AIDS Vancouver
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1983, AIDS Vancouver (AV) is a non-profit and community-based health organization whose mission is to alleviate collective vulnerability to HIV
and AIDS
through support, public education and community-based research. The organization exists to both ameliorate the life of persons living with HIV and AIDS, and to prevent the spread of HIV by educational initiatives. Based in Vancouver
on Coast Salish Territory, it is Canada’s oldest and Vancouver’s largest HIV and AIDS service organization
.
With the help of 200 volunteers, AIDS Vancouver provides free and confidential services to one in three people living with HIV in British Columbia. Among the services provided by the organization are case management
, support programs, grocery distribution and nutritional advice, financial assistance, helpline access, community resource centre, and education.
. British Columbia
has a disproportionately high prevalence rate of HIV for Canada, with over a fifth of the HIV positive population found in BC. Increases in the prevalence of HIV in Vancouver can be attributed to high incidence among Men who have sex with Men (MSM) and Injection Drug Users (IDU), which occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, respectively.
AIDS Vancouver was created in 1983 to support those persons diagnosed with HIV (at the time referred to as Gay-Related Immune Deficiency
), and to create a community with no new HIV infections. By providing free services to those living with HIV and educating people about HIV, AIDS Vancouver is helping lower the incidence of the disease.
. Initially, the organization’s efforts were concentrated towards producing posters, newsletters and brochures in an awareness campaign. The organization was first based out of the founders’ homes with monthly public meetings being held at the Lotus Hotel. With government funding secured in 1984, AIDS Vancouver moved to a Davie St. location and established an Emergency Assistance Fund for persons with AIDS.
By 1998, AIDS Vancouver reached a new milestone, with nearly 16,000 clients served, and the helpline receiving 1600 calls. In 2001, AIDS Vancouver partnered with the Mexican Persons With AIDS Society, to exchange assistance, ideas and advocacy
. The Case Management model was updated to its current form – the access and intensive streams.
Today, the agency has 25 paid staff and 200 volunteers providing health promotion, education, and support services. Services include case management grocery program, resource centre, helpline and support programs.
Currently, 80% of funding comes from federal and provincial sources. Donors supply an additional 12% of the funds, with the remaining 8% coming from fund development activities. Notable funders include the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Public Health Agency of Canada
and the BC Gaming Commission.
In 2009, they partnered with U.S. nonprofit TeachAIDS
to provide state-of-the-art educational materials developed at Stanford University
to their constituent groups.
team consists of 10 staff working out of four sites, to provide support to over 2000 clients in living with the HIV infection and linking them to appropriate levels of health care and social services. Sites are located in the Seymour St. office and in the Downtown Eastside, which cater specifically to the Aboriginal
community and gay men. Most commonly, support is provided with income, housing or financial assistance. The case management program consists of two streams – the access (short term or drop-in) and intensive (long term) streams. Roughly 150 new clients are added each year from all demographics – First Nations, women, men, children, and others.
.
. The Board ensures responsible policy development and meeting the mission statement and strategic direction. Four positions on the Board are reserved for those persons living with HIV. The 25 paid staff are led by an Executive Director who reports to and works closely with the Board.
AIDS Vancouver members participate by electing the board of directors at the society's Annual General Meeting and by participating occasionally in committees established by the Board.
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
through support, public education and community-based research. The organization exists to both ameliorate the life of persons living with HIV and AIDS, and to prevent the spread of HIV by educational initiatives. Based in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
on Coast Salish Territory, it is Canada’s oldest and Vancouver’s largest HIV and AIDS service organization
AIDS service organization
AIDS service organizations are community based organizations that provide community support. While their primary function is to provide needed services to individuals with HIV, they also provide support services for their families and friends as well as conduct prevention efforts...
.
With the help of 200 volunteers, AIDS Vancouver provides free and confidential services to one in three people living with HIV in British Columbia. Among the services provided by the organization are case management
Case management
Case management is a managed care technique within the health care coverage system of the United States.- Case management in health care :The Case Management Society of America, a non-profit association dedicated to the support and development of the profession of case management through...
, support programs, grocery distribution and nutritional advice, financial assistance, helpline access, community resource centre, and education.
Background
Of the 33 million persons with HIV worldwide, more than 60,000 reside in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
has a disproportionately high prevalence rate of HIV for Canada, with over a fifth of the HIV positive population found in BC. Increases in the prevalence of HIV in Vancouver can be attributed to high incidence among Men who have sex with Men (MSM) and Injection Drug Users (IDU), which occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, respectively.
AIDS Vancouver was created in 1983 to support those persons diagnosed with HIV (at the time referred to as Gay-Related Immune Deficiency
Gay-related immune deficiency
Gay-related immune deficiency was the 1982 name first proposed to describe what is now known as AIDS, after public health scientists noticed clusters of Kaposi's sarcoma and Pneumocystis pneumonia among gay males in Southern California and New York City.During the early history of AIDS, when it was...
), and to create a community with no new HIV infections. By providing free services to those living with HIV and educating people about HIV, AIDS Vancouver is helping lower the incidence of the disease.
