ACT e-Bulletin, Vol. 6 No. 2
March / April 2011
Our signature fundraising event SNAP! will take place on March 27, raising funds for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in our community. It helps that it's also Toronto's hottest photography auction fundraiser! You can get tickets at www.snap-toronto.com
We've also got a lot more events happening this month, along with our ongoing education programs and support services, so have a look at what's new below.
The ACT e-Bulletin is sent out once every two months. If you would like to receive the e-Bulletin by e-mail, please visit www.actoronto.org/subscribe
SNAP! is turning 10
Get your tickets now to Toronto's hottest photography auction fundraiser, which supports our education and support programs!Sunday, March 27, 2011
6:00pm - 11:00pm
National Ballet School (400 Jarvis Street)
- Cocktail Reception
- Art Preview
- Auction Registration
- Silent Auction Opens
7:30pm: Live Auction begins
For ticket inquiries tickets@actoronto.org
$90 VIP Admission
Cost of the VIP ticket includes: coat check, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, host bar, live auction, silent auction and DJ entertainment.
SNAP! on Facebook | SNAP! on Twitter
For more information, visit www.snap-toronto.com
Are you our next top model?
Do you want to appear in awareness campaigns that promote the health of our communities?We want to take photos of real people from all of our communities, so that our materials and campaigns reflect the diversity of the people we serve. Men, women, trans people. Gay, straight, and everything in between. All body sizes, all races, all ages, all abilities. HIV-positive, HIV-negative, and unknown status.
Do you have what it takes to be our next top model?
Get in touch with Andrew at abrett@actoronto.org or 416-340-8484 ext. 225 to find out more.
Service changes at ACT
ACT is focusing our support services to better serve people living with HIV/AIDS.As part of our extensive consultation process that led to the formulation of our current Strategic Plan (Resilience: Together We Are Stronger), we heard from many stakeholders who suggested that ACT should focus and then strengthen support programs for people living with HIV/AIDS.
ACT also undertook an assessment of service usage in our practical assistance programs, and an environmental scan of existing practical assistance services available to people living with HIV/AIDS in Toronto.
As a result, ACT will continue to provide practical supports to people living with HIV/AIDS who want to access our services -- such as child care subsidies and transportation allowances. However, effective April 1, 2011, ACT will discontinue its Drives, Moves, Furniture Bank and Good Food Box practical assistance programs.
We also examined our current client intake, assessment and referral services and determined that we need to place more resources in this area, in order to simplify the process of accessing counselling, case management, social support and other programming for our service users. Consequently, we will be enhancing our Access Centre services.
For more detailed information, including referrals to agencies offering alternatives to the services we are phasing out, please click here.
Pride and Remembrance Run 2011
A message from the Pride and Remembrance Association, which has selected ACT as a beneficiary of this year's Pride Run:Join us on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 10 a.m.
for the 16th annual Pride and Remembrance Run!
Each year, The Pride and Remembrance Association selects charitable organizations that benefit the LGBTQ community. This year's beneficiaries are the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) and The Triangle Program. You can help make this year's Run is the most successful ever by registering on April 1, 2011 at www.priderun.org.
About the Beneficiaries
Proceeds from the 2011 Run will support the development of a multifaceted HIV education campaign for young gay/bi/queer male youth that aims to increase awareness and improve skills to protect themselves and others from HIV transmission.
Proceeds from the 2011 Run will support the expansion and diversification of their library and speaker series as well as the development of print resources aimed at a youth audience.
A portion of this year's proceeds will also go towards the newly established Pride and Remembrance Foundation.
Get Involved
The Pride And Remembrance Run is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors and volunteers.
Download our 2011 sponsorship package (PDF) to read more about how your organization can help make this year's Run the most successful ever!
If you're interested in volunteering for this year's Run, please email Doreen Thibert, our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@priderun.org.
Get your ACT membership today!
