Tuesday September 7, 6:30 PM
A Positive Life – The Series
Jewish Family Services of the Desert presents the September Positive Life Series Seminar “HIV & Heart Disease”. The presenter will be Lisa Capaldini, MD, HIV Specialist, San Francisco, CA. The program is free and will be held at the Sinatra Auditorium at Desert Regional Hospital (on the corner of Tachevah & Miraleste). A light supper will be served starting at 6:00 PM. Reservations are not required. ASL translation will be available. Contact Bill Taylor at 760.834.9259 for more information.(jl)
Thursday, September 9th at 7:30 PM
“EXPECTING MARY”, movie premiere on Sept. 9 to benefit D.A.P.
See below for more information. (jl)
Saturday, September 18, 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM
6th Annual Women’s Health Fair
See below for more information. (jl)
Back to top
Saturday, October 23, 10:00 AM
Palm Springs AIDS Walk & 5K Run
Follow this link for more information. (jl)
Every Friday from September 24 to November 19
Vaccine Clinics at Desert AIDS Project
See below for more information. (jl)
Back to top
Tuesdays 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Wednesdays 9:00 PM - Noon, Thursdays 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
COMMUNITY CENTER COMPUTER LAB
The D.A.P. Computer Lab is always staffed by a knowledgeable volunteer who is there to assist you with all your computing needs. Check your e-mail, search job openings, or just surf the Web.
Let’s log on!
Back to top
Tuesday, August 31, Noon – 1:00 PM
Community Center Presents – LIPODYSTROPHY & BUFFALO HUMP
Please join us in the D.A.P. Community Center for this important presentation and discussion. Lunch will be served at 11:45 AM courtesy of Gilead. Please RSVP to Ed at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or escarry@desertaidsproject.org
Know your body!
Friday, September 10, Noon – 1:00 PM
Community Center Presents – ASK THE DOCTOR
Please join us in the D.A.P. Community Center for this lively hour of Q & A with D.A.P.’s own Dr. Barbour. Lunch will be served at 11:45 AM courtesy of ViiV. Please RSVP to Ed at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or escarry@desertaidsproject.org
Stay informed!
Back to top
Friday, September 10, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Community Center Presents – FRIDAY NIGHT BINGO
The D.A.P. Community Center is pleased to announce an evening of BINGO. A delicious Italian dinner will be served along with great prizes and lots of fun for all. For more information call Ed at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or escarry@desertaidsproject.org
And the number is…
Wednesdays, 2:00 PM, 9/15, 10/20, 11/17, 12/15
Community Center Presents – DIABETES EDUCATION
The D.A.P. Community Center is pleased to announce this workshop on all aspects of diabetes treatment with certified diabetes educator Mary Knipe, MS, RD, CDE. The class meets in the Walgreen’s Room on Wednesday 8/18, 9/15, 10/20, 11/17, and 12/15 at 2 PM.
Be well!
Last Tuesday Every Month, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Community Center Presents – HEPATITIS C THERAPY EDUCATION The D.A.P. Community Center is pleased to announce this workshop on the basics of HEP C, overview of therapy, side effect info, pregnancy / contraception guidelines, storage of medication, and self-injection instructions. The class will immediately follow the HIV/HEP-C Support Group in the Walgreen’s Room. Please contact Laura Coleman, PharmD at 760.219.4183 for more information and pre-registration.
Take control!
Back to top
Community Center Drop-In Hours
Community Center Presents – LENDING LIBRARY
The Community Center is proud to announce the expansion of our lending library. We have new bookcases filled with books, music CDs, VHS and DVD movies, and lots of games and puzzles. Stop by during drop-in hours and check something out. We also welcome any donations to our expanding collection.
It’s your community center!
Every Thursday, 1:00 PM
Community Center Presents – LET’S ALL GO TO THE MOVIES
Please join us in the D.A.P. Community Center for movie screenings every Thursday starting at 1:00 PM. Free pizza, salad, sweets, and drinks provided.
September 2 – Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen (1998)
A film of the early years of the reign of Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett) of England and her difficult task of learning what is necessary to be a monarch.
Roll film!
Back to top
“EXPECTING MARY” movie premiere on Sept. 9 to benefit D.A.P.
