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Valley AIDS Information Network

Surviving or Thriving?

written by Bob Skinner, President/CEO of VAIN

As all of you well know, we have been dealing with one of the most challenging financial times this country has seen in decades. People have lost their jobs, their cars and even their homes, most importantly their health insurance. A large percentage of people are barely surviving and are not even getting the basic necessities it takes to live.

People living with HIV/AIDS are not immune to this crisis. There are currently over 6,000 HIV positive individuals in 10 states that have been placed on wait lists, they are unable to access their medications because of these lists. Many state managed ADAP’s (AIDS Drug Assistance Programs) have already run out of money. Oregon’s ADAP, is called Care Assist, which does not have a wait list. This is just the tip of the iceberg!

I personally have attended two ADAP crisis summits, the first held in Washington DC in July of 2010 and the most recent held in Fort Lauderdale Florida, my old home town.

PRIDE Foundation Awards VAIN $1,500 Seed Grant

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The PRIDE Foundation has awarded VAIN's AIDS Walk 2012 project with a $1,500 seed grant to put on this first time benefit planned for early May of 2012. As an HIV/AIDS outreach program we hope the AIDS Walk becomes an annual event for residents in Benton and Linn Counties. AIDS Walk 2012 will be taking place in historic Corvallis the first weekend in May. It's intended that this program will raise awareness in the community that AIDS isn't over yet. VAIN is very fortunate to have a fantastic AIDS Walk committee that is seeking to add volunteers to help with the planning process and when we get closer to the event date. There is lots of work to be accomplished over the next few months, so please come and join us. For more information please call 541 752-6322 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will put you to work.

Getting to Zero/World AIDS Day

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Getting to Zero selected as theme for December 1st World AIDS Day.

“Getting to Zero” is the theme selected by the 2011 World AIDS Campaign (WAC) to commemorate this year’s World AIDS Day on 1st December. The new theme, that will be used until 2015, echoes the UNAIDS vision of achieving “Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths.”

The decision to choose "Getting to Zero" as the theme came after extensive consultations among people living with HIV, health activists and civil society organizations.