positive focus Spring 2010
www.stapinc.org
Serving Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga & Tompkins Counties
STAP’s 2008 Legacy Award recipient, Dr. Barbara Chaffee, retired from full time practice at Binghamton Internal Medicine on January 1, 2010.
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o honor and recognize over two decades of Dr. Chaffee’s valued service to our community, STAP is proud to support the formation of The Barbara H. Chaffee, MD, MPH Educational Fund – To Nurture & Support Health Care Professionals Caring for People with HIV/AIDS. The fund’s mission is to enable dedicated HIV care professionals who currently reside in the Greater Binghamton Area to continue their education in the field of HIV/AIDS and follow in Dr. Chaffee’s footsteps well into the 21st century. Annual grant recipients will not only include the employees of and resident physicians & medical students in training at United Health Services, the Clinical Campus of the Upstate Medical Center at Binghamton and the Broome County Health Department, but also employees of the Southern Tier AIDS Program! Our agency’s financial support to a “forever” endowment
of this type in our community will help insure that our clients will have nothing less than the best HIV care for decades to come. The fund is the brainchild of Binghamton Internal Medicine HIV Team nurses Kate Dodge and Michele Rader, who then in tandem with the HIV clinic’s Consumer Advisory Board, contacted Diane Brown, Executive Director of The Community Foundation for South Central New York, to take this wonderful idea and turn it into a reality. The fund’s planning board is working to raise $50,000 this year through community donations so that it can begin making grant distributions in 2011. Support at all levels is appreciated. A Founders’ Circle has been established as incentive to make a $1000 minimum donation, which can be pledged in installment payments for up to two years. For more information on how you can easily contribute, please call The Community Foundation at 607-7726773. You can also find the Fund on Facebook.
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3/23/10 11:30:13 AM
from the director...
2010 Gala Community Partners T
his year’s Cause for Celebration was a smashing success with 185 people filling the Binghamton Club’s ballroom to join us in honoring our 2009 Community Partners. These individuals and corporations have contributed time and resources to move the mission of the Southern Tier AIDS Program forward, to raise awareness of HIV in our community and to assure that quality services for persons living with HIV are available. Please feel free to patronize and thank generously our community partners for their commitment.
Corner Store Catering
John Wells has donated to the AIDS Ride for Life since the first ride in 1999. His equipment rental business, Corner Store Catering, has donated thousands of dollars of equipment and he has consistently shown his dedication in working hard for the Ride and people living with AIDS before and after the event. Riders consistently tell us that one of the reasons they love our ride is the amount of support they receive during the ride. This support simply would not be possible without the unflagging support of John Wells. He has been one of the unsung heroes of the Ride for 11 years because of his amazing generosity and heart of gold.
Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield
Excellus BCBS has played a major role in supporting all of the events that STAP holds. Excellus BCBS invests tens of millions of dollars to support local organizations and initiatives that improve the quality of life in our community. They contribute to organizations that are dedicated to overcoming racism, bias and discrimination, such as STAP. Melissa Klinko, Excellus’s Regional Communications and Media Relations Manager has been an incredible resource and mentor for STAP’s Development Department. Grant Best, Excellus’s Southern Tier Regional Director is a member of our Board of Directors and a huge supporter of our agency. 2
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Frito-Lay, Inc.
With the AIDS Walk approaching I sent a request to Frito-Lay for a donation of product. Our walkers (and everyone else) love their snacks! What I received was a phone call that Frito Lay would donate product and be a part of the walk with a team. The Frito-Lay team was very successful, raising thousands of dollars for people living with AIDS in the Southern Tier! Joe Bambara became my contact at Frito-Lay and he shared with us that Frito-Lay measures their success not only in terms of their financial achievement, but also their social and environmental performance. Frito-Lay management takes a Straight for Equality pledge. Straight for Equality is a national outreach and education project created by Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays National to empower allies in supporting and advocating for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community. Frito-Lay continues to support STAP, attending the Doggone Fun on the Run and donating product to Identity, our GLBT youth center in downtown Binghamton.
