Fast Facts

There are enough people with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles to fill Dodger Stadium.

$20 buys five bags of groceries for those living with HIV/AIDS who are most in need.

$100 allows us to provide state-of-the-art dental care to an APLA client in our mobile dental van.

Your donation, large or small, helps us help those in greatest need.

Events

Macy's Passport Presents Glamorama,
Benefiting APLA and Project Angel Food
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Celebrate fashion and compassion at this spectacular fundraiser, a celebration filled with chart-topping musical acts, celebrity appearances and designers brought together for one exciting evening, headlined by a special performance by Macy Gray. And it's all followed by the most glam party in town!

More information is available on our special events page.

HIV Plus - Free!

From the Executive Director

Save the Date: October 17, 2010 -- The 26th Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles

It's Friday, and that means APLA clients are streaming to and from the Necessities of Life Program (NOLP) food pantry at our David Geffen Center in the heart of mid-Wilshire.

As the economy weakened, the lines outside NOLP grew. But something else changed, too: For more of our clients, APLA's food pantries are now their only source for groceries. After rent and other bills are paid, there is simply no money left for food.

It's hard to fathom that hunger persists -- but the reality remains that too many APLA clients will live on nothing more than the bags of groceries they get during their visit today.

That's why I urge you to join me now to register online for the 26th Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles. By registering, fundraising, and walking with us on October 17, you become part of a powerful movement to end AIDS in Los Angeles and to fight hunger, homelessness, stigma, and more among those who live with HIV in our community.

We'll provide the tools that make it easy to get started -- a personal Web page, inspiring fundraising tips, an exciting new Facebook app, and much more. And then we'll walk together on October 17, through the streets of West Hollywood and Los Angeles, to remind Angelenos that AIDS is still taking lives every day -- and that we're more determined than ever to stop it.

Please sign up today -- and thank you for joining us.

P.S. On Facebook? Join APLA to get the latest updates on our special events and more!

Craig E. Thompson
Executive Director

What's New

Treatment Education Focuses on HIV Vaccine Research

In recent weeks, crowds gathered at the busy intersection of Santa Monica and San Vicente Boulevards in West Hollywood to raise awareness for HIV vaccine research. Together with the AIDS Research Alliance (ARA), APLA staff and volunteers passed along information, held signs, and spoke with passersby about the importance of vaccine research.

"Our goal is to get the community to not be scared of research," says Treatment Educator Michelle Simek. "It's about making May 18, National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, as significant as possible." A big challenge to HIV vaccine research remains that many people are afraid to participate in studies for fear of acquiring HIV, Michelle explains.

"Many people don't know or believe this, but you can't get HIV from the vaccine," affirms Michelle.

As a local partner of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases HIV Vaccine Research Education Initiative (NHVREI), APLA is committed to educating the community about HIV vaccine studies. Some of the projects APLA conducts include a monthly HIV 101 course, which includes information about HIV vaccine research; a quarterly HIV treatment training; a community forum about HIV vaccine progress; as well as bilingual discussions at a diverse range of agencies and colleges on vaccine research.

"For every two people put on HIV treatment, five more become infected," says Michelle, stressing the importance of continued funding to grow vaccine outreach efforts in Los Angeles. "This is the future of prevention. It's going to take a combination of biomedical and behavioral prevention efforts to wipe out HIV."

To learn more about APLA's vital work in HIV vaccine research education, view our Treatment Education page on apla.org.

-- Tania Gonzalez

Profile

Ben Lucero Wolf, a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and a single parent to his five boys, didn't imagine the struggle and the journey that lay ahead when he was diagnosed with HIV. But the family took care of each other, and together they learned how to cope with Ben's diagnosis. Then tragedy struck.

"My oldest son was 19 when he was shot. The two-year murder trial left me exhausted. I lost my job. I lost my home," recalls Ben, whose Kiowa name is Audle Kon Aitethay -- "Tall with Long Black Hair."

It was during those painful years that Ben learned about APLA's Red Circle Project (RCP), which serves Native American/Alaska Native people living with, or at risk of contracting, HIV/AIDS.

"The Red Circle Project at APLA is the only program in L.A. that fits my needs as a Native American," Ben explains.

At RCP, cultural tribal beliefs are an integral part of HIV education. Los Angeles has the highest urban Native American population in the U.S., and RCP is representative of many tribal nations.

"It's a place where I feel I can belong", says Ben. "I have a place where we can sing and dance, eat our food, and preserve our culture." To Ben, reviving his spiritual heritage serves as therapy that helps him deal with the emotional stress of AIDS. The meetings and workshops always begin with a blessing, which according to Ben, gives members that important spiritual connection they seek. Ben also has received care from APLA Dental Services, the Necessities of Life Program food pantries, and has relied on Residential Services for safe and stable housing.

