For coverage on the 2008 International AIDS Conference held in Mexico City, 
- A Letter from David Richart, Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s Executive Director
- Caring for People
- Preventing New Infections
- Advocating for Change
- Creating Community
- Seattle AIDS Walk
- Upcoming Events
- Recent Events
A Letter from David Richart, Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s Executive Director
Greetings Friends and Supporters of Lifelong AIDS Alliance,
This month marks the one year anniversary of my service as the Executive Director of Lifelong AIDS Alliance. This month also marks the end of Lifelong’s 2008 fiscal year. With both of these milestone events, it feels appropriate to reflect on the successes and accomplishments over the last year.
I am pleased to announce this past year was one of fiscal stability and success. We maintained a balanced budget, managed our assets, and diversified our funding. Additionally, we saw an increase in our donor base and sponsor participation. This year was also a year of tremendous growth for Lifelong. In response to a community in need, we expanded our food services to Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. We also expanded our case management services to Snohomish County, and since the expansion we have a growing client base in each location. In addition, we are thrilled with the continuous increase of volunteer applicants who want to be a part of Lifelong, which has reaffirmed our efforts to create community.
In addition to expanding into new counties, we have also created more programs to help our current clients and to reach out to new ones. New prevention programs such as One2One and Intersexions, provide safe environments for HIV-negative African American men who have sex with men to talk about their sexual health. The Mental Health Access Program (MHAP) was also introduced this year, and provides clients with mental health care by paying for their counseling sessions. We have also been extremely successful in our national advocacy work, and have helped to create national support to reauthorize the Ryan White Care Act in 2009.
Chicken Soup Brigade is now helping more clients than ever before. With the expansion into new counties, CSB now provides 1,000 grocery bags per week for 925 clients, and these numbers continue to grow. In the last year, we also expanded our nutrition efforts to South Africa with the Association of Nutrition Service Agencies (ANSA). Members of the Lifelong staff, including Patrick Schultz, Director of Nutrition Service, went to South Africa to meet with our partner, Ikamva Labantu, and worked to implement new food programs designed to teach locals how to grow their own crops. In addition to teaching farming and irrigation techniques, we are working to help them incorporate their healthy crops into nutritious, balanced meals.
This past week I attended the Annual ANSA Conference in Philadelphia, where we discussed innovation and new ideas for our food delivery system, met with funders, and met with the CEO of Ikamva Labantu. A theme of the conference was that good food equals good medicine, so we spent a lot of time discussing ways to help others gain access to good food. An exciting accomplishment occurred during this conference: the Farm Bill was finally passed in Congress. This Bill grants more than $10 billion in new investments for key anti-hunger programs, including Food Stamps, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, and a fresh fruit and vegetable snack program at low-income schools. ANSA has partnered with the National Assocation of Nutrition and Seniors Programs (NANASP) for next year’s Annual Conference. NANASP’s mission is to reshape the future of nutrition and healthy aging and will compliment ANSA’s and Lifelong’s efforts perfectly.
With the new fiscal year comes many more exciting changes. We are proud to announce a full-time Development Director has been hired. Davis B. Fox brings over 26 years of non-profit development experience to Lifelong. As the former President of a Seattle-based consulting firm specializing in fundraising and marketing, we are confident Davis will be an amazing asset to Lifelong.
In the 2009 fiscal year, we hope to continue to have a balanced budget and the same fiscal successes we had in this past year. We are also eager to maintain stability in our client programming, staff retention and strategic geographic growth. Thank you for helping to make my first year as Executive Director of Lifelong AIDS Alliance and the 2008 fiscal year such a success, and I look forward to more great accomplishments in the future.
Thanks,
David Richart
Executive Director
Have You Sent in Your Pledge Yet?
As the fiscal year draws to a close, Lifelong has a question: “Do you have an outstanding pledge?” Help Lifelong by either fulfilling your outstanding pledge or giving a gift before the end of the fiscal year. Know your tax deductible donation goes to work immediately, caring for people and advocating for change.
Caring for People
The Care to Shop program needs your help this summer! Care to Shop is easy, affordable and really makes a difference. After doing your regular grocery shopping at a Care to Shop store, drop an additional item or two into a bin outside of the store. Lifelong will collect the food and distribute it directly to those in need! A list of participating stores is always available on the website. Want to participate in a bigger way? We are in need of volunteers to help cover shifts over the summer while our year-long volunteers take their summer vacations! Check out our Volunteer page and help us today!
