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With the month of August upon us it's time for one among my favorite Link gatherings of the year: our annual Summer Bar-B-Q Potluck at Oaks Amusement Park in SE Portland.
Annual Bar-B-Q Potluck Oaks Amusement Park Wednesday, August 12 6pm to 8pm 7805 SE Oaks Park Way Portland, OR This event is an opportunity for coming together with others living with HIV (the Link is a CAP program for HIV+ gay, bi, pan, queer men and transgender individuals). If you have a guest or guests you'd like to bring the Potluck who is or are HIV-negative, please feel free to do so. For planning this event, it would be helpful if I could gather some information from you. Please take a moment to complete the brief survey located HERE As you'll see on the survey, there are two options for traveling to Oaks Park which is located at 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland, OR 97202. One is meeting at Pivot by 4:45pm to get a ride for a planned arrival at the park by 6pm. The other is to meet at the park at 6pm. I'll need to know how many people need a ride and how many will be transporting themselves so please take a moment to let me know on the survey. If you plan on attending, have never been to Oaks Park, and are transporting yourself, the picnic and bar-b-q areas are located along the Willamette River. Looking forward to seeing you for some fun in the Sun enjoying food with some great people. Best Always,
Benjamin Gerritz
Prevention with Positives Coordinator
Cascade AIDS Project
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Meet, Eat, and Learn Luncheon
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| In addition to our potluck at Oaks Park, there will a second Wednesday luncheon on August 12. For the Meet, Eat, and Learn Luncheon, CAP host a catered luncheon to share information about an HIV health-focused topic. These luncheons are open to anyone living with HIV as well as support persons regardless of HIV status.  The topic for the August Meet, Eat, and Learn will be HIV and Aging. An important NOTE the meeting space for August's lunch will be the 8th floor instead of the usual Pine or Oak rooms on the first floor of the CAP building.
Both the Pine and Oak were unavailable and while the CAP Boardroom isn't ideal in terms of amount of space, I hope it will accommodate as there wasn't any other option. Meet, Eat, and Learn Luncheon HIV and Aging Wednesday, August 12 12pm - 1pm CAP Boardroom (8th floor) 208 SW 5th Ave. #800 Portland, OR 97204 This lunch is catered so please take a moment to RSVP
HERE
. I can only guarantee their will be enough food based upon your RSVP so please, please let me know if you're planning on attending.
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AIDS Walk Portland, Let's Walk
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AIDS Walk Portland is a little over a month away on Saturday, September 12, have you registered?
If yes, fabulous! If not, AIDS Walk Portland is one of our largest fundraisers supporting HIV services throughout Oregon and SW Washington and it would be great to have you join us for this meaningful event.
Our Positive Force NW (a program for and led by people living with HIV and our Supporters) AIDS Walk Team, captained by CAP's Executive Director Tyler TerMeer, welcomes you to sign up for our team. It's important I mention anyone should feel empowered to register and walk with whichever team they feel most comfortable, to register and walk with multiple teams, and/or to start and walk with their own team as well.
If you still need to register, you can do so HERE.
While there is a $10 registration fee, AIDS Walk Portland is an event that is open to anyone regardless of ability to pay. If you need support with your registration or the waiving of the fee please let me know: I would be happy to help.
I feel it would be beneficial for us to find a time for our 2015 Positive Force NW AIDS Walk team to meet to discuss fundraising and activities the day of the Walk. Please complete this brief Doodle Poll selecting your preferences on a day and time for us to get together, HERE
I will follow up once people have completed the Poll with our meeting date and time.
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CareAssist keeps improving coverage benefits for people living with HIV in Oregon.
This year, CareAssist launched a dental coverage option and recently, the program increased its benefits to cover anyone living with HIV whose at or below 500% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) which equates to $4,905.00/month or $58,860/year.
Considering there are still insurance plans in Oregon that are listing HIV medications on a specialty tier with a 50% copay, this added benefit can provide significant help.
If you know of someone living with HIV who may be unaware of this benefit, please let them know about this change. It may be important I mention CareAssist is unique when compared to other services such as housing. Enrolling in CareAssist benefits does not mean the benefits won't be available to someone else. At least for the foreseeable future, CareAssist is financially equipped to meet every HIV+ Oregonians needs provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
More information about CareAssist can be found
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| Message from our President |
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Last week, our President unveiled updates to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
President Obama was the first President to develop a national plan for reducing new HIV infections and for providing comprehensive support for people living with HIV in the United States. The updated plan accounts for advances in medical science (i.e PrEP and undetectable) and establishes specific goals to be accomplished across our entire country which will put us on the path toward the creation of an AIDS-free generation.
Watch our President delivering a message of hope HERE
The updated strategy can be found
HERE
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Pivot Updates
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Get Tested for Syphilis
The rates of syphilis (a bacterial STI) are through the roof right now in our community and it's important, for people who are sexually active, to get tested. Most of our area's HIV doctors are automatically including a test for syphilis in with standard labs for CD4 and viral load. Still, if you're uncertain about whether you've been screened recently it's important to get tested. You can be get a test for syphilis at CAP, Monday through Monday from 10am to 4pm, or in Pivot during testing hours. If your test comes back positive for syphilis, this STI is curable.
See Pivot's website for information about testing HERE
Services Center
Did you know Pivot is open throughout the week at 10am as a Services Center. You can stop in, grab coffee, use the computers, and find support with accessing things such as housing.
Need to support with something or just want to check your emails? Stop in and see CAP's amazing Gloria Ramirez: we got the people to help.
SWOC - Support Group for Workers in the Sex Industry
Every third Monday, 3pm to 4:30pm in Pivot. All genders welcome.
For more information contact Katy
503-771-5503
Recently, SWOC and the STROLL Project partnered on the creation of zines highlighting sex work and social justice. To see the amazing work happening locally, click
Recovery Forward
Interested in a new program to talk about recovery from alcohol and/or substance use? Tried some NA or AA programs and didn't have the result you were hoping for?
CAP's own Cathy VanValkenberg is starting a program that may be just for you. It's called Recovery Forward and will focus on a Cognitive Behavioral Model outside of the realm of 12 step programs.
For more information about Recovery Forward please contact Cathy
HERE
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Community News
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Turn It On, Turn IT Up with
Portland's Wild Planet Radio
Portland has a new, community supported radio station devoted specifically to our LGBTQ community.
Have you tuned in yet to Wild Planet Radio? The station can be found at 99.1FM or through streaming online.
More information about Wild Planet Radio including ways you can be involved with
the station can be found
HIV Criminalization Injustice
Last month, 23 year old Michael Johnson (former wrestling champion) was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a jury in Missouri for "spreading HIV." Across the globe, the US has the largest number of people living with HIV serving time behind bars. Criminalizing people living with HIV is an injustice for the individuals wrongfully put in prison as well as for efforts to prevent new infections and engage HIV+ people in care.
You can read more about Michael's story and why we need to stop HIV criminalization
Witches Night Off to Benefit CAP
Broadway Cares is teaming up with the cast from Wicked to bring an intimate cabaret to Portland this Monday, August 10 in benefit of CAP.
Tickets are $35 and event information can be found
To check about volunteer opportunities during the event, contact my colleague Denny
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