positive focus Fall 2008
www.stapinc.org
Serving Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga & Tompkins Counties
The 10th Annual AIDS Ride For Life The 10th Annual AIDS Ride for Life took place on September 13th, 2008 and there are many wonderful things to say about this year’s ride. We need to acknowledge that there was one incredibly sad and tragic event. One of our riders, Jason Becraft, had a heart attack while riding and although EMT’s and doctors worked feverishly, they were not able to resuscitate him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. Our hearts go out to all of you who knew Jason and to all who were affected by his passing. The outpouring of kind words, donations to Jason’s children’s education fund and encouragement you have shown has been and continues to be amazing. We also want to thank everyone involved with the ride, as you have shown tremendous courage, thoughtfulness and compassion on Ride day and throughout the days following the Ride. The following is a report from Armin Heurich on his ride experience: First of all, I want to thank you all so much for your generous and thoughtful support of the Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP). Team El Camino raised a total of over $5309. STAP provides education and client services to an eight county region of the southern tier with a staff of 40 professionals. I found out yesterday that they will be losing some state dollars as a result of the budget cuts, so STAP needs these donations more than ever. On Friday at registration we saw posters all around us with brief stories of people in the region who are living with HIV and AIDS and their very moving stories reminded me of my friends and acquaintances who have been so devastated by this terrible disease. STAP has really made a difference in so many lives, and these posters really brought that point home.
w w w. stapinc .org pos_focus.indd 1
Yesterday morning all the riders congregated at Stewart Park to prepare for the send-off. The roads glistened with the morning rain and it was still dark, but bright enough to see the fog lifting off of the lake. There was so much nervous energy, as riders made their last minute preparations. I must say that even though I have ridden many centuries in my life, this kind of event still makes me anxious. When I ride alone I set my own pace, but when I'm in such a large crowd, I tend to tag along with riders whose pace is slightly faster than mine, resulting in a certain amount of pain later in the ride. At the send-off, we were greeted by Kim Conrad, this year's organizer who did such a phenomenal job. It's hard to believe that this was her first year organizing this incredibly complex event. Following her, we heard from Becky, who was diagnosed with AIDS over a decade ago. She spoke of how supporting STAP has been over the years, and now she is on the STAP board of directors, doing great work for this agency that has made such a difference in her life. The last speaker was Rachel Maddow, one of my favori t e Air America radio talk show hosts, who did the radio show live from State Theater the previous night. Maddow speaks truth to power like few others, and I'm thrilled that she now has a show on MSNBC. She introduced the ceremony of the riderless bike, a tribute to those people diagnosed with HIV/ AIDS who are no longer with us. continued on page 7
10/26/08 3:27:57 PM
from the director...
It has been an interesting beginning to the fall season, here at STAP. The governor and our state legislators decreased STAP’s state funding by 2.72% in April and a further 6% this August. As I write this, the economic news continues to be foreboding and the governor has requested that legislators return to Albany for a special session on November 18th. While we understand the fiscal situation that New York State is in and are more than willing to do our part to help, the cuts do not seem to be uniform across all state funded programs. A cut of nearly 9% is much more of a share than should be asked of people who are chronically ill with HIV and prevention programs that save the state money. These cuts are compounded by the fact that funding from both the federal and state government has been flat for HIV programs, meaning that inflation decreases the resources available year by year. The cuts that were touted by the governor this August as historic amounted to one-third of 1% of the overall state budget. The bulk of the cuts were taken from a 5 billion dollar corner of New York State’s 120 billion dollar budget. That corner funds statewide health and human services. Had we genuinely shared the pain (as the governor insisted we were doing) and cut 1% across the board to everyone who received state money, three times as much money would have been saved and vital programs that serve people with HIV, mental illness and even the mentally retarded would not have been gutted. I would ask all of you to ponder the values and the humanity of a system where the first place we look to cut funding is in services to the most vulnerable among us. These cuts have already led to a reduction statewide in HIV prevention services. Is this a wise choice in the state with the highest rates of HIV infections in the country? During recent federal hearings on HIV funding the head of the CDC cited a lifetime cost per HIV infection of a million dollars, including treatment and lost productivity. Our prevention educators, you may be surprised to know, make much less than a million dollars a year and can educate 2