Are you a member of the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT)? Membership in ACT allows our supporters to get even more involved and have a say in the direction of the agency. ACT members are kept informed of our events and program updates through our newsletter and annual report, and members can vote at the highest decision-making body of the organization, the Annual General Meeting.
ACT membership runs from April 1 to March 31 annually, and costs $5. If you have already joined in the past, your membership must be renewed again. If you are unable to pay the membership fee, this will be waived. You can join online or download a membership form on our website.
If you have questions related to your current membership status, please contact Anthony at membership@actoronto.org or 416-340-8484 ext. 279.
Update on HIV criminalization
A message from the co-chairs of the Ontario Working Group on Criminal Law and HIV Exposure, of which ACT is a member:On behalf of the Ontario Working Group on Criminal Law and HIV Exposure, we are very pleased to provide an update on the campaign urging Ontario's Attorney General to undertake a process to develop guidelines for criminal prosecutors in cases involving allegations of non-disclosure of HIV status. The campaign calls on the Attorney General to ensure that people living with HIV, communities affected by HIV, legal, public health and scientific experts, health care providers, and AIDS service organizations are meaningfully involved in the process to develop such guidelines.
We are very happy to report that the Attorney General has begun to heed the concerns of the over 900 organizations and individuals that have thus far endorsed the campaign - the Working Group recently received confirmation that the Ministry of the Attorney General is engaged in a process to develop guidance materials for Crown prosecutors in the area of HIV-related prosecutions.
We applaud the Attorney General for taking this step. However, the timeframe for the issuance of the guidelines and the consultation process that will inform the development of the guidelines are unclear. The Working Group is waiting for a response from the Ministry on these issues.
While waiting for a response, the Working Group is planning province-wide consultations on this issue. The consultations will take place over the next two months in all regions of the province, and will involve people living with HIV, communities affected by HIV, legal, public health and scientific experts, women's sexual assault service providers and women's criminal justice advocates, and AIDS service organizations. In addition, we will be conducting an online consultation, open to everyone. Further information regarding the consultations will be forthcoming.
We urge you to continue gathering endorsements to ensure that guidelines are issued in a timely manner and that meaningful consultation informs development of the guidelines. Please encourage your contacts to endorse the campaign, at www.ontarioaidsnetwork.on.ca/clhe
Thank you very much for your support.
Please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned about the campaign.
Sincerely,
Anne Marie DiCenso
Executive Director, Prisoners' HIV/AIDS Support Action Network
Co-Chair, Ontario Working Group on Criminal Law and HIV Exposure
416.920.9567, annemarie@pasan.org
Ryan Peck
Executive Director, HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic (Ontario)
Co-Chair, Ontario Working Group on Criminal Law and HIV Exposure
416.340.7790, peckr@lao.on.ca
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Gay Poz Sex (GPS)
Who wants a better sex life?Who wants to have increased sexual health?
"I do, I do!"
The GPS research program is currently recruiting for upcoming sessions.
In the GPS program, a small group of participants talk about sex and sexual health in a safe, confidential and positive environment.
The GPS group meets once a week for seven weeks. TTC tokens provided.
Participants receive financial honorariums for research components.
You may be eligible if you:
- Are 18 years of age or older
- Identify as a gay or bisexual man
- Have been diagnosed as HIV-positive
For more information, call 416-340-8484 ext. 277 or e-mail gps@actoronto.org
Free income tax clinic
This year, don't tax yourself! Let our experts complete your income tax returns.ACT has qualified consultants who can help people living with HIV/AIDS complete their 2010 income tax returns.
We can help:
- HIV-positive single persons with a total income not exceeding $45,000
- Spousal couples
- With single or multiple-year returns
Sorry, we can't do:
- Self-employment income
- Rental income
- Bankruptcies
- Business returns
- Capital gains
- Taxes for outside Ontario
What to bring:
- All your paperwork, including:
- T4 and T5 slips
- Income slips
- Rent receipts or a letter from your landlord
Then give us a call at 416-340-2437 to set up your appointment! Our income tax clinic runs until May 15, 2011.
