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Letter from the Board President Act Against AIDS These are the “lazy days of summer”; however, given the flurry of activity at ASF it’s been anything but lazy. We have moved quickly through a series of events starting with the Lexus Cinco de Mayo celebration, OC AIDS Walk, the Family Reunion, the Macy’s Fashion Show, Laugh out Loud and have had lots of fun along the way. Next up, the Final Splash! Through it all we have been very fortunate to have the continued support of our dedicated staff, long time volunteers and donors. We have also enjoyed meeting and welcoming new supporters willing to help us raise funds so that we can continue to provide critically needed services to those affected by HIV and AIDS. Behind the scenes we have grappled with anticipated state budget cuts and IOUs and have been confronted with hard questions. How else can we reduce costs, how much service can we afford to provide and which are the most important? In the current economic environment, most nonprofit organizations face the same challenge, but so do families and businesses. Unfortunately their needs have also impacted ASF. It’s that awareness that makes me most grateful to those of you that have been able, and chosen, to continue to support ASF. To new friends, donors and volunteers – your arrival could not have been at a more critical time. The support from foundations, corporations, small businesses, individual contributions and volunteers has made it possible for us to sustain our core services and continue to make a difference. Thank you to each and all. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I look forward to seeing you at the Big Splash Finale in September! d –Maria Marquez, President of the ASF Board 4 THE VOICE aug-oct 09 Obama Administration Announces National HIV/AIDS Campaign Act Against AIDS - First communications effort in more than a decade According to the White House, every 9½ minutes another person in America becomes infected with HIV. Officials from the White House, Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in April a new five-year national communications campaign, Act Against AIDS, which highlights this alarming statistic and aims to combat complacency about the HIV/AIDS crisis in the U.S. CDC data released in 2008 noted that about 56,000 Americans become newly infected with HIV each year – significantly more than was previously known – and more than 14,000 people with AIDS die each year in the U.S. Yet, at the same time, Americans’ concern about the spread of HIV/AIDS has declined dramatically. “Act Against AIDS seeks to put the HIV crisis back on the national radar screen,” said Melody Barnes, assistant to the President and director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. “Our goal is to remind Americans that HIV/AIDS continues to pose a serious health threat in the United States and encourage them to get the facts they need to take action for themselves and their communities.” The campaign will feature public service announcements (PSAs) and online communications, as well as targeted messages and outreach to the populations most severely affected by HIV/AIDS, beginning with African-Americans, with subsequent phases focusing on Latinos and other communities disproportionately impacted. Act Against AIDS is part of President Obama’s recently announced National HIV/AIDS Strategy reported on in the last issue of The Voice and again in this issue. In the next issue of The Voice we’ll update progress of this new communications campaign, especially as it relates to outreach to Latino and African American audiences. d
HIV in the News Kaiser Foundation releases public opinion survey on HIV/AIDS Less than a year after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recalculated the size of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and announced that there were 40 percent more new HIV infections each year than previously believed, a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that Americans’ sense of urgency about HIV/AIDS as a national health problem has fallen dramatically. More alarming, their concern about HIV as a personal risk has also declined, even among some groups at higher risk. The number of Americans naming HIV/AIDS as the most urgent health problem facing the nation has dropped from 44% in 1995 to 6%, according to the survey. The full results and charts on the poll can be viewed at www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/posr042809pkg.cfm. Eric Goosby, named by President Obama as Ambassador at Large and Global AIDS Coordinator, Department of State President Obama recently named Eric Goosby, M.D., as the new Ambassador at Large and global AIDS coordinator with the U.S. Department of State. In this role, Ambassador Goosby will lead all U.S. Government international HIV/AIDS efforts. Ambassador Goosby will also oversee implementation of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), as well as engagement with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Ambassador Goosby has over 25 years of experience with HIV/AIDS, ranging from his early years treating patients at San Francisco General Hospital when AIDS first emerged, to engagement at the highest level of policy leadership. During the Clinton Administration, he served as Deputy Director of the White House National AIDS Policy Office and Director of the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Georgetown University Athletes Team Up to Prevent HIV/AIDS in DC Varsity athletes at Washington, DC‘s Georgetown University have formed Grassroot Hoyas to teach inner city youth about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To convey its messages, the group uses athletic games, such as one named “HIV Attacks”. About three percent of DC residents are HIV positive, according to a recent epidemiology report conducted by The George Washington School of Public Health and Health Services. “Through Grassroot Hoyas, athletes are able to use a medium, sports, that they care about to reach kids in a powerful way, right in our backyard,” said founder Tyler Spencer. Spencer was inspired to form the group based on his recent work with Grassroots Soccer, an international organization that uses the sport to spread HIV awareness among African youth. “Whether [the varsity athletes] end up going pro, going to Wall Street or to law or med school, the hope is that by being a coach in the program they will become more conscious of public health, education and other social issues,” Spencer added. About 40 athletes volunteered to train for Grassroot Hoyas. Spencer says he is hoping to work with other college and university sports programs around the country to start similar volunteer programs among their athletes. d THE VOICE aug-oct 09 5
Page 1 and 2: THE aug-Oct 2009 Vol. 20 • No. 3
Page 3: From Philip Yaeger, Executive Direc
Page 7 and 8: Family Reunion and Open House attra
Page 9 and 10: Big Splash! “Splash has been such
Page 11 and 12: Friends of Dorothy Fundraisers Laug
Page 13 and 14: Another ASF Home Run! More than 5,0
Page 15 and 16: Memorials As of July 31, 2009 In Me

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