At APLA, the beginning of the new year allows us a moment to reflect on our recent work and to acknowledge your exceptional generosity, which made it possible.

Last year saw unprecedented demand across all of our programs and services. As the economy faltered, we learned of a nationwide HIV infection rate 40 percent higher than previously reported. Lines grew at our nine countywide food pantries; appointment slots filled in our downtown and mobile dental clinics; and clients streamed into our Residential and Benefits & Work Services programs to seek stable housing and a better future.

We also enhanced our work in L.A. County’s Antelope Valley, becoming this fast-growing area’s primary provider of dental care, free groceries, case management services and treatment education for people living with HIV/AIDS. And we expanded our treatment education program to help clients navigate a range of new treatment options to control their HIV disease.

As we look toward 2009 and a range of new efforts to confront the epidemic where it hits hardest, we are most grateful to have you with us.

Craig E. Thompson
Executive Director

Improved HIV treatments mean that more APLA clients than ever are leading healthier lives and planning for busy futures. And the new year brings with it new goals and the perfect opportunity to set a fresh direction. That’s why APLA's Client Services Division is hosting "JumpStart," a series of seminars designed to ease the transition for clients who are returning to work or school.

Over a two-month series of five workshops that begins this month, clients will work with APLA staff to build a personal budget, set life goals, develop a balanced nutrition plan and prepare to head back to class or a career. Throughout the series, each participant will also create an individual life plan, outlining next steps to achieve personal goals and improve health and wellness.

"January is the perfect time to make a change," says Benefits & Work Services Program Manager Jason Roundy. "So we’re empowering our clients by offering the resources they need for success." 

View our calendar of this and other ongoing groups, classes and seminars at our Web site.  

In 2004, as 28-year-old Grant Courtney made his plans to move from New York to Los Angeles, he learned that he was HIV-positive. And suddenly, the adjustment of life in a new city was combined with the challenge of learning to live with the disease.

"I had no close friends in L.A.," Grant recalls, "so I didn’t know who to really talk to about my HIV. I didn’t know anyone who would be able to relate." An acquaintance suggested that Grant join APLA's support group especially for people who are newly diagnosed.

"It was a great experience," Grant says of the group. "We were all in the same place, just starting treatment and setting up health care, so we could ask questions and compare notes. I had an instant group of friends who understood."

With no health insurance, he depended on APLA Dental Services to keep up with regular check-ups and cleanings. And staff from Clientline, APLA's client contact program, called him regularly to make sure he was getting all the help he needed.

So when he decided to begin volunteer work to give back, he knew exactly what he wanted to do: "Now I'm a Clientline intern, so I place those calls," he explains, "because I know how reassuring it is for someone to call and say, 'We’re here to help you whenever you need us.' "  

"Remarkably, 28 years into this epidemic, the United States has never had a comprehensive plan to reduce the number of new HIV infections and treat people who are already infected. So we’re very pleased that President-elect Obama reiterated that one of the first things he’ll do is develop and implement a National AIDS Strategy."

-- APLA Executive Director Craig E. Thompson, in a World AIDS Day interview with IMRU, KPFK-FM’s weekly LGBT radio program. Listen to the complete interview at our Web site.