VORA Invites You….
Good Morning!
I trust the summer is treating you well, and that you've managed to stay cool during these long, lazy days of summer in Virginia!
We at VORA have been busy! And I'm writing you this morning to update you on just what we've been up to these days …
First, please mark your calendar! On Tuesday, September 13, at Noon — VORA is hosting our FIRST Annual Membership Meeting in Richmond.
Invitations are being sent out later this week, and if you do not receive yours, please let us know. We are having lunch in the Norwood Room at St. Paul's Episcopal Church — the same room where we began AIDS Awareness Day the past two or three years. Details of the day are posted on www.VORAonline.org.
The organizing Board of Directors of VORA is filing with the I.R.S. to receive recognition of the organization, and this meeting will include some important steps toward that goal — we hope you will choose to participate. We'll also will share with you details about some of the other changes that are underway, to provide for long-term and sustained support of the VORA — to make sure that we're here for years to come.
Second, we are proud to announce that the Washington AIDS Partnership has funded VORA for another year! We are very pleased to have the trust and support of this important funding agency. And perhaps you'll have the opportunity to thank them yourself on September 15th. Our grant provides funding to support the website, my Associate Kristy Snowden, and much more. With this grant, VORA continues to be an Advocate for strong public policies that impact HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in Virginia.
Third, the website's been revamped! That's www.VORAonline.org — And if you haven't visited lately, please take a look today. Work is still underway, but you can see that we are expanding our ability to provide a wider range of information to folks using this site — not only can you find information on legislative activities, but we also are serving as a one-stop link to information about HIV/AIDS in general ("Top 10 questions about HIV/AIDS"), to potential sources of funding for services, to prevention and treatment HIV/AIDS services in our state, and much more. Kristy and Brian have been working hard, and any compliments, thoughts, impressions, and ideas to improve the site, please forward those on to us at INFO@VORAonline.org.
Lastly, we have been invited to present at the 2005 United States Conference on AIDS in Houston later in September. The workshop is entitled "I Can't Lobby! Can I?" If you're in Houston for this very important meeting, look us up and please let me know that you're there! We hope to encourage others around the country to do what we do by simply telling our story.
There's only a bit of summer left, and we're already looking forward to Fall, its colors and cooler weather.
AND we're gearing up to do even more in the next year.
In the meantime, thanks for you continuing support of VORA, and
SEE YOU IN RICHMOND on SEPTEMBER 13th!
Sue