Mayor Matthew Ryan
Mayor Ryan has been generous to STAP as an organization and has truly partnered with us in recognizing the promise and potential of the communities we serve and which he respects. The annual raising of the pride flag over city hall and the friend of the city award given to the Identity LGBT youth center are just two of the actions that Mayor Ryan has taken to prove that he will do the right thing, because it is the right thing do. We are proud to call him a friend and to honor him as a community partner. Please make a point of thanking Mayor Ryan for his courage and vision in making our community more inclusive of all of its members.
www.STAPINC.org
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Adopt a Family by Mary Kaminsky
“PLISOAs (Persons Living In Spite of AIDS) are PERSONS first and foremost: persons who have families and loved ones, persons who have dreams and hopes and fears, persons who laugh and cry, persons who deserve the same respect and love as you and I.” — a feisty long-term survivor HIV/AIDS has evolved into a disease of families with children. Because stress impacts the physical body’s capability of fighting the deadly HIV/AIDS virus, psychosocial support is imperative to survival. Imagine having a life threatening illness and not having enough money to celebrate your child’s birthday with a cake and candles, or celebrating Christmas with no apparent visit from Santa Claus. For many families living with HIV/AIDS, such simple pleasures are too expensive. Ordinary fun – a birthday cake, a summer picnic, a family evening at the movies – is one of the first casualties of poverty. STAP’s AdoptA-Family program provides families opportunities to spend quality time together, giving them a chance to rebuild the family bond the virus has torn apart by the continuous worry of finances, medications and medical bills. It also provides empowering financial assistance for parents that may be struggling to provide simple pleasures for their children due to the constant struggles of surviving with HIV/AIDS. Over the past several years, STAP has expanded it’s AdoptA-Family Program by working with area organizations such as Levene, Gouldin & Thompson (LGT) and Hinman, Howard & Kattell (HH&K) to connect families in extreme circumstances with groups of volunteers, also known as “Elves”, committed to making a difference. These two community partners have adopted a STAP family every year for more than five years. This year was no exception. One of the families adopted in 2009 included a sight-impaired, single mother with several children. Thanks to LGT the family enjoyed a wonderful holiday together receiving such gifts as new 6
bedding, warm coats, hats, and gloves, kitchen utensils and equipment and a Wii video game system. HH&K went gaga with excitement when they were connected to a struggling, young, single HIV+ woman expecting her first child. The law group pitched in and provided her with a warm coat big enough to fit around her growing tummy, baby clothes for a year, a crib, highchair, and even a washer and dryer! The generosity of our Adopt-A-Family partners was met by all with amazement, appreciation and tears of joy! A special thank you goes out to LGT & HH&K for their continual support and thoughtfulness. Adopt-A-Family makes it affordable for individuals or groups to help an entire family improve their quality of life. Due to HIV/AIDS confidentiality laws, it is not possible for ALL donors to meet the families that participate in the Adopt-A-Family program. Adopt-A-Family is an affordable way for almost anyone to make a huge difference in the lives of families in their own community. There are two ways you can contribute. A one time monetary donation of any amount will gladly be accepted. Or, with your employer’s consent and cooperation, you may choose to contribute as little as $1 or $2 per week through a weekly payroll deduction. Not only is your contribution tax deductible (to the extent allowable by law,) but you’ll be glad to know that 100% of your donation will benefit families in your community. It doesn’t take a lot of money to change the impact of poverty on a family! If you are interested in donating to this lifeenhancing program please send your donation to STAP, C/o Adopt-A-Family, 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY 13790 or call Gayle Pado at 1.800.333.0892.
