ACT e-Bulletin Vol. 2 No. 5

The ACT e-Bulletin
Volume 2, Number 5 | November/December 2007

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AIDS Awareness Week & World AIDS Day at ACT
This year, ACT has plenty of activities in store for AIDS Awareness Week (Nov. 25 - Dec. 1) and World AIDS Day (Dec. 1), including a short film, an exhibition of artwork by agency clients, a roundtable discussion about AIDS in Toronto, past and present, and a screening of the OHTN documentary Positive Voices: Leading Together, co-sponsored by ACT. Details to follow soon, so check out www.actoronto.org in the coming weeks and look out for our ads and flyers in various magazines and venues.

Share Your Story in ACT’s World AIDS Day Film
Do you have a story to share about a partner, friend, family member, or colleague lost to AIDS?

In honour of World AIDS Day, ACT is filming a series of video tributes to the many people in Toronto lost to HIV/AIDS over the past two and a half decades. Filming begins mid-November and the video will screen in the ACT offices and at events during AIDS Awareness Week and on World AIDS Day, Nov. 25 - Dec 1.

If you’d like to share your story, contact Andrew Brett, ACT’s Communications Coordinator, at abrett@actoronto.org.

Introducing ASO411 and the Positive Wellness Community Calendar
Last year, ACT participated in the Toronto HIV/AIDS Community Planning Initiative (TCPI), along with other provincially-funded HIV/AIDS programs in the city. One of the recommendations from this initiative called for the development of an accessible, coordinated HIV/AIDS service information system. ACT, with other groups, was heavily involved in the working group tasked with this specific initiative.

After examining existing HIV/AIDS information tools (such ACT’s Living Guide Online, the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) Information and Referral System, and Findhelp Information Services’ 211toronto.ca) our working group decided to partner with the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) to expand the scope of their “ASO411” project so that it would fulfill most of the recommendations of TCPI.

Over the next few weeks and months, the ASO411 website (www.aso411.ca) will provide service providers and individuals living with, and at risk for HIV/AIDS with accurate, up-to-date information about HIV/AIDS and related services in Toronto. This new web search tool allows individuals to search on-line, using their street address, postal code, city, or intersection, for organizations offering services and programs useful for people with HIV/AIDS, at-risk communities, and others, within a certain radius of their specified location.

Later this fall, ACT will launch its “Positive Wellness Community Calendar,” an online events listing for people living with HIV/AIDS. The calendar will also improve access to information about HIV/AIDS-specific programs and services in Toronto and will complement the ASO411 website. The development of the “Positive Wellness Community Calendar” was supported by the Access to Information Working Group of the TCPI and the HIV/AIDS Wellness Advisory Network.

Volunteer Appreciation Party Photos Now Online
On September 25th, ACT staff, board, and volunteers gathered at Zippers for the fourth annual Volunteer Appreciation Party. Together we celebrated the enormous contribution volunteers make to the agency — over 45,000 hours every year, or the equivalent of nearly 30 full-time positions.

Superstar diva Michelle Ross performed, DJ Black Cat provided the music, and stand-up comedian Maggie Cassella supplied the laughs.

Thanks to all our terrific volunteers for their dedication and hard work! Thanks, also, to the managment and staff of Zippers, and to all of our fabulous entertainers.

Visit ACT's flickr site to see the photos!

Upcoming Community Health Forums
With our Community Health Forum series for people living with HIV/AIDS now in full swing, we’re offering two more forums this fall. In November, “Nutrition and HIV: Health Heart, Healthy Organs, Healthy Bones,” explores strategies for optimal health, foods for health bones, and ways of preventing atherosclerosis. Guest speakers include nutritionist and dietician Nicole Hambleton and Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC) vice-chair Ron Rosenes. Join us on Thursday, Nov. 22, 7 - 9 p.m. at the Metro Central YMCA.

The December forum, “HIV/AIDS Conference Updates: The Latest News,” looks at the latest information on new HIV treatments to emerge from recent Canadian and international conferences. Speakers include Dr. Malcolm Hedgcock of Maple Leaf Medical Clinic and Sean Hosein of the Canadian Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE). Join us on Thursday, Dec. 13 at the Ramada Hotel, 300 Jarvis Street. Dinner at 6:30 p.m., presentation from 7 - 9.

Reservations are not required. For more information or to sign up for the forum mailing list, contact Robin Rhodes, ACT’s HIV Health Promotion Coordinator, at 416-340-8484 ext. 219 or rrhodes@actoronto.org.

Save the Date: Sunday, March 2, 2008
Stay tuned for details about SNAP! 2008. Tickets and submission info coming soon!

Women’s Coffee Night
Join us for Women's Coffee Night the third Wednesday of every month from 6 - 8 p.m. at ACT. These evenings are a perfect opportunity for women living with HIV/AIDS to connect with, support, and learn from each other. All HIV-positive women are welcome. There are two more Women’s Coffee Nights this year — Wednesday, Nov. 21 and Wednesday, Dec. 19. Come in for a hot cup of coffee and dinner and leave with a warmer heart! For more information or to RSVP, please contact Kate Murzin at 416-340-8484 ext. 313 or kmurzin@actoronto.org .

