first-hand how the money raised stays in our community.” Mike VanderVoet started volunteering with AIDS Walk Austin for the first time in 2013. This year, he’s the AIDS Walk Chair and heads up the volunteer committee that works with ASA to make the event a success. Last year, Mike approached ASA Events Coordinator Scott Dinger to volunteer. “I knew I wanted to help with entertainment at the park and along the Walk route. . . . Once I saw a vision of what was possible, my involvement grew.” “Seeing firsthand the steps in planning the Walk [last year] was a wonderful experience,” Mike says. “It’s a great feeling working with volunteers, sponsors, and ASA staff to help put on such a big, grand non-profit fundraising event.” Read more about Mike’s experience and personal connection to HIV online at www.asaustin.org/blog.

TTER E L S NEW 4 1 0 2 FALL

GET READY FOR AIDS WALK AUSTIN! JOIN MONDO! Lace up your walking shoes for AIDS Walk Austin 2014! Register, form a team, or donate online.

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AIDS Walk honorary chair is Mondo Guerra, winner of Project Runway All Stars.