literally thousands of people annually. Further proof that this is the wrong time to cut HIV/AIDS funding is the CDC’s announcement at the International AIDS Conference that the true number of HIV infections annually in the United States is 56,000+. This figure is 40% higher than the CDC’s estimates for the previous 12 years. While this is a high number, the fact that it isn’t much higher attests to the success of prevention efforts. I believe that we need to do a better job making it clear to people, that HIV prevention methods do work. At the beginning of this epidemic 45% of new infections in New York State were due to intravenous drug use. The expansion of syringe exchange programs has decreased that number to 7%. This is one example among many. We have proven methods and research showing rates of HIV infection decreasing due to our interventions. There is good news. The community support of STAP’s mission and work was in evidence during the Ride for Life in Tompkins County. 380+ riders took off from Stewart Park this year, supported and cheered by 165 volunteers. It was a beautiful day and once again the generosity shown was incredible. The Doggone Fun on the Run was also a huge success with over 90 dogs and their owners walking in the rain to assure that our clients are able to keep their own pets. The funds raised will help to offset the cuts STAP has sustained this year and assure that the cuts do not result in a reduction of services to clients. Retaining the breadth and quality of our client services is our highest priority in this time of decreasing resources. I would invite all of you reading this to contact your local legislators if you are concerned about these cuts as I am. Now is the time to make our voices heard before the wonderful systems that have been put in place are slowly dismantled and we find ourselves dealing with an epidemic once more out of control.
| positive focus
pos_focus.indd 2
10/26/08 3:28:06 PM
volunteer update ADMINISTRATION
John Barry, Executive Director John Bergman, Deputy Executive Director Julie Kerr, Director of Finance Mary Kaminisky, Director of Development Joseph Caminiti, Director of Information Systems Kim Conrad, Special Events Coordinator Candace Phelan, Volunteer Coordinator Anne Baron, Fiscal Assistant Kristina Hagen, IS and CS Assistant Brandon Elgun, Program Assistant Lori West, Program Assistant Nancy Bosworth, Executive Assistant Jackie Centerwall, Administrative Assistant
CLIENT SERVICES
Gayle Pado, Director of Client Services Wendy Hitchcock, Assistant Director Stacy Nickerson, Assistant Director Robin Carroll, Case Manager Annemarie Cruise, Housing Coordinator Shannon Sprague, Case Manager Kim Gulick, Housing Placement & Referral Specialist Maureen Hennessey, Senior Case Manager Todd Latzko, Community Follow-up Worker Michelle McElroy, Medical Advocacacy Coordinator James Elrod, Medical Advocate Nicole Miller, Case Manager Juan Rios, Case Management Technician Jean Wilson, Case Manager Gry Bente Johansen, Case Manager
PREVENTION SERVICES
Jeffrey Wynnyk, Director of Prevention Svcs Joe Barnett, Senior Educator Shannon Bloise, SEP Coordinator Lillian Fan, SEP Assistant Mitchell Harris, SEP Assistant Ethan Lewis, LGTB Educator Steven Hanakovic, Sr. Educator, Drug & Alcohol Svcs Jennifer Brown, Educator, Drug & Alcohol Svcs Lawrence Parham, Prgm VIIBES, Coordinator Chalanda Graham, Project VIIBES Educator Jonathan Guldenschuh, MPowerment Coordinator Alistair Krempel, LGBT Youth Coordinator Erin Gotthardt, Asst Director, LGBT Youth Program Diana Cartegena, Youth Peer Mentor Coordinator
Thank you to the over 300 volunteers that helped with our: AIDS Ride For Life Doggone Fun on The Run Selling shopping passes at Macy’s Answering the STAP phones Sending out mailings Covered the reception table at the National Conference for Volunteer Administrators And all the day to day things you do to keep our agency running. Special thanks to our Summer Interns Courtney Huff and Rachael Tandilch from Cornell University, Sean Fiore and Diana Cartagena from Binghamton University,and Genevieve Labe from Ithaca College. They were instrumental in helping move along events, programs, and projects.
