Kate Hartman 2016-03-21 19:39:45
THE ORGANIZATION: AIDS Project New Haven
THE STORY: Today, about 1.2 million people are living with HIV in this country and about 35 million live with it worldwide. More than 50,000 people are newly infected each year, according to the AIDS Project New Haven website.
The AIDS Project New Haven team, which includes case managers, counselors, intervention specialists, program coordinators and many volunteers, is committed to helping both those already living with HIV and AIDS manage their care and those at risk of contracting to remain safe and healthy.
The team provides services in three different areas of care, beginning with client services, which includes everything from medical case management to support groups. The organization does not provide primary care, instead working closely with New Haven’s four HIV centers — Yale-New Haven Hospital, The Hospital of Saint Raphael at Yale-New Haven, Cornell Scott Hill Health Center and Fairway Community Health Center. It also provides a variety of counseling services for mental health and addiction.
“The majority of our clients have either extreme poverty, significant mental health or addiction issues,” says Executive Director Chris Cole. “Most who live with HIV can manage their care on their own. We’re really here to help those most at risk. If they’re not engaged in their own care, they’re most at risk of infecting others. Those who are engaged are virally suppressed and won’t infect others.”
“Th e majority of our clients have either extreme poverty, significant mental health or addiction issues,” says Executive Director Chris Cole. “Most who live with HIV can manage their care on their own. We’re really here to help those most at risk. If they’re not engaged in their own care, they’re most at risk of infecting others. Those who are engaged are virally suppressed and won’t infect others.”
The Caring Cuisine program provides nutritious meals once a week to people living with HIV or other illnesses, either on a short-term or long-term basis. AIDS Project New Haven feeds between 95 and 110 people per week, including patients and their dependents.
“We are able to feed people and really monitor them in their home environments and provide other services,” says Cole. “If we’re seeing abuse or that the power is turned off, we can step in and help those clients.”
The third piece is prevention, which centers on the Outreach, Testing and Linkage to Care (OTL) initiative, and includes condom distribution, education, rapid HIV testing and linking individuals to services. The state-funded OTL is only a 3-year-old program, but it’s already seen an impact.
Another new program, PrEP Navigation or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, works to protect those who are HIV-negative, but are most at risk of contracting, by administering an antiretroviral pill once a day. Cole says the organization is working to make more connections with New Haven’s at-risk gay community, and as that increases, the success of these programs is also expected to increase.
On April 28, AIDS Project New Haven will again participate in the nationwide Dining Out For Life, which acts as the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year. On this day, restaurants including 116 Crown, G-Zen Restaurant, Kitchen ZINC and Stonebridge Restaurant will pledge to donate at least 25 percent of each bill to the organization. AIDS Project New Haven will place a volunteer ambassador in each location, with the task of filling the restaurant with patrons and encouraging diners to make an additional donation if they’re able. Cole says they’re still looking for volunteers, so if you’re interested, visit the website listed below for more information.
AIDS Project New Haven is looking for volunteers on a day-to-day basis, including for food preparation and delivery, people to help with administrative duties and gay men who are experienced, comfortable and interested in helping with outreach in the gay community. Visit their website for all the ways you can help.
If you have an organization with an event that you’d like us to consider for the Community page, please send the details to khartman@connecticutmag.com.
Published by New Haven Register formerly 21st Century Media Newspapers . View All Articles.
This page can be found at https://mydigimag.rrd.com/article/Community/2433413/295157/article.html.