“EXPECTING MARY” film premiere and celebrity reception is scheduled for Thursday,September 9th at 7:30 PM at Camelot Theaters. “EXPECTING MARY”, which opens in theaters around the country on September 10th, is the story of a runaway pregnant teenager, with all the trappings of an upscale life, who finds herself in a downtrodden trailer park in New Mexico, and learns the meaning of love, sacrifice and family. Stars scheduled to appear include Elliot Gould, Linda Gray, Lainie Kazan, Della Reese, and Olesya Rulin (Disney's "High School Musical"). 100% of proceeds benefit Desert AIDS Project. Click here for tickets or call 760.323.2118 ext. 266.
6th Annual Desert AIDS Project Women’s Health Fair
Come gather with us Saturday, September 18, 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM at Desert AIDS Project, 1695 North Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, as we promote women's health and fitness in our community! For the sixth straight year, Desert AIDS Project will host a Women's Health Fair with free mammograms provided by Desert Healthcare District (appointment required, call 760.325.4701), free and confidential HIV tests, blood sugar tests, blood pressure readings, massages, tips on dental care, information on healthy habits and lifestyles, and more! Desert AIDS Project will also offer free flu shots to the first 100 people, age 18 or older, requesting them. For more information, please call 760.323.2118, ext. 201. (jl)
Back to top
Vaccine Clinics at Desert AIDS Project
Flu Season is coming! Every Friday from September 24 to November 19, Desert AIDS Project will offer flu shots, as well as vaccines against Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough), Hepatitis A and a three-round vaccine against Hepatitis B. All vaccines will be available from 9:00 AM – noon at Desert AIDS Project for clients and staff, at a cost of $25 for each vaccine. While receipts will be provided, the cost of all vaccines may or may not be covered by insurance. Appointments are strongly encouraged – please call 760-323-2118, ext. 223 – but walk-ins will be seen as quickly as possible. (jl)
Palm Springs AIDS Walk & 5K Run
The Palm Springs AIDS Walk & Run season is officially underway with exciting news! For the first time ever, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians will be Presenting Sponsor of the 2010 Palm Springs AIDS Walk and inaugural 5K Run! We thank the Tribe for their generous support over the years and for once again demonstrating their commitment to our community with this incredible gift! There is a full day of fun in store for you including:
Follow this link for more information. (jl)
Back to top
26th anniversary of Desert AIDS Project
In 1984, a group of compassionate volunteers banded together to form the Community Counseling and Consultation Center. Their storefront on Belardo Road in Palm Springs offered case management, counseling, and education outreach – and later became known as Desert AIDS Project. Fast forward 26 years and Desert AIDS Project has served thousands of people living with or at-risk for HIV and AIDS in the Coachella Valley and beyond. In spite of significant funding issues, we remain committed to free and confidential testing in an area where HIV-positive tests result is 4-5 times the national average. Today, we are a one-of-a-kind organization with a service area the size of the state of Massachusetts and are modeled by others nationwide as a “one-stop” provider of an astounding array of services. And who would have guessed – all offered from a 3.5-acre campus in the Southern California desert. None of this would be possible but for the never-ending generosity and ongoing dedication of the client advocates, volunteers, donors, Board, and staff who continue to give so selflessly of their time, talent, and money. (jl)
Survey participants needed
The Desert AIDS Project is pleased to collaborate with Dr. Thomas J. Bechard, Social Work Program, Slippery Rock University, in a research survey to study "Self acceptance and its implications for HIV prevention among gay and bisexual men.” The web-based survey begins January 1, 2010 and ends December 31, 2010. All clients are invited to be part of the research study here. (rv)
New D.A.P. Special Events Information Line
The Client Advocacy Committee is pleased to announce that Desert AIDS Project has created a new Special Events Information Line. Now you can call 760.969.4514 to get recorded information about upcoming special events happening at D.A.P.! The message will be updated every Friday and will include information on events scheduled for the upcoming week(s). As always, you can also read about upcoming events in DAPCAN or visit the D.A.P. website. (jl)
Back to top
New strategy could eradicate latent HIV-infected cells
According to a recent AIDSMEDS article, researchers report that they have taken the first step toward killing cells that are latently infected with HIV—cells that serve as a reservoir of persistent HIV reproduction and that current antiretroviral (ARV) drugs can’t reach. A group of Israeli researchers believes they have developed a method for getting to those latent cells and killing them. Read the full article here. (jl)
Researchers identify two FDA approved drugs that may fight HIV
ScienceDaily is reporting that researchers at the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center have identified two drugs that, when combined, may serve as an effective treatment for HIV. The two drugs, decitabine and gemcitabine -- both FDA approved and currently used in pre-cancer and cancer therapy -- were found to eliminate HIV infection in the mouse model by causing the virus to mutate itself to death -- an outcome researchers dubbed "lethal mutagenesis." This is a landmark finding in HIV research because it is the first time this novel approach has been used to attack the deadly virus without causing toxic side effects. See full story here. (jl)
Back to top
Gene therapy as a way to boost immune system response to HIV?