Want to Volunteer? Contact Us! Candace Phelan, Volunteer Coordinator Southern Tier AIDS Program 607.798.1706 ext. 225 cphelan@stapinc.org
REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER
Greta Immerman, Regional Training Coordinator
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Andrew Whittock, President Shawn Yetter, Vice President Paul Rushanski, Treasurer Becky Smith, Secretary Jennifer Bojdak Mwata Brown Michele Duffy Reverend Gregory Johnson Nancy McGowan Pamela Mischen Trudy Pantalia Stephen Peacock Bonnie Pecka Tina Ruocco Erik vonHausen Grant Best Shawn Berkowitz
w w w. stapinc .org pos_focus.indd 3
www.STAPINC.org
|
3
10/26/08 3:28:08 PM
training calendar / local resources INFORMATION HOTLINES National
800-342-AIDS
Spanish
800-342-SIDA
Hearing Impaired
800-AIDS-TTY
Teen Hot Line New York State STAP
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
NOVEMBER TRAINING ‘HIV Disclosure: Who & When to Tell’ 1/2-day, thursday , November 6, 2008 TIME: 9:00am – 12:00pm LOCATION: STAP, 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY ‘HIV Treatment Update’ 1/2-day, thursday , November 6, 2008 TIME: 1:00pm – 4:00pm LOCATION: STAP, 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY ‘2005 HIV Testing Guidance’ 1/2-day, THURSDAY, November 13, 2008 TIME: 9:00am – 12:00pm LOCATION: STAP, 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY ‘HIV Testing Skills Practice’ 1/2-day, friday , November 14, 2008 TIME: 9:00am – 4:00pm LOCATION: STAP, 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY
DECEMBER TRAINING ‘HIV/AIDS Confidentiality Law’ 1/2-day, thursday , December 4, 2008 TIME: 9:00am – 12:00pm LOCATION: STAP, 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY ‘Overview of HIV – “101”’ 1/2-day, thursday , December 4, 2008 TIME: 1:00pm – 4:00pm LOCATION: STAP, 122 Baldwin Street, Johnson City, NY
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
w w w. stapinc .org 4
| positive focus
pos_focus.indd 4
10/26/08 3:28:08 PM
mary’s corner
Doggone Fun On The Run The day for the dog walk arrived and we were very excited, this was sure to be the biggest and best walk ever. The park was all set, and our presenting sponsor, PetSmart, was there with a marvelous table filled with treats for all the walkers. Then I heard it: rain; not soft little drops but buckets, a pouring rain. A moment of panic: Would anyone come? How will we fund the PAWS program? What would we do with the 200 lunches Outback was cooking? It smelled marvelous but even I can’t eat that much! Then I heard it: barking, lots of barking! They did come; the rain didn’t keep our Friends Who Bark away! What a wonderful day it turned out to be; although the walk was a wet one, Starbucks provided hot coffee to our participants and the dogs, well they didn’t seem to mind the rain at all! The sun came out just in time for musical mats! We send a big thanks to Dogs on the Run, LLC for providing a wonderful agility demonstration. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NIYSDEC) couldn’t provide a K-9 demonstration due to the wet conditions, however, they were there with their beautiful dogs answering questions. It turned out to be a fantastic day; we can’t wait until next year to do it again! This wonderful event would not have been possible without the work of the wonderful committed Doggone Fun on the Run committee, a very special thank you to Betty Dahulick, Candace Phelan, Hope Woodcock, Greta Immermann, Laurie Scheben and Susan Fassett. They worked tirelessly to ensure that we were organized and could provide a day filled with special treats and memories for all.
The Doggone Fun on the Run is a unique event. The role of our corporate sponsors is integral to the event’s success. Corporate sponsorship underwrites the event itself. These dollars assure that the participants are safe, well nourished, supported, and have a day filled with wonderful memories. In turn, individual walker sponsorships go to benefit the Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) and provides for the Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) program at STAP. PAWS helps people living with HIV/AIDS to maintain the health and well being of their pet companions. For our clients the human-animal bond goes beyond companionship. It is a special bond that dramatically improves their quality of life. STAP understands the importance of the bond between an animal and its owner, and recognizes that sometimes a pet is the only support a person may have. Many people lose the love and support of their families and friends because of their HIV status. Our clients are faced with a disease for which there is no cure. But through it all, their companion animals are with them giving unconditional love. Each year we hold this event to help those living with AIDS maintain the health of their pets. One hundred percent of the funds raised stay right here in the Southern Tier! A very special thank you to our corporate sponsors – PetSmart (Presenting Sponsor), OutBack Steakhouse, Starbucks, United Health Services, PetCo, Time Warner Cable, Star 105.7, Wild 104, NYSDEC, Grooming Tails Dog Salon, Pat Walsh, Rev. Robert Peak and Abbie Tamber.
