March 2008

Help Make A Difference

Interested in making a difference in south central Pennsylvania? Consider joining the Board of Directors of AIDS Community Alliance

To learn more visit: Make a Difference with ACA

December 1, 2007

WORLD AIDS DAY

Market Awareness

Over the years, World AIDS Day observations and services have lost some of their power. While services and memorials were once packed with individuals impacted by the disease looking for support and fellowship at a time when we remember those we have lost to HIV and AIDS, often today such events are sparsely attended or forgotten altogether.
This year instead of asking people from the community to come to us and attend an event, we went to them. Staff and volunteers from AIDS Community Alliance, including students from Lebanon Valley College, distributed information and red ribbons at local farmer¡¦s markets in Lebanon, Lancaster and Harrisburg.
¡§Sadly many residents of south central Pennsylvania seem unaware that HIV and AIDS is a local issue that needs our attention,¡¨ according to ACA President/CEO Phil Goropoulos. ¡§By bringing basic information about the local epidemic and our agency to the markets we hoped to introduce a new segment of the community to the growing needs in our local region.¡¨ Counties throughout south central Pennsylvania have continued to report annual increases in the number of AIDS Cases.
Red Ribbons and information will distributed during Farmer's Market Hours at the following locations:
„X Broad Street Market in Harrisburg
„X Central Market in Lancaster
„X The New Farmer¡¦s Market in Lebanon

June 25, 2007

National HIV Testing Day

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 180,000 – 280,000 individuals in the United States are infected with HIV yet completely unaware that they are living with the virus that causes AIDS. The development of medicines for HIV have made significant improvements in the treatment of the disease but early detection and medical care make all the difference. June 27, 2007 is National HIV Testing Day, a day when groups across the country work together to promote “taking the test” and learning your HIV status.

This Wednesday, June 27th, AIDS Community Alliance, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, will offer the HIV Rapid Test at the agency’s Activity Center (250 West King Street, Lancaster). The rapid test provides individuals with preliminary results to their HIV screening in under an hour. This is the first utilization of the Rapid Test (OraQuick) in Lancaster County. The rapid test will be available on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 from 10AM – 6PM. All tests are free and confidential. Anonymous testing is available.

The symptoms of HV infection vary greatly from person to person. The only way to know for sure if an individual is infected or not infected is to muster up the courage and take the test.

According to Philip K. Goropoulos, President/CEO of AIDS Community Alliance “Part of the challenge with HIV testing has always been the waiting period for results – the traditional means of testing can take up to two weeks for the results. The long wait for results previously associated with HIV testing can be a great cause of anxiety, and honestly two weeks is a long enough period of time that some individuals forget to come in and get the results. The rapid test provides some immediate feedback to individuals getting tested.” Rapid Testing is able to provide individuals with a definitive negative result however preliminiary positive results must be confirmed by traditional methods of HIV screening.

In addition to offering testing at the Lancaster Activity Center, AIDS Community Alliance will be have testing available at the following locations throughout south central Pennsylvania (Rapid Testing is only available at the Lancaster Location):

Sadler Health Center
100 North Hanover Street, Carlisle
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Hope Station
149 West Penn Street, Carlisle
12:00 Noon - 6:00 PM

Derry Street United Methodist Church
15th and Derry Streets, Harrisburg
12:00 Noon - 6:00 PM

For more information please call AIDS Community Alliance (1.800.867.1550).

May 2007

Making the World Safer...

One Condom At A Time

Join AIDS Community Alliance for a series of special volunteer nights in June. During the evening enjoy the company of others concerned about HIV in south central Pennsylvania and refreshments while helping to make a difference. Volunteers and staff will be assembling safer sex kits for distribution as a part of ACA's prevention programming in the region.

Join us for one or both of these fun evenings and make a difference in your community:

June 14 - 6:30PM - 8:30PM - Harrisburg (ACA Admin Office - 401 Division Street, Ste. 100)

June 21 - 6:30PM - 8:30PM - Lancaster (ACA Activity Center - 250 W. King Street)

For additional information or to register for the upcoming volunteer nights please email Phil or call 1-800-867-1550