Friday, April 2, 2010
National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
American Indian Health Service of Chicago, Inc would like to thank the community, sponsors, educators, and speakers for attending our annual HIV/AIDS Awareness Event last Friday, March 19th 2010. We had an excellent turnout!
The event held many new activities this year, one which included the community memorial quilt. Thanks to everyone who participated in the quilt project and be sure to look out for it soon in the native community!
The new Youth Peer Outreach Team also made its debut at the event and did an excellent job volunteering. Many thanks to them! The Youth Outreach Team is a program started by AIHSC which challenges Native American Youths ages 13-24 to learn more about HIV/AIDS and health and teach their peers about HIV prevention.
Free rapid HIV testing was held as well at the event in which some 19 individuals learned their status for the very first time. Many thanks to our AmriCorps volunteers for all their help in getting our people tested that night.
Finally, the event ended wonderfully with a powwow and included the sounds of Big Sky and Cricket Hill on drums. Thanks to both groups for a great powwow!
HIV continues to increase among Native people as it has over the past decade. When population size is taken into account, American Indians/Alaskan Native rank third in the U.S. in HIV/AIDS cases compared to other races and ethnicities. National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day challenges us to work together, in harmony, to create a greater awareness of the risk of HIV/AIDS to our Native communities, to call for resources for testing and early detection and for increased treatment options, and to eventually decrease the occurrence of HIV/AIDS among Native people.
The event held many new activities this year, one which included the community memorial quilt. Thanks to everyone who participated in the quilt project and be sure to look out for it soon in the native community!The new Youth Peer Outreach Team also made its debut at the event and did an excellent job volunteering. Many thanks to them! The Youth Outreach Team is a program started by AIHSC which challenges Native American Youths ages 13-24 to learn more about HIV/AIDS and health and teach their peers about HIV prevention.
Free rapid HIV testing was held as well at the event in which some 19 individuals learned their status for the very first time. Many thanks to our AmriCorps volunteers for all their help in getting our people tested that night.
Finally, the event ended wonderfully with a powwow and included the sounds of Big Sky and Cricket Hill on drums. Thanks to both groups for a great powwow!
HIV continues to increase among Native people as it has over the past decade. When population size is taken into account, American Indians/Alaskan Native rank third in the U.S. in HIV/AIDS cases compared to other races and ethnicities. National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day challenges us to work together, in harmony, to create a greater awareness of the risk of HIV/AIDS to our Native communities, to call for resources for testing and early detection and for increased treatment options, and to eventually decrease the occurrence of HIV/AIDS among Native people.
This event would not have been possible without the donation from the Chicago Native American community and our funders and donors. Miigwetch!
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