www.STAPINC.org
pos_focus.indd 5
|
5
10/26/08 3:28:10 PM
world aids day : 12.1.08 / turkey day
AZVY Dc LdgaY 6>9H 9Vn! ^cY^k^YjVah [gdb VgdjcY i]Z ldgaY XdbZ id\Zi]Zg id aZVY i]Z gZhedchZ id 6>9H# :VX] d[ jh ]Vh hdbZi]^c\ jc^fjZ id Xdcig^WjiZ " [gdb hiVcY^c\ je V\V^chi hi^\bV VcY Y^hXg^b^cVi^dc id ZYjXVi^c\ djghZakZh VWdji =>K egZkZci^dc! [gdb `cdl^c\ djg hiVijh id aZVgc^c\ bdgZ VWdji i]Z Xdbb^ibZcih djg aZVYZgh ]VkZ bVYZ# Djg kd^XZh XVc bV`Z V Y^[[ZgZcXZ#
Hide 6>9H# @ZZe i]Z Egdb^hZ# ;dg bdgZ ^c[dgbVi^dc \d id/ lll#ldgaYV^YhXVbeV^\c#dg\#
P2-EN-2008 9Zh^\c/
Help. Hope. Here. Since 1984
Eg^ci/
World AIDS Day is a day of reflection on those who are living with HIV/AIDS and a remembrance of those we have lost to the epidemic. On December 1, 2008, there will be a prayer service with a candlelight dinner and reflections by guest speakers. The event will be held at Trinity Memorial Church, Main Street, Binghamton starting at 5:00 pm. The Remembrance Service will be presided over by Richard Schaal, Candidate for Holy Orders. Please come and join us in prayer and sharing. If you’re interested in attending or helping to plan the event, or if anyone has a piece of the AIDS quilt and wouldn’t mind sharing for this service please call Annemarie Cruise at (607) 798-1706 or (607) 621-2925. L-I-V-I-N-G – HIV/AIDS Photo Exhibit Honoring all our friends and neighbors living with HIV/ AIDS. The exhibit will open on Friday, December 5, from 6 – 9 PM at the VanZandbergen Photo Studio, 45 Lewis Street, Binghamton, NY. L-I-V-I-N-G is an exhibition featuring the photographic work of Lesli & Kirk VanZandbergen. The photographs, portraits of STAP clients, capture the full range of emotions experienced by those living with HIV/AIDS. Lukus Wells will provide music. Cause for Celebration Friday, February 6, 2009 6 – 9 PM, Binghamton Club Please join us as we honor five area organizations/citizens as Outstanding Community Partners for their work in advancing local HIV/AIDS efforts. 6
25th Anniversary January 2009 will mark a significant milestone for STAP: 25 years of providing innovative and effective HIV/AIDS services to our community. We have many plans to mark this important anniversary including: • 2009 STAP Calendar • Legacy Awards • Media Awareness Campaign • Special Outreach Events
Turkey pictured above.
Every year as the leaves begin to fall, the staff of Southern Tier AIDS Program gather together to provide a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings to clients and their loved ones. As folks begin to fill the gym at Trinity Memorial Church the smell of turkey, homemade stuffing and pumpkin pies fill the air. Old friends reunite and catch up on tales past, and staff and clients meet at the dinner table for a family style meal together. This year will be no exception, as STAP staff hosts the 8th Annual Holiday Dinner at Trinity Memorial Church on November 18th, 2008. STAP staff provide donations of food items to be prepared, and work together to create a feast for all. Last year 125 people gathered together to enjoy the meal. As the dinner grows each year, there are new and exciting surprises for all those in attendance. Previous dinner festivities have included a surprise guest: a 7 foot turkey (pictured to the right) sharing a bounty of frozen birds for families to enjoy on Thanksgiving day, staff dressed up in festive costumes, and generous giveaways and gifts. This year the evening will offer live entertainment and a raffle sponsored by STAP’s Recreation Committee. Dinner will be served at 5:00pm.
| positive focus
pos_focus.indd 6
10/26/08 3:28:13 PM
ride for life (cont.)