New in the ACT Library
On September 26, the HIV/AIDS Wellness Advisory Network and the ACT Library hosted a special training session called "Finding HIV information on the Internet: a class for PHAs." The presentation slides from this class are now available online. In the slides, you’ll find strategies for effective Internet searches and examples of good web resources

The Library has also started posting bibliographies online that will make it easier to find books, videos, and articles on different subjects in the library collection. Check out our first bibliography on complementary therapies.

ACT Research Day Archive Now Online
Leading up to the next ACT Research Day, the agency’s Info Knowledge Team has launched an archive of podcasts and presentation slides from previous events. Research Day is an annual event for HIV/AIDS service providers, researchers, and policymakers to discuss how current research can inform HIV/AIDS programs, services, and policies.

Look for news about Research Day 2008 and visit www.actoronto.org/researchday to listen to past presentations on such topics as HIV and housing, therapeutic cannabis, and vaccines. Don’t miss our guest speaker lecture: “Does the International AIDS Conference Make a Difference for Service Providers?”

MaBwana Study Update
The MaBwana Black Men’s Study is looking for more black, African, and Caribbean guys to participate in one-on-one interviews. The study is confidential and anonymous, and participants receive an honorarium. Since recruitment started in June 2007, more than 150 questionnaires have been completed.

The purpose of the MaBwana study is to understand sexual behaviour, relationships, dating, homophobia, racism, community issues, and other factors that may make black, African and Caribbean men who have sex with other men (MSM) vulnerable to becoming infected with HIV. The results of the study will be used to develop better HIV prevention programs for these men. The study is an initiative of the African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO) in partnership with ACT, the University of Toronto, Sick Kids Hospital and the University of Windsor.

For more information on this study or to participate, contact us at mabwana@actoronto.org or at 416-340-8484 ext 233.

JavaKnights in November

Art, Activism, and AIDS in Canada — Tuesday, Nov. 27, 7 - 9 p.m.
The evening begins with Wilde Chats Philosophy Café at 7 p.m. with the topic "What does it mean to be a good friend?" This is followed by a night of film leading in preparation for World AIDS Day 2007 — join us for videos about the evolution of activist and artistic responses to AIDS in Canada over the past two decades. Cheap food and drinks available.

For more details on the films, email Rui Pires at rpires@actoronto.org.

All JavaKnights events happen at the Gladstone Hotel Art Bar, 1214 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario. Java Knights are free, but you should RSVP at javaknights@hotmail.com.

SEXploration at Mr. Leatherman Toronto Competition
As part of our SEXploration series leading up to World AIDS Day, ACT will hold two seminars at this year’s Mr. Leatherman Toronto Competition Weekend, Sunday, Nov. 25 at the Primrose Hotel, 111 Carlton Street, Mezzanine Level.

Oral Sex: Use Your Head While Giving It
Everything you wanted to know about oral sex, but were afraid to taste! ACT’s Safer Oral Sex campaign hits the road with this interactive and informative seminar. Open to all. 2 - 3:45 p.m. Presented by Rui Pires and Duncan MacLachlan.

Anal Play II: Probing the Depths
Sophisticated tips, pragmatic options, the latest in sexual health and harm reduction information. Topics include douching, rimming, scat play, ass stuffing, dildos, and fisting. Open to all. 4 - 5:45 p.m. Presented by Duncan MacLachlan.

$10 per seminar. Advanced registration recommended. For details and full seminar schedule, visit www.MrLT.com.

Fall/Winter Therapy Groups
ACT, in partnership with the Coalition on HIV and Mental Health, is offering two new therapy groups in late fall and early winter:

Women and HIV (20-week group)
A therapy group for HIV-positive women struggling with feelings of isolation, depression, and powerlessness.

Long-term Survivors (20-week group)
A group for men who have been living with HIV/AIDS for five years or longer and are dealing with depression and isolation.

The Fall/Winter Therapy Groups are facilitated by professional clinicians. To join a group, call 416-340-8484 ext. 410.

Second Issue of Being Well Coming Soon!
The second edition of Being Well: The PWA/ACT Wellness Bulletin for people living with HIV/AIDS is coming soon. A collection of articles and news about wellness-related topics of interest to PHAs, Being Well is available online at www.actoronto.org/beingwell and at the front desks of both ACT and the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation (PWA).

The second edition of this quarterly newsletter will feature information about HIV and nutrition, including articles on cholesterol and how you can help manage it, on improving your diet and eating habits, and on accessing nutrition and food programs at ACT and PWA. Watch for it before the end of the year!

Ask Stephanie!
Have questions about nutrition and HIV? Stephanie De Maio, Clinical Dietician at St. Michael's Hospital’s Positive Care Clinic, will be answering your questions in upcoming issues of Being Well. Email your questions to nutrition@actoronto.org or write them down and drop them into the question box across from the front desk in ACT's Access Centre.

Comments or suggestions for future issues of Being Well? Contact Kate Murzin at 416-340-8484 ext. 234 or kmurzin@actoronto.org.

ACT e-Bulletin Vol. 2 No. 5

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