AIDSinfo No. 39
infoSIDA No. 39

The Annual Meeting is from 2:30 to 4:00 pm and follows "POWER TALK" - an advocacy training open to advocates of any issue - at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond.

We are very excited about this meeting, and look forward to seeing you there!

So, please, did ANYONE go to one of the Governor's public meetings to talk with him about PLWA needs in our state? We didn't hear from ANYONE … Please write me if you went to one.

Two important items have crossed my desk this week that I want to make sure you have seen.

One, AIDSWatch in DC –
It's just around the corner, and we all live closer to DC than most of the rest of the country (OK, not all, but most anyway …) — Sometimes that makes it hard for us to get there!! That's certainly true for our brothers and sisters in our rural areas of the state — Not easy to get on a plane and just fly into DC, is it!

Even with that said, Virginia doesn't want to be left out!!

Here is the link to the central AIDSWatch folks — and they can get you in touch with your closest state coordinator –

napwa.org

For me and Shannon — We'll be there!

Two, some info for you about a WORLD — A conference in San Francisco in June, and the opportunity for women living with HIV from Virginia to get costs covered.

Please — Pass this email along to anyone you wish.
And should you wish to be removed from this distribution list, please hit "reply" and simply ask — We'll remove your email address as quickly as possible.
If you got this email from a friend — and you wish to be added to the list — please hit "reply" and simply ask. We'll make sure you get these, too. Thank you!

Susan R Rowland, MPA

Executive Director

Virginia Organizations Responding to AIDS

PO Box 4780

Woodbridge, VA 22194-4780

(703) 626-7392 (phone)

(703) 494-1489 (fax)

www.VORAonline.org

Last time I wrote, I gave you some information about Town Hall meetings that Governor Kaine had scheduled around the state.  A few more have been added — and I want to make sure that if you live nearby, you are aware of these now — They are listed at the end of this email.

These meetings are EXCELLENT opportunities for YOU to speak directly to GOVERNOR KAINE and members of his staff — live and in person!! — about issues important to you — Such as funding for HIV prevention and treatment services in our state!

And whatever other topics you'd like to talk about –

Please — Spread the word to your friends, family, co-workers, church members, brothers / sisters, neighbors — anyone !!

Take just one evening and talk directly with the Governor about what is important to you.

And if you go, please let us know — We'd love to hear what responses you get from the Governor!

Thanks!

Sue

Begin forwarded message:

Monday, March 17
Where: Roanoke
Patrick Henry High School- Auditorium
2102 Grandin Road Southwest
When: 6:30 p.m-8 p.m.
 
Wednesday, March 19
Where: Norfolk
Virginia Wesleyan College- Dining Center
1584 Wesleyan Drive
When: 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
 
Thursday, March 20
Where: Front Royal
Skyline High School- Cafeteria
151 Skyline Vista Drive
When: 6 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

Susan R. Rowland, MPA 

Virginia Organizations Responding to AIDS

PO Box 4780

Woodbridge, VA 22194-4780

703-626-7392

703-494-1489 (fax: Woodbridge)

Please — Pass this email along to anyone you wish.
And should you wish to be removed from this distribution list, please hit "reply" and simply ask — We'll remove your email address as quickly as possible.  
If you got this email from a friend — and you wish to be added to the list — please hit "reply" and simply ask. We'll make sure you get these, too.  Thank you!

I've had other lobbyists tell me that they knew yesterday as the day as they saw people in the halls and recognized VORA's name. That is all due to the excellent attendance that you all make happen for a good number of years now.

And, for those of you who could not be here in person — we all hope that you also called or wrote to your Delegate and Senator yesterday.

So, now what?

Well, the decisionmakers are still working on their decisions! That means that it is NOT TOO LATE for you to make your wishes known to them.

PLEASE Call or Write to your Delegate AND Senator to ask for their support of the BUDGET AMENDMENTS to PROMOTE HIV PREVENTION WORK in Virginia.

