Kealey's blog

‘Fill a plate to fight AIDS’

This year, 2006, Dining Out For Life Vancouver Island joined the many cities and regions in North America who choose this day to honor the work of HIV/AIDS service organizations and to raise funds in support of their ongoing work in the community.

Dining Out For Life is a unique partnership between AIDS Vancouver Island and more than 50 restaurants across the Island. On Thursday 23rd March restaurants from Tofino to Sooke donated 25% of their food revenue for the day to AIDS Vancouver Island. This money will help AVI to maintain our excellence in HIV/AIDS programming, and will give us the opportunity to develop new approaches to combating the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS in our communities.

The support of 51 restaurants, many more servers and hundreds of diners contributed to a highly successful event. Stay posted to this website for update information about the winners of the raffle prizes and a report of total funds collected.

Our "Rig dig" program picks up used syringes and paraphernalia from the downtown core.

AVI is able to collect syringes and paraphernalia beyond the facility on a limited basis through the work of volunteers. Last year, 5,432 syringes were picked up in the downtown core, compared with 4,361 the year before and 1,996 in 2003. The purpose of the collection program is to significantly reduce the number of discarded syringes and related paraphernalia on the street through an organized collection program.

The Peer Outreach Syringe Collection Program is part of Street Outreach Services (SOS). SOS provides harm reduction services, including a volunteer off-site syringe collection program as part of the needle exchange program. The needle exchange was started in 1989, Canada’s first needle exchange, and the off-site syringe pick-up has been in place for more than seven years.

During the past ten years, the number of people injecting drugs, and the number of syringes being used, in Greater Victoria has increased dramatically. Over the past five years, the number of active clients has increased 36% and the number of needles has increased 148%. Over the last year the number of needles has increased 24% from 814,023 dispensed in 2004 to 1,011,659 in 2005 with a rate of return of 100%.

AVI clients and staff held a workshop in September with an attendance of fourteen clients. We filled cedar boxes with dirt, spring bulbs and winter pansies. Everyone had a lot of fun. If you're interested in purchasing one of the flower boxes, contact Kealey or Kristen at AVI.

The Project

AIDS Vancouver Island (AVI) has a vision for our neighbourhood and for our clients. We envision all our neighbours, including businesses, property owners, and non-profits, working together towards a more beautiful neighbourhood. A neighbourhood in which we all take pride.

Our Community Beautification Project involves beautifying our neighbourhood with flowers, in cedar boxes and hanging baskets. The area for the first stage of the project includes a beautification of Amelia and Cormorant Streets.

Our clients are involved in the filling, watering and maintenance of the flower boxes and baskets in our agency's back lot. In the future, clients will be involved in the construction of the boxes.

Clients can be hired to maintain, through watering and pruning, the flowers through the summer months. Clients can also do re-planting twice a year, in the spring and the fall.

In other communities, with similar projects, community attitudes and behaviours change as people start to take ownership and pride in their neighbourhood. One of the positive aspects of this is peer policing in which peers are directly involved in the prevention of damage to the area.

Another important aspect of this project is the personal benefit to our clients. The Community Beautification Project provides a unique service by employing people who are marginalized. The majority live with unstable housing and in poverty. They face multiple barriers in their lives on a daily basis. This honourarium-based "employment” adds stability to their lives.

Even with all these barriers, people come forward to be volunteers. In our off-site syringe pickup program, volunteers experience positive rewards in their lives, including receiving positive comments from the public. We want to duplicate this experience for our clients with the Community Beautification Project.

This project will provide an opportunity for change. With the added self-esteem and confidence of being involved in this project, our clients may change their perception about themselves and envision possibilities for change in their lives. This will, in turn, change our neighbourhood and our relationship with our neighbours, for the better.

AIDS Vancouver Island gratefully acknowledges

support for this program from the:

The HIV/Hep C Women's Wellness Group part of the Positive Health Project is up and running again for a new session.

Come and help plan the next group of sessions:
October 6th at AVI 1-3:30

Sessions are:
October 20th - Dec. 15th
every Thursday 1 - 3:30
Retreat on Jan 5th and 6th

To register for the group, call Erica at AVI at 384-2366 or Nicole, at the Victoria Native Friendship Centre at 384-3211 before October 13th.

** The Positive Health Project will also be holding a HIV Positive Men's Wellness Group starting in January.

Nanaimo 10th Annual
AIDS Walk for Life

Sunday, Sept. 25
Maffaeo-Sutton Park
(behind the Civic Arena)

11:00 Registration
12:00 Walk
Walk to the Yacht Club and back
1:00 Speeches and Presentations

For pledge forms and information
call AVI Nanaimo at 1-250-753-2437

"Brave Hearts, Courageous Lives" was the theme of our AIDS Walk this year on Saturday, September 10, 2005. We gathered at the Legislature at 1:15 and walked by 1:30 pm. There was a MasquerAIDS street fair at Broad Street from 2pm - 6pm.

Prizes were given out for Top Fundraiser (individual and team)and for Best Costume (individual and team)

This jointly organized event was a fundraiser for AIDS Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island Persons Living with HIV/AIDS Society and
Victoria AIDS Resource & Community Service Society

Look for next years walk in September. Pledge forms will be available through AVI at 384-2366.

Positive Wellness Program

The Positive Wellness Program works to support members of the community who are living with HIV and who may be co-infected with Hepatitis C. Support is offered through advocacy, counselling, and referrals to other services available in the community.

As part of the Program volunteers prepare and serve a daily hot meal to all our clients. Volunteers are living with HIV themselves and are an integral and valued part of the success of the Positive Wellness Program.

AIDS Vancouver Island is currently seeking new HIV positive volunteers to act as back-up to the current volunteers. We are particularly interested in people who have relevant experience. We will offer training in Food Safe as well as a full and comprehensive orientation to the program. Volunteering in the Positive Wellness Program is a demanding role and we are seeking committed people to work with us in maintaining the high standards of the program.

There is an honourarium provided for shifts covered.

Hey all you runners and walkers, if you want to raise funds for AIDS Vancouver Island and enjoy yourself on Canada Day, check out HBC Run for Canada at:
https://secure.hbcrunforcanada.ca/?did=6&lng=en

All money raised goes straight to AVI when you designate us as your organization of choice.

Any questions, call Kealey at 384-2366.

The Festival of Forbidden Fruit

erotic film, video and performance

takes place May 6, 7 and 8
in Victoria

for more information go to: www.tripleffilmcom

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