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Victoria – Participants of AIDS Vancouver Island and the Victoria Native Friendship Center’s Positive Health Project will be heading to the Cowichan Valley on a retreat this weekend (May 12-13, 2007), thanks to funding from MAC Cosmetics’ AIDS Fund.

“The majority of the participants are low income and as a result don’t get the chance to leave the city limits and to engage in recreational and self care activities; they view them as unattainable luxuries,” said Erica Williamson, co-cordinator of the program. “This retreat gives them the opportunity to be social with other people who are living with HIV and hepatitis C.”

The Positive Health Project was developed to increase the knowledge and skills of HIV and hepatitis C positive women and men and to increase the public’s awareness of what it means to live with HIV and/or hepatitis C. Principal funding for the project comes from the United Way of Victoria and the Vancouver Island Health Authority; additional funds from the MAC AIDS Fund have made it possible for the group to hold the Wellness Retreat.

Come show your support and join Campbell River’s 1st Annual Walk Away from Homophobia Thursday, May 17. 5:30 – 7pm.

Starting 5:30 pm sharp at the Campbell River Community Centre’s side parking lot, the walk will move south down Shoppers Row over to the Foreshore Park. There will be guest speakers and entertainment for young and old. Dress up, dress down or come as you are.

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Overview

The Executive Director provides leadership to a non-profit organization with 31 staff members operating throughout Vancouver Island and designed to… reduce the spread of, primarily, HIV/AIDS and also Hepatitis C and/or other co-infections; and improve the health and well-being of people infected and affected primarily by HIV/AIDS and also by Hepatitis C and/or other co-infections.

Reporting to a Board of Directors, the Executive Director is accountable for the management of staff and the delivery of effective programs and initiatives that effectively support the organization’s mission and mandate.

Scope of Responsibility

The Executive Director is accountable for development and management of the following organizational areas: operations; finance; administration; human resources quality improvement; community relations, joint building initiative and legal compliance of AIDS Vancouver Island and AVI Enterprises.

The senior management team includes the Directors of Programs and Finance and the Manager of Operations. In addition there are four program managers who supervise the educators, counsellors, and needle exchange workers. Services are delivered in

Have you volunteered or worked on "development programs" or do you want to?

AVI (AIDS Vancouver Island) would like to invite you to a networking gathering where you can share your international and/or intercultural experiences with others who have done the same or come to learn from others if you hope to work or volunteer overseas! This is a casul get-together - a chance to grab a coffee and chat with others about connecting local and global "development" issues.

Wednesday April 18th
from 5:30 to 7:30

at the Moka House on Fisgard Street!
( NOT THE COOK ST LOCATION!!)

Please bring yourself, your friends, and any experiences or projects you want to share. We hope to see you there for a great night!

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Ashley Heaslip at

ashley.heaslip(at)gmail.com

Men's Wellness Discussion Group

Recognizing that men's and women's health issues are unique has become a recognized fact in medicine in the recent past. With this in mind, and feeling at a bit of a loss sometimes in BC's health care system, a group of men in the Comox Valley began a Men's Wellness Discussion Group in January.

While many thoughts and ideas were brought forward at the first meetings of these self-directed sessions, the group has chosen to begin compiling a list of health care professionals between Parksville and Campbell River as its first project. A simple survey has been developed and will be sent to medical and health care professionals in the near future. Among other questions, health care providers are being asked if they are accepting new patients, if they have a specialty of any type and if they consider their practice to be gay friendly. Once the surveys are back, the information will be compiled on a database and will be available for anyone in the region who would like to access the list.

Miki Hansen (left) and Tomoko Okada (right) at award ceremony.

AIDS Vancouver Island Executive Director Miki Hansen is the recipient of the inaugural Alayne Hamilton Community Social Worker Award. Hansen received the award in recognition of her passion for social work education, inspirational organizational leadership, and continued contributions to the legacy of social justice symbolized by Alayne Hamilton’s remarkable career.

The University of Victoria’s School of Social Work presented the award at a ceremony on March 28. The award is named in honour of the late founder of the Family Violence Project, the BC Violence against Women in Relationship Committee and the Ending Relationship Abuse Society of BC. Hamilton died in August 2006.

“This award is our way of thanking Alayne for her passionate contributions to social work education and her commitment to social justice,” says Barb Whittington, award committee member and professor in the School of Social Work.

The 6th Annual AccolAIDS Awards Gala is coming soon. Nominate your hero today!

The AccolAIDS Awards honour the extraordinary achievements and dedication of organizations, businesses, groups and individuals responding to the AIDS epidemic in British Columbia, and the thousands of people living in BC who are affected.

Join us for gourmet cuisine, live entertainment, silent and live auctions on Sunday, April 22nd at the Pan Pacific Vancouver from 6pm -10pm.

Proceeds benefit the vital programs and services provided by the BC Persons With AIDS Society.

AccolAIDS is made possible through the generous support of sponsors and donors, and our gratitude for their support is shared by over 4,300 HIV-positive members of the BC Persons With AIDS Society.

For more information, call 604.893.2282 go to BCPWA's website or email accolaids@bcpwa.org

Victoria - AIDS Vancouver Island (AVI), Victoria’s principal needle exchange service provider, has announced it is seeking another location to provide its critical services to its clients.

“AVI and its community partners recognize the present location of the needle exchange is no longer appropriate,” said Marilyn Callahan, board chair of AIDS Vancouver Island. “AVI is currently working with community groups to develop strategies to move the exchange to a non-residential location where services can be increased to address Victoria’s substance use crisis while minimizing impacts on the local community.”

Several sectors of the community — including the City of Victoria, the Victoria Police, neighbourhood stakeholders, leaders of the Victoria business community, and partnering service providers — have held meetings to develop a plan for the move of the city’s primary needle exchange.

Although a new location has not yet been chosen, AVI’s board and management have determined that the program will require the addition of specialized staff and additional annual funding supports from various levels of government and from the private sector in order to sustain the program in a stand-alone location.

NEW MONTHLY GAY-BI CURIOUS CHEW AND CHAT

HOSTED BY MARTIN AND JOHN
AT APPETIT FOOD FOR THOUGHT
1ST AVE. LADYSMITH

MENU:
CEASAR SALAD
GRILLED MILD COCNUT CURRY CHICKEN
TEA OR COFFE
$10.00

COME OUT FOR A SUPER MEAL AND GREAT CONVERSATION

THIS EVENT WILL OCCUR ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH, IT IS ALSO A BYOB EVENT