History
AIDS Vancouver was founded in 1983 with the goal of information dissemination, when there were only six known cases of AIDS in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. Initially, the organization’s efforts were concentrated towards producing posters, newsletters and brochures in an awareness campaign. The organization was first based out of the founders’ homes with monthly public meetings being held at the Lotus Hotel. With government funding secured in 1984, AIDS Vancouver moved to a Davie St. location and established an Emergency Assistance Fund for persons with AIDS.
By 1998, AIDS Vancouver reached a new milestone, with nearly 16,000 clients served, and the helpline receiving 1600 calls. In 2001, AIDS Vancouver partnered with the Mexican Persons With AIDS Society, to exchange assistance, ideas and advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
. The Case Management model was updated to its current form – the access and intensive streams.
Today, the agency has 25 paid staff and 200 volunteers providing health promotion, education, and support services. Services include case management grocery program, resource centre, helpline and support programs.
Funding and Volunteerism
The services provided by AIDS Vancouver rely on both paid staff and 200 volunteers. Volunteers donate 20,000 person-hours each year, amounting to roughly $400,000 worth of work.Currently, 80% of funding comes from federal and provincial sources. Donors supply an additional 12% of the funds, with the remaining 8% coming from fund development activities. Notable funders include the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Public Health Agency of Canada
Public Health Agency of Canada
The Public Health Agency of Canada is an agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, emergency preparedness, and response and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention...
and the BC Gaming Commission.
In 2009, they partnered with U.S. nonprofit TeachAIDS
TeachAIDS
TeachAIDS is a nonprofit organization that develops HIV prevention education technology materials, based on an approach invented through research at Stanford University.The TeachAIDS software has been cited as a model health intervention...
to provide state-of-the-art educational materials developed at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
to their constituent groups.
Client Services
Client services are central to AIDS Vancouver’s work. Over 146 new clients were added last year (2009) and made use of numerous different services such as Case Management, Grocery and Nutritional Advice, and the Helpline.Case Management
The Case managementCase management
Case management is a managed care technique within the health care coverage system of the United States.- Case management in health care :The Case Management Society of America, a non-profit association dedicated to the support and development of the profession of case management through...
team consists of 10 staff working out of four sites, to provide support to over 2000 clients in living with the HIV infection and linking them to appropriate levels of health care and social services. Sites are located in the Seymour St. office and in the Downtown Eastside, which cater specifically to the Aboriginal
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
community and gay men. Most commonly, support is provided with income, housing or financial assistance. The case management program consists of two streams – the access (short term or drop-in) and intensive (long term) streams. Roughly 150 new clients are added each year from all demographics – First Nations, women, men, children, and others.
Community Resource Centre
The Community Resource Centre provides information about HIV and AIDS. Computers can be used by anyone to get more information on the Internet. Materials from the resource centre can also be ordered, to help in sharing knowledge.Grocery
In 2009 the AIDS Vancouver grocery program supplied roughly 16,000 bags of grocery to roughly 700 clients, working with 16 volunteers. The program offers a variety of supplemental nutrition items, such as fresh produce, cereals and grains, canned protein and hygiene items, in addition to bottled water. The grocery is open twice a week, for two weeks a month.Help Line
The helpline and reception service provides anonymous and confidential information to over 11,000 inquiries in 2009 via walk-in, email, forums and telephone. Trained volunteers can answer queries pertaining to testing, safer sex, treatment and transmission of HIV.Special Events
AIDS Vancouver participates in Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life, the We Care Red Ribbon Campaign and World AIDS DayWorld AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, observed December 1 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials observe the day, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an...
.
Governance
AIDS Vancouver, incorporated as the Vancouver AIDS Society, is a non-profit (cannot generate money) volunteer-led organization guided by the Society's 12-member Board of DirectorsBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
. The Board ensures responsible policy development and meeting the mission statement and strategic direction. Four positions on the Board are reserved for those persons living with HIV. The 25 paid staff are led by an Executive Director who reports to and works closely with the Board.
AIDS Vancouver members participate by electing the board of directors at the society's Annual General Meeting and by participating occasionally in committees established by the Board.
Prevention & Education
The HIV Prevention & Awareness Programs aim to educate communities in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and to overcome stigma and stereotyping. The organization views information and knowledge as keys toward understanding and acceptance of HIV and AIDS. Workshops are offered by AIDS Vancouver's Prevention and Awareness Program to educate and give out trusted and accurate materials. AIDS Vancouver aims to provide a professional and interactive learning environment for its clients.External links
- AIDS Vancouver – http://www.aidsvancouver.org/
- Positive Living BC - http://www.positivelivingbc.org/
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS - http://www.cfenet.ubc.ca/
- AIDS Walk Vancouver - http://www.aidswalkforlifevancouver.ca/
- World AIDS Day – http://worldaidsday.ca/
- Canadian AIDS Society - http://www.cdnaids.ca/
- CANFAR – http://www.canfar.com/
- HiM - http://checkhimout.ca/dothemath/
- Qmunity - http://www.qmunity.ca/