Again, we're attaching the two fliers that we used yesterday to tell the story of WHY Virginia needs to spend such a small amount of money to save so much more.
Youth and HIV
Crystal Meth and HIV

As folks here yesterday said:

• "It's all about Priorities!"
• " 'No' to HIV prevention is penny wise and dollar foolish. It costs us all so much more when we fail to prevent the transmission of HIV!"
• "I had heard of HIV, but I didn't really know anything about it … until it was too late! Is that the way we want it to be for our kids?"
• "This is such a small amount of money out of a large budget. And the payoff is so great in the long-run! For the taxpayers — for the people who don't get HIV because they learned!"
• "Would you say "no" to your own son or daughter?"
• "I'm your constituent … and this is very important to me!"

Please keep those calls and letters going. Even if your Delegate or Senator are not part of the "money committees," they still have a voice. Ask them to speak to the Budget Committee members and ask for their support of these budget amendments.

And thank you!!

Susan R. Rowland, MPA
Virginia Organizations Responding to AIDS
PO Box 4780
Woodbridge, VA 22194-4780
P: 703-626-7392
F: 703-494-1489

It's still not too late to participate!!

Please call or write your Delegate and Senator today — And ask them to support funding for HIV prevention.

After all,  AIDS IS a Preventable Disease !!

Attached you will find the two handouts that we are handing out today –
Youth and HIV
Crystal Meth and HIV

Yes, the year is a difficult year for the State's Budget — "There is no money!" is what you'll hear — But there IS money in the state's budget that will be used for priority issues –

Help to make HIV Prevention a priority issue!

Call today!

Sue

And, let's make it 100 this year!

In the past years, our numbers in Richmond on AIDS Awareness Day have been 70 + (we loose track after that!)  

How about this year let legislators see 100 of us walking the halls and speaking out for persons living with HIV!!

Why come to Richmond?  Each one of us that wants to see additional state funding for HIV prevention — that will happen ONLY if we make our voices heard!!

So plan to come to Richmond next Wednesday — January 30th — to tell your Delegate and your Senator why this small request is so very important to their folks back home.  No one can tell that story as well as you …

If you have already registered, no need to do that again — but if you have not, please do so today!  Shannon needs to make sure we have your materials, and breakfast and lunch for you.  So please register!!

Visit www.VORAonline.org — and click on the link to 2008 AIDS Awareness Day — you'll find everything that you  need right there.

Thanks — and we'll see you next week!!

Sue

P.S.  Want to contact us directly?  Write to Shannon@VORAonline.org and we'll get you an answer to your questions.

Susan R. Rowland, MPA 

Virginia Organizations Responding to AIDS

PO Box 4780

Woodbridge, VA 22194-4780

703-626-7392

703-494-1489 (fax: Woodbridge)

Shannon is ready to take your registration so that she can prepare for your visits to Virginia's Delegates and Senators.
To get dowloadable Fliers and Registration forms, please visit www.voraonline.org/aids-awareness-day-is-january-30th
Before you come to Richmond, please make a call or write a letter to YOUR delegate and YOUR senator to introduce yourself to them. VORA is planning to seek funding for Prevention services again this year. And we'll keep trying until we are successful. Your calls and letters will help to make that happen.
In the meantime, be sure to REGISTER FOR AIDS AWARENESS DAY !!

We can't wait to see you here!

Sue Rowland
Executive Director
Virginia Organizations Responding to AIDS

Follow these steps to find out who your Delegate and Senator's phone number and mailing address near you.

1. The first thing you need is the number of your House and Senate district. To find that, look at your voter registration card.
   - or - go to conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform , fill in your address, and the next form that pops up tells you who your delegate and senator are TODAY. The new delegates and senators don't take office until January, so look for the "district/party" line under the name, and write down those two numbers.
2. Next go to voraonline.org/congratulate-your-delegate-senator
3. Click "House of Delegates" — a PDF file comes up. Scroll down to the number of your Delegate district — the candidates who lost are crossed out. The winner — your delegate to the 2008 General Assembly — is listed there — complete with mailing address at the home district.
4. Last, click your "back" button, and then click "Senate", wait for the PDF file, look for your Senate district number, and find your new Senator's name and mailing address right there.