Today, Ben shares his story with a smile. He wants to become a fourth grade teacher, and in preparation, he is working toward his teaching credential at CSU, Dominguez Hills. "Atho aitethay, APLA!" he says. "That means 'thank you very much!'"

-- T.G.

Giving

Gloria Miller is an exceptional example of what it means to support APLA.

In spite of her hectic schedule as executive assistant to the chairman of News Corporation, Gloria still finds the time to serve on the Executive Committee for S.T.A.G.E., the Southland Theatre Artists' Goodwill Event, a role which she has worked hard at for the past five years. S.T.A.G.E., a yearly theatrical benefit for APLA, began in 1984 when a small group of friends in the theatre community came together in an effort to combat the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS on their friends and families. It's continued every year since.

Born and raised in London, Gloria's passion for theatre and musicals found its perfect match at S.T.A.G.E. 

"A friend of mine took me to a few of the shows, and I loved them," Gloria recalls. Now, Gloria helps with the live and silent auctions for the event. For the past few years, thanks to her position at News Corp., Gloria was able to secure "American Idol" finale tickets for the live auction. This year, Gloria also received the prestigious Marilyn Lasky Backstage Award, which honors those behind the scenes who help to craft the annual S.T.A.G.E. event.

Gloria's commitment to the fight against AIDS is evident.

"It was back in the early eighties that a close friend died of AIDS. While visiting him in the hospital, I had to walk down a long hallway and past many rooms where dying young men lay. That experience was so shocking and moving -- it had a real impact on me," she says. "It's APLA's determination to stay until there is a cure that I admire."

Did you know that APLA volunteers contribute more than 65,000 hours of service each year? Find out more about our fun and diverse volunteer opportunities!

Take Action

California's ADAP Safe -- For Now

APLA's Government Affairs Division remains on alert during the current state budget season to ensure that California's ongoing fiscal crisis doesn't result in cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which provides life-saving drugs to thousands of uninsured or underinsured Californians living with HIV/AIDS.

APLA, with a coalition of state partners, continues work to ensure that state funding for California's ADAP keeps pace with expanding demand as the state faces a burgeoning deficit. The campaign has met with some success, when Governor Schwarzenegger committed to a $54.8 million increase for ADAP in his May Revise budget proposal. The Legislative Analyst's Office estimates that this new funding would be enough to keep pace with the increased demand, coupled with rising drug costs.

But the governor's budget proposal does call for deep cuts to the state's safety-net healthcare programs, including the beleaguered Medi-Cal program. The California Legislature recently proposed an alternate budget that calls for fewer cuts and substantially increased revenues, but the governor and Republican legislators have already expressed their disapproval. Legally, a budget agreement is due in June, but historically, the process has taken longer. APLA will continue to monitor this process to ensure ADAP funding remains a priority.

Outside of California, about 2,700 people in 13 states are now on ADAP wait lists, jeopardizing their access to life-sustaining treatments. Sixteen other states have instituted cost-saving measures, such as co-pays or a reduction in the number of drugs available to patients.

Advocates, including APLA, are now asking for $126 million in supplemental federal funding to help ease the pressure on ADAPs nationwide. The Obama administration has offered $25 million in support, but this amount falls far short of the funds needed to end the ADAP wait lists. While it looks as if California's ADAP has dodged a bullet thus far in the budget cycle, APLA will continue to work for a fully funded program when the state budget is passed into law.

Keep pace with efforts to defend life-saving ADAP programs here and nationwide -- and don’t miss opportunities to share your opinions with legislators -- by joining APLA's "In the Loop" online advocacy network.

Photo of the Month

Thousands of AIDS activists gathered in Vienna for the XVIII International AIDS Conference, which included a mile-long human rights march through the heart of the city. Staff from The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (for which APLA provides administrative and fiscal support) held a pre-conference event in Vienna to call attention to alarming rates of HIV infection particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM) in lower- and middle-income countries. Learn more at the Forum’s Web site.

Photo: Joshua Nantais

The Last Word

"We have been fighting AIDS in the U.S. for thirty years, and finally we have a strategic, coordinated plan to help bring the epidemic to an end."

- APLA Executive Director Craig E. Thompson, quoted in WeHo News, on the July unveiling of the Obama administration’s National AIDS Strategy. The Strategy includes a short list of major goals for the next five years, including the achievement of a significant reduction in the rate of new HIV infections; expanded access to care for people living with HIV/AIDS; and the elimination of stigma and healthcare disparities that contribute to the epidemic.