Children Affected by AIDS Foundation: Bringing Joy and Fun into their Lives

The Children Affected by AIDS Foundation is solely devoted to support programs for vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS. Through domestic grant making, domestic initiatives, international grant making and international initiatives, CAAF works to ameliorate the lives of at-risk children.

Domestic grant making provides basic needs, psychosocial support, social and recreational parties, field trips classes, and camp network grants. CAAF also develops initiatives to “fill in the gaps” in services including spreading information and providing camps.

Making an International Difference

The Children Affected by AIDS Foundation has partnered with Mattel to start the International Program for HIV-Orphans and Vulnerable Children. Last year alone they helped out more than 28,000 Latin American and Caribbean children infected, affected or orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

They also have partnered with CoNEVIH to implement “Prevention by Intervention” to rural healthcare centers in Guatemala. The main goals of this initiative is to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child during pregnancy, labor, or while breastfeeding. They have tested over 26,000 pregnant women and trained over 14,000 midwives that serve in Guatemala. They partner specifically with MAC, AIDS Fund and Gilead.

“Lend Your Support”

Volunteering is a great way to help the CAAF staff with the overwhelming amount of tasks. In the fall season, office administrative support is needed to answer phones, file, photocopy, and enter data. Other volunteering opportunities include the special fundraising events assembling gift bags, checking-in guests, and serving food. To see what volunteer opportunities are available visit the events section of the CAAF Website.

You can also donate now to the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation.

Their Los Angeles office is at 6033 W. Century Blvd, Suite 603, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Call them at 310.258.0850.

AIDS Project Los Angeles: Leadership in Prevention, Advocacy & Service

AIDS Project Los Angeles is devoted to reducing HIV infection, advocating fair public policy to benefit the infected, and to improve the lives of people affected by HIV in Los Angeles.

Their services include benefits and work services, case management, a client line, a home healthcare system, dental services, mental health services, food pantries, nutritional education, treatment options and residential services to people affected by HIV.

Los Angeles AIDS Statistics

• 56,091 cumulative cases of AIDS (155,208 cumulative cases in CA)
• 31,448 deaths from AIDS (86,809 cumulative deaths in CA)
• 24,643 living AIDS cases as of December 31, 2009 (68,399 living cases in CA)
• 62,000 estimated people living with HIV/AIDS

People living with AIDS in Los Angeles account for 36% of living AIDS cases in California and 5.4% of living AIDS cases in the United States. This means that Los Angeles is one of the cities most concentrated with AIDS and most at risk for spreading the disease.

Help AIDS Project Los Angeles Make a Difference

Volunteer your time: You can volunteer with APLA through the AIDS Walk, as a client access volunteer, as a dental treatment volunteer, as a food bank volunteer, nutrition and administrative volunteer, office services volunteer, outreach volunteer, or a special events volunteer.

Support through a donation: Donating money to APLA will ensure programs to the HIV-affected and groceries, dental care, health services, and HIV prevention education. Donate now to APLA.

Be a community activist: Sign up to be “In the Loop” to stay informed with the APLA advocacy programs at the different levels of government. You can help APLA make a difference at all levels of government in order to fight HIV/AIDS.

Common Ground: The Westside HIV Community Center

Common Ground is the only comprehensive agency serving the Westside.

Common Ground’s mission is to bring people together despite diversity to fight against HIV. There are over 3,000 people living in West Los Angeles living with HIV and roughly 25% don’t even know it yet. At risk groups include women of color, homeless people and the working poor. Common Ground offers these people a no-cost education, prevention and treatment programs – they push for each person to move towards a positive change in their lives.

What makes Common Ground different is that they work under a positive tone that avoids the judging tone that is often associated with the social service industry pushing past discrimination, isolation and trauma.

Treatment and Prevention

Over 66,000 people in Los Angeles live with HIV or AIDS, and this number is only growing especially with the younger population. Common Ground works to provide physical and mental healthcare as well as housing and employment opportunities for people living with HIV. They work to provide solutions to the side-effects of HIV including poverty, addiction, and mental health issues.

By targeting the homeless youth through the Homeless Youth Peer Education (HYPE), Common Ground offers a peer-based drop-in environment. They can connect with family and other support. The drop in hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:45 pm -8:30 pm. Their Teen Peer Education Program visits schools and makes it easy for teenagers to make the right decisions to benefit their health. Common Ground also reaches out to drug users to dramatically reduce HIV and Hepatitis C infections.

There is a growing epidemic rooted in cultural history that makes African American and Latina Women more susceptible to HIV. A multi-session series of workshops offers information and support about sexual health while providing women with the options they need to live healthy lives.

How You Can Help Common Ground

Go and visit Common Ground by signing up for one of their monthly tours or you can sign up for their quarterly e-mail newsletter. The best way to help is to volunteer. Sign up today by filling out their volunteer form on their website and viewing their upcoming events.

You can also donate today to Common Ground through a one-time donation or a recurring monthly donation. Every penny helps.

Contact Common Ground Westside at 2012 Lincoln Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90405. You can call them at 310-314-5480 or toll free at 888-554-5459. Email Common Ground at info@commongroundwestside.org. The community center is open from Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Thursday until 6:00 pm or by appointment otherwise.

Think you’ve had an encounter with HIV? Get tested at Common Ground for HIV. It takes 45 minutes for a Rapid Testing oral test performed with a cotton swab.

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation: Dancing for a Cure

HIV affects children from the U.S. to South Africa

Thanks to the efforts of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, pediatric AIDS has been almost eliminated in the United States. Also, now more than half of HIV-positive pregnant women in lower-income countries receive medicines to help prevent transmission of HIV to their unborn children.  25% of the women who receive medicine are sponsored by the Foundation.

Regardless of all of the progress they have made, there are still more than 1,000 children infected with HIV every day through breast milk or in utero. The foundation works through research, programs, and public policy around the world to fight pediatric HIV/AIDS.

The research they have provided over the last 20 years has created scientific advances leading to prevention, treatment, and a cure of pediatric HIV infection. They also work to train international research leaders to take action against the virus in children around the world while continuing the development of the vaccine.

The Pediatric AIDS Foundation also works with regions that are heavily plagued with HIV like sub-Saharan Africa, China, India, etc. to implement life-saving programs. They work with partners to give prevention, care and treatment for women, children and families. They also work to research and implement better technology across the world.

Speaking Out for the Rights of Children

Giving a voice to those who cannot raise theirs loudly enough, Elizabeth Glaser worked to bring awareness to the children fighting HIV/AIDS in the earlier years of the pandemic. The Foundation has worked with policy makers, the infected population, scientists, researchers, community and business leaders, and the media to provide funding for pediatric AIDS and to make medication more accessible. Most importantly, thanks to the Foundation, discrimination against those infected with HIV is being prevented with more education and awareness available.

Give Back to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Give back now to the Pediatric AIDS Foundation! From February 19-20, UCLA is hosting their annual Dance Marathon, a 26 hour dance-a-thon to raise money to fight Pediatric AIDS. This year will be the 10th annual Dance Marathon at UCLA. Sign up at www.bruindancemarathon.org/ to be a Moraler or a Volunteer today.

You can also take action or donate to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.