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volunteer update ADMINISTRATION John Barry, Executive Director Julie Kerr, Director of Finance Mary Kaminsky, Director of Development Joseph Caminiti, Dir. of Information Systems Kim Conrad, Special Events Coordinator Candace Phelan, Volunteer Coordinator Anne Baron, Fiscal Assistant Kristina Hagen, IS and CS Assistant Ginny Miller, Program Assistant Nancy Bosworth, Executive Assistant Jackie Centerwall, Administrative Assistant
CLIENT SERVICES Gayle Pado, Director of Client Services Wendy Hitchcock, Assistant Director Michelle McElroy, Assistant Director Robin Carroll, Medical Advocate Jessica Krohn, Housing Coordinator Joanne Carlyle, Housing Referral Placement Spec. Shannon Sprague, Case Manager Todd Latzko, Community Follow-up Worker James Elrod, Medical Advocate Jennifer McKenzie, Case Manager Jean Wilson, Case Manager Gry Bente Johansen, Case Manager Jessica Sample, Case Manager Teresa Wage, Case Manager Stacie Kuettel, Case Manager Terri Shields, Case Manager Juan Rios, Case Management Technician Jim Jelliff, Case Management Technician
PREVENTION SERVICES Jeffrey Wynnyk, Director of Prevention Svcs Joe Barnett, Asst Director & Senior Educator Lillian Fan, Harm Redcution Technician Ethan Lewis,MPowerment Coordinator Steven Hanakovic, Harm Reduction Educator Lawrence Parham, Asst Dir, Project VIIBES, Coord. Chalanda Graham, Project VIIBES Educator Vanessa Davis, LGBT Youth Educator Erin Gotthardt, Asst Director, LGBT Youth Program
REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER Greta Immerman, Regional Training Director
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Paul Rushanski, President Tina Ruocco Dolan, Vice President Grant Best, Treasurer Michelle Duffy, Secretary Jennifer Bojdak Kelly Bulkeley Nancy McGowan Pamela Mischen Jamie Cornell Joshua B Ludzki Erik vonHausen Angelo Fiori
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As the Volunteer Coordinator, I am often asked what do I have to do to volunteer for STAP? I realized that my answer is usually a list of requirements that are dictated by policy and procedure. What that translates into is we are looking for people that believe in our mission to focus on the health and well being of HIV+ persons. We are looking for people that will offer their time and energy and expertise to support our staff in doing the great work that STAP offers. We are looking for people who want to work hard, have fun and make a difference in someone’s life. Sound like you? Want to join a wonderful team of volunteers? Great, contact me by e-mail cphelan@stapinc.org or by calling 607-798-1706 ext. 225.
Upcoming events looking for volunteers: AIDS WALK /RUN April 17, 2010 Recreation Park – Binghamton NY Register with Candace at cphelan@stapinc.org AIDS RIDE For LIFE September 11, 2010 Ithaca NY Riders and volunteers register at www.aidsrideforlife.org
www.STAPINC.org
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training calendar / local resources
INFORMATION HOTLINES
Register Now!
Go to: www.stapinc.org • Call: (607) 798-1706 • Fax: (607) 798-1977 or send mail: STAP, 122 Baldwin St, Johnson City, NY 13760
April: 4/8/2010 (9-4:30) Building Bridges to Cultural Competency @ STAP 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY 4/20/2010 (9-4:30) Introduction to Case Management @ Child Advocacy Center 19 Church St., Cortland, NY 4/22/2010 (9-4:30) Domestic Violence in GLBT Communities @ Owego United Methodist Church, Barton Education Wing 261 Main Street, Owego, NY. (Please use rear building entrance) 4/27/2010 (9-12) HIV/AIDS Confidentiality Law (1-4:30) & Overview of HIV/AIDS STAP 122 Baldwin St., Johnson City, NY May: 5/20 & 5/21/2010 (9-4:30) Sex, Gender & HIV/STDs @ STAP 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY June: 6/8/2010 (9-4:30) HIV & STDs full day @ STAP 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY 6/17 & 6/18/2010 (9-4:30) Group Facilitation Skills @ STAP 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY
National
800-342-AIDS
Spanish
800-342-SIDA
Hearing Impaired
800-AIDS-TTY
Teen Hot Line New York State STAP
800-440-TEEN 800-541-AIDS 800-333-0892
HIV TESTING SITES Broome County Health Department 607-778-2839 Chemung County Health Department 607-737-2028 Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) 800-333-0892 Chenango Memorial Hospital 607-335-4111 Jacobus Center-Cortland 607-753-5027 Planned Parenthood Binghamton 607-723-8306 Planned Parenthood Oneonta 607-432-2250 Planned Parenthood Sidney 607-563-4363 Planned Parenthood Walton 607-865-6579 Oneonta Health Center 607-433-0042 Tioga County Health Department 607-687-8600 Tioga Opportunities, Inc. 607-687-5333 Tompkins County Health Department 800-562-9423
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3/23/10 11:30:45 AM
2nd annual