We were sent on our way at 7 and my ride started off great. The inital climb up to Lansing and the usually challenging Ludlowville hill was surprising easy. I even stopped for a shot of espresso at Gimme next to Rogues Harbor! Cool and overcast conditions with little wind make such a difference, especially when compared to last year's challenging conditions. I reached Union Springs by 8:45 and crossed the Thruway at 9:35, feeling elated at my pace. I kept my pit stops very short, since I was in a good groove. At around 10, near Tyre, I started to realize that my pace was unsustainable, so I brought it down a notch. I enjoyed the company of my travelling companions. I arrived at the Seneca Falls Community Center at 10:30, and saw my friend Barbara Cerza who is a medical volunteer. I saw her last year at the same spot with the same red cross t-shirt, and I said the exact thing I said to her as I reached over to hug her and changed my mind: "I better not touch you, 'cause I'm pretty slimy!" Yeah, the volume of sweat that the human body can generate in one day is pretty impressive, and yesterday was one very sweaty day, in spite of the overcast conditions—the humidity still pretty oppressive. I was clearly hurting after my brief lunch break, and I pushed through a moderate amount of leg pain and fatigue for the next 20 miles or so. Right around the Cayuga Creamery my body told me that it was ready for the last push, and Jeremy and I rode together past Taughannock and up that final challenging ascent before arriving at Cass Park. Jeremy, Bill and I pulled in to Cass Park at 1:30, and I was treated to a fantastic massage by Alexis, one of the volunteers from the Finger Lakes School of Massage. It was such a festive atmosphere, as riders pulled in and got their hero's welcome. I marveled at the wide range of ages of riders, as well as some of the hardware I saw. One guy arrived with a fixed gear bike! If you're not a cyclist let me explain why this is so amazing. Almost all adult bikes have multiple gears that allow riders to adjust their gearing to the terrain and wind conditions. Ideally your cadence (the revolutions per minute that your pedals turn) stays relatively constant during your ride, and you use your gears to keep you at a constant cadence. This dude rode a pretty challenging hilly terrain with ONE gear! The event ended with a parade route from Cass Park to our starting place, Stewart Park, and we were escorted by IPD all the way. It's always fun to be able to take over the
roads and marvel at all of the riders who shared the fantastic experience. Now I'm already thinking about next year! Thanks again to all of you for your support and encouragement, and for supporting such a vital organization. ~Submitted by Armin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Following submitted by Kim Conrad: As this was my first year in this position, it gave me a behind the scenes view of the amount of dedication, talent and labor that goes into the Ride. I cannot begin to thank every person in the space allotted here. Such a successful community event would not be possible without a committed group of riders, volunteers, in kind donors, sponsors, city officials, motorcyclists, STAP employees, Radio operators, support and gear drivers, bicycle technicians and committee members. Although we continue to receive donations every day, we are proud to announce that this years’ Ride has already totaled over $260,000!! We had over 20 active teams this year who raised over $150,000. Planning has already begun for 2009- so mark your calendars for September 12, 2009! As this was my first year in this position, it gave me a behind the scenes view of the amount of dedication, talent and labor that goes into the Ride. To exemplify this dedication; Steve Flash and Jim Orcutt have ridden all 10 years of this ride- they have each raised well over $5000 and ridden 1000 miles! I cannot begin to thank every person in the space allotted here. Such a successful community event would not be possible without a committed group of riders, volunteers, in kind donors, sponsors, city officials, motorcyclists, STAP employees, Radio operators, support and gear drivers, bicycle technicians and committee members. Thanks to our Big Wheel Sponsor the Boatyard Grill, we were able to make this 10th year a memorable experience for everyone. Although we continue to receive donations every day, we are proud to announce that this years’ Ride has already totaled over $260,000!! We had over 20 active teams this year who raised over $150,000. Planning has already begun for 2009 so mark your calendars for September 12, 2009! ~Submitted by Kim Conrad
www.STAPINC.org
pos_focus.indd 7
|
7
10/26/08 3:28:15 PM
122 Baldwin Street Johnson City, NY 13790
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
JOHNSON CITY, NY PERMIT #61 ZIP CODE 13790
Fall 2008
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:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
friends who care pos_focus.indd 8
10/26/08 3:28:17 PM