According to a recent article in The Body.com the Los Angeles Times reports on the recent efforts of scientists to use gene therapy to strengthen the ability of patients living with HIV to fight off the HIV virus. The article examines an ongoing project by a team of researchers in California who have developed a method of cutting "the crucial gene, CCR5, that normally lets HIV into the key immune cells it destroys" out of bone marrow stem cells. Without the gene, researchers believe that patients will be better prepared to fight off HIV. Click here to see the full article. (jl)
Back to top
Urge the Democratic leadership to ACT NOW to end the AIDS crisis!
More than 3,000 people are now on waiting lists to receive lifesaving AIDS medications in 13 states and more than 300 people have been disenrolled from programs in Ohio and Utah. Sign on to the letter asking President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid to end the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) crisis NOW! (jl)
Desert AIDS Project and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy
One of President Obama’s top HIV/AIDS policy priorities is the development and implementation of a National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). There are three primary goals for the NHAS:
- Reducing HIV incidence
- Increasing access to care and optimizing health outcomes
- Reducing HIV-related health disparities
The Administration has maintained a commitment to developing the NHAS through a process that is inclusive of a broad range of perspectives and stakeholders, and the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) has engaged public involvement via multiple channels. Follow this link to see how Desert AIDS Project is participating in the NHAS. (jl)
Back to top
Federal pre-existing condition coverage up and running in most states
Project Inform is reporting that under the new health care reform law, the federal government has created a temporary insurance program for people with pre-existing conditions. The program will have premiums, in many cases deductibles, and co-pays for services. Although the program may be expensive for many with HIV, states will provide some assistance with the additional costs through their Ryan White funding. If you are living with HIV and have not had insurance in the past six months (Ryan White services are not considered insurance) you may be eligible for this new pre-existing insurance coverage. You may also be eligible for help with the costs of the program. One good source of information is the new website set up by the federal government, www.healthcare.gov, which can help identify ways to access health care services or assistance with costs related to health care. (jl)
AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) phone numbers
To sign-up for or renew ADAP/MISP, contact the County of Riverside directly at 951.486.5400. An ADAP enrollment worker will be answering that line at all times. Call Sue Hoskins if you have any questions concerning this number change at 951.486.4633. We hope this will eliminate long wait times for our clients. (ga) (jl) (lg)
Back to top
Call 211 for essential human services in Riverside County
2-1-1 is a toll-free free service easily accessed from any cell phone, land line phone, or pay phone! Every hour of the day, family, neighbors and friends in Riverside County are searching for essential human services such as affordable housing, food pantries, help for an aging parent, free or low cost health services, addiction prevention programs, employment, support groups, volunteer opportunities, and 1,700 additional services! All calls are confidential and are answered by experienced information and referral specialist. (ga)
Desert AIDS Project support groups
D.A.P. has numerous support groups available to clients. See the Community Center schedule for days and times. There is a Spanish social support group the first and third Thursday of the month at 6:00 PM. Contact Ralph Gonzalez at 760.323.2118, ext. 703 for further information. (jl)
Back to top
“The United States will become a place where new HIV infections are rare and when they do occur, every person, regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socio-economic circumstance, will have unfettered access to high quality, life-extending care, free from stigma and discrimination” – National HIV/AIDS Strategy vision
Back to top
To Contact your D.A.P. Client Committee:
clientcom@desertaidsproject.org
To Contact State and Federal Officials Click On Name
President Barack Obama
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Barbara Boxer
Congresswoman Mary Bono
Congressman Jerry Lewis
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Senator Bill Emmerson
State Senator Denise Ducheny
Assembly member Brian Nestande
Assembly member Manuel Perez
Desert AIDS Project - CAN presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses or opposes any material. All information contained in this newsletter, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. Always discuss treatment options with a physician who specializes in treating HIV. Publication of the name or likeness of any individual in articles in this newsletter is not to be construed as any indication of the HIV status of such individual. If you do not wish to receive this e-newsletter, please notify us by using the email address below.
DesertAIDSProject.org
Email: DAPCAN@desertaidsproject.org