Staff and volunteers have been hard at work preparing thousands of condom kits to be distributed at the upcoming Pride Parade and to bars in the surrounding areas.
MPowerment will host “Paradise” a Pride party for LGBT youth (ages 22 and under) on Sunday, June 29th, from 2p.m.-7p.m. It will take place at The Vera Project which is conveniently located at Seattle Center, next to Key Arena. This free event will include food and drinks, as well as music, dancing, games, and prizes. “Paradise” will be a safe space for LGBT youth to hang out and socialize with one another during the Pride Festival. Free HIV and STD testing will be available.
As of June 12, 2008, many HIV positive individuals in Washington State and their partners are thrilled because the Domestic Partnership Expansion Bill took effect. This new bill ensures that same sex couples impacted by HIV/AIDS are treated the same way under the Medicaid law as married couples affected by any long-term, financially devastating illness. Lifelong AIDS Alliance participated in advocating for the passage of this bill, and we are excited at the success of our efforts.
Marc England, Past Board President, has successfully re-launched Lifelong’s Public Policy Committee. They met for the first time in May and brought years of public policy and advocacy experience to the table. The meeting focused on introducing participants to Lifelong as an agency, our programs, past policy accomplishments, current projects, and our advocacy capacity. Public Policy Committee meetings will take place once a month and will be useful in providing the Lifelong AIDS Alliance Board of Directors with strategy approaches.
Want to make a difference? Your voice CAN help! Join the C.A.N., Communities in Action, and advocate for improved policies, services, research, prevention, and civil rights in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The Seattle AIDS Walk is on Saturday, October 4, 2008 in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with your community to make a difference! Whether you participate as a volunteer, donor, or as an individual walker or member of a team, your participation makes a difference. The Seattle AIDS Walk is a wonderful way to show your support for your community, make new friends, strengthen old bonds, and support a good cause.
Want to help win some money for Lifelong AIDS Alliance? The Pride Foundation has launched a Raffle With a Twist and they’ll be giving away $7,500 to non-profit organizations. Here is how you can increase the odds of Lifelong winning. Enter the raffle on the internet (it’s free), naming Lifelong as your favorite non-profit to win one of the cash prizes.
Friday, June 20, 2008, It’s About Life Expo Gay Bingo at the Washington Convention and Trade Center. This is the first It’s About Life Expo in Seattle and they are hosting a special Gay Bingo. For this special event, which starts at 6:00 p.m, please dress as your favorite First Lady or President! Unfortunately, tickets for this event are not available through Lifelong AIDS Alliance, but can be bought through the Expo or by calling 206.696.7190.
Sunday, June 29, 2008, is the sensational Seattle Pride Parade. Come walk with Lifelong AIDS Alliance or look for us in red! Lifelong will also have a booth at Pride Fest at the Seattle Center, so everyone is encouraged to stop by and show your support.
August 22-30, 2008, Seattle welcomes the Seattle Gay Softball World Series. The theme of this year is “Northwest Quest,” and Lifelong AIDS Alliance is proud to sponsor and be a beneficiary of this event.
Saturday, October 4, 2008 is the Seattle AIDS Walk. Everyone is encouraged to participate and there are a variety of ways to do so. Whether you choose to walk, volunteer, or donate, the Seattle AIDS Walk is a great opportunity to make a difference!
Saturday, June 14, 2008 marked our final Gay Bingo of the 2008 season, and we went out with a bang! Big Gay Prom Bingo: Where Everyone’s a King or Queen was another sold out success. Aleksa Manila, the hostess, received wild applause from attendees clad in both timeless and time-warped evening attire, and the energy at the event was palpable from start to finish. The dazzling Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, decked out in their prom finery, kept the game running smoothly, as usual, and helped remind the audience why Lifelong AIDS Alliance tries to keep the “fun” in fundraiser. We enjoyed the familiar face and vigor of Miss Intermission, and welcomed new guest callers Miss Gay Seattle, Jada Manila and Mr. Gay Seattle, William Knight. While it may not have been quite like the prom we all remember from High School, this was a Big Gay Prom we won’t soon forget!
Special thanks to the 2008 Gay Bingo Season Sponsors: Vulcan Real Estate, Babeland, Whole Foods Market at Westlake, Seattle Weekly and MOViN 92.5. Thank you also to our monthly Spotlight and prize sponsors: Alaska Airlines, Ashton Woods, AT&T, Seattle Athletic Club, The 5th Avenue Theatre, and Tylenol PM.