Rock Star Celebrity Bartending Bash The 2nd annual Rock Star Celebrity Bartending Bash was held on March 13th at Tranquil Bar & Bistro. Nine bartenders and two divas equal a wild night of phenomenal fun and entertainment. All were competing for the grand prize: drink-naming rights. Would Mary’s Thousand Dollar Cosmo and the Brunellitini be replaced? We have a steadfast rule that “What happens at Tranquil, Stays at Tranquil” but we will share just a bit of the evening’s events with you. Round 1: John Brunelli (Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts) v. Naima Kradjian (Goodwill Theatre) v. Steven Nanni (Tenor, Washington National Opera, Teatro dell’opera of Rome, Chelsea Opera). John was last year’s winner and was determined to keep the Brunellitini on Tranquil’s menu. He hadn’t planned for Naima and Steven to bring out the big guns. When Steven’s tip jar was looking a little low he belted out a rendition of New York, New York that got the crowd quickly emptying their pockets. Round 1 ended with Steven in the lead. Round 2: Lori (Star 105.7) v. Trent Patterson (The Biggest Loser) v. Greg Catlin (WBNG) v. Mick Dwyer (Fox 40). There was no time for lessons; the crowd was huge and very thirsty. This left Lori and Greg with a definite advantage having bartended last year. It seemed like Round 2 had just begun when it was over. Greg was in the lead and to Lori’s surprise Mick was in 2nd place. Lori quickly picked up her cell phone and began calling friends for more donations.
Round 3: Michael Libous (Michael Libous Salon) v. Grant Best (Excellu BCBS) v. Mayor Matt Ryan (City of Binghamton). Michael Libous came to the event intent on winning; he even brought his own cheering crowd. Tony Fiala called in from the Caribbean to add $100 to Michael’s tip jar! Michael was convinced he had it in the bag. Mayor Ryan was pulling out all of the stops and quietly, but oh so boldly, Grant Best was filling up his tip jar too. Round 3 ended and the crowd was anxiously awaiting which bartender would win. Then it occurred to all of the celebrity bartenders that the real coup was done by the fabulously famous Katrina & DeDe Kupps, the beautiful divas who had been serving drinks and performing throughout the night. Would a bartender even win the coveted drink-naming rights or would the divas steal the show? To quote our Master of Ceremonies Joshua B “I won’t get into the dirty details here—I’ll just say that you should have been there if you wanted to know exactly how far people are willing to go in pursuit of a good cause (and a cocktail title)”. So much happened that Loren Couch & Sean Massey of Tranquil decided, in order to keep the peace, the top three competitors would win drink-naming rights. The winners are Michael Libous, raising an amazing total of $1,397.50, Mayor Matt Ryan ($521.50) and Steven Nanni ($405.50).
The grand total raised 4,624.10 www.STAPINC.org
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2010 aids walk/run
Put a Little
spring in Your Step!
W
ant to put a little spring in your step? There is no better way than by signing up today to participate in the 2010 AIDS Walk/Run taking place on April 17th. Join with hundreds of others in caring enough to make a difference. Bring the entire family with you. Our youngest walkers are sure to enjoy the Kids Who Care tent, sponsored by M&T Bank. Last year the Kids Who Care tent included, the safe child ID program, face painting, popcorn, ice cream, magician, juggler, balloon artist, and even a snake, courtesy of the zoo-mobile. You are probably wondering how we can top that. Oh we will. But the best thing of all is you will have taught your child that giving can be fun, that caring for others isn’t necessarily work. Last year Team Kids Who Care raised over $2,000, placing 4th in fundraising efforts. There are many levels of incentives but why not aim high. Raise $500 or more and you will receive a crown. As befits your status, we will serve you first, no need to wait in line. What’s that? You want to be the top team? Well the YMCA says thank you for that. The YMCA will award the top three teams with one (1) year family membership. You decide how to use this, you can raffle it among your team, award it 10
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to the person that raises the most or award it to your team captain, it was, after all the captains idea! Please note this is for new memberships only! We would also like to invite you to share a cherished memory by placing a memory marker along Memory Lane path. There is no charge to place a memory marker, just call Mary at (607) 798-1706 to arrange for your memory/ honor marker. We have some wonderful surprises planned for you. It is sure to be a fantastic experience for all participants. So work on creating your team and get ready to Walk and t enjoy the great community spirit and the food and beverages from Outback Steakhouse, Pronto Cucina, Frito-Lay and Starbucks. The 2010 AIDS Walk is presented by:
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AIDS Walk/Run April 17th 2010 Recreation Park, Beethoven St. Binghamton, NY Registration: 10:30 – 12 Noon Walk Begins: 12:30 PM Followed by a fabulous post-party
Pre-Registration Rest up – no need to arrive early, unless you just want to gloat that you have already registered which will be clearly evident by the fact you are wearing your fabulous 2010 AIDS Walk/Run t-shirt. When: Thursday, April 15th: 4 PM – 7 PM Friday, April 16th: 10 AM – 1 PM Where: STAP, 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY 13790 www.STAPINC.org
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jifahamu page header
What’s New with Jifahamu:
Dispatches From our Sister- Agency in Kenya Last Fall, STAP announced it’s partnership with the Jifahamu Kenya Foundation (JKF). JKF is a non-governmental organization operating in Nairobi and it’s surrounding rural areas and has a mission similar to STAP’s. This year for World AIDS Day, STAP hosted a fundraiser for Jifahamu at the University Downtown Center that raised $3,000. We recently checked- in with Enos Opati Ongute the Executive Director of JKF to see how they were putting those funds to work. Enos reports that the money has been put to good use. Some was given to women living with HIV in the form of micro-loans to support their small businesses. These loans enable women living with HIV to pay for medication and feed their families. In fact, similar loans enabled the women to make the beautiful hand-beaded jew-
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elry that was for sale at our World AIDS Day event. Caring for Kenya’s estimated 1 million AIDS orphans continues to be a challenge. Enos and the staff of JKF used the rest of the fund-raised money to provide food and school uniforms to the six orphanages JKF supports. In all, 1,200 children were helped by our efforts! Like STAP, the majority of funds raised go to provide direct service and not to administrative over-head. We are proud to support the work of JKF, our global partner in the fight against AIDS! To learn more about the work that the Jifahamu Kenya Foundation does join the Facebook group “Jifahamu Kenya Foundation” or visit their new website at www. jifahamu.bbnow.org.
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3/23/10 11:30:53 AM
positive page voices header
news bits
Long time supporter, singer, songwriter, Lukus Wells released his highly anticipated debut album “Diagonal” on Sunday, February 21st at Tranquil Bar & Bistro. The doors opened at 4:00 PM for a cocktail hour, attendees were treated to Brendan Ratchford’s exquisite talent as he played the violin for the first hour of the show. Then Lukus and his band Driftwood took the stage and put on a fabulous show. Everyone was on their feet clapping and dancing along. All the proceeds from the party were donated to STAP. Missed the show? You can hear Lukus at this year’s AIDS Walk/Run on April 17th. Photo by: Suzan Wisniski
The AIDS Ride for Life is looking forward to making its 12th year bigger and better than ever. The 2010 AIDS Ride for Life will take place on Saturday, September 11th. Won’t you join us or donate to help us make a difference? Registration opens in March! Visit us online at www.aidsrideforlife.org to register. Ride 50, 90 or 100 miles around
Cayuga Lake to benefit AIDS services and education through the Southern Tier AIDS Program. Since our first year in 1999 we’ve raised almost $1.5 million dollars for the Southern Tier AIDS Program. We are excited to announce that returning riders now have a fundraising minimum of only $300! We hope to see you on September 11th!
www.STAPINC.org
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AIDS Walk 2009
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122 Baldwin Street Johnson City, NY 13790
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Albany, NY PERMIT #58 ZIP CODE 12202
Spring 2010
STAP
is serving more men, women, and children than ever in our 25 years of providing services. Say “I care” by sending your gift today. Your generosity makes a difference! Yes! I can help the Southern Tier AIDS Program continue to provide services for people living with HIV/AIDS and provide prevention services to help reduce the rate of HIV infection in the Southern Tier. Enclosed is my tax-deductible donation of:
❑ $25
❑ $50
❑ $100
❑ $250
❑ Other: $_________
Checks should be made payable to:
STAP, 122 Baldwin St., Johnson City, NY 13790 Please charge my donation to my:
❑ Visa
❑ Mastercard
Name:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
CC#: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Address:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Exp. Date: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
________________________ __________________
Signature:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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