HARS Kingston
844a Princess Street K7L1G5 Kingston, ON, Canada

Community Notice: The HARS office at 844a Princess Street will be closed from April 8th until the end of the provincially mandated lockdown. After April 8th, voicemail and email messages will be responded to regularly. Support Services will continue to be available remotely.... Food will be prepared/distributed on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the 844a Princess St. office (subject to change based on public health recommendations) Drop-In and Harm Reduction services will continue to be available at the Integrated Care Hub, 661 Montreal Street, Kingston. You can also access Harm Reduction services at Street Health Centre, 115 Barrack St., Kingston. FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS, and INUIT ADULTS are eligible for PRIORITY COVID-19 vaccination in Ontario. If you fit this criteria, you can continue to book your appointment remotely through HARS. There is no age restriction - vaccination is open to all Indigenous adultS. FOR MORE INFO ABOUT HOW TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT, PLEASE GIVE US A CALL at 613-545-3698 to leave your contact information and a staff member will call you back between 9am-12pm Monday-Thursday mornings. You can also email your contact information to Brad at [email protected]. Note: please have your health card ready when booking.

We're outside 484 Albert Street from 3-6pm handing out FREE wellness kits for youth! Swing by to pick up a kit for yourself, your family, or your clients! #ygk

Michelle Ross was a brilliant talent and a very generous performer, and her passing is a great loss for the community. Michelle often provided entertainment at the PWA's Friends For Life Bike Rally event at Stages nightclub which benefitted the work of HARS Kingston. Many in the community have our own stories about Michelle - this tribute is an opportunity to pause and reflect on her enormous talent and contributions.

The points raised in this article are reflective of the experience of many communities, including those within our catchment area. Stigma Kills. Harm Reduction Saves Lives.

TONIGHT If you're non-binary, come join us for our bi-weekly community support group! Meet local non-binary folks, make friends, and have fun! 5:00 pm via zoom. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2032327733

Chris never stops! Today he is making 2 piece chicken dinners with macaroni salad.

Black History Month Spotlight: BLM - History in the Making Throughout #BlackHistoryMonth we have shared the stories of many significant and inspirational Black individuals who have paved the way for us today, but it is important to acknowledge that we are living in a time when history is being made every day all around us. We have an opportunity to decide which side of history we would like to be on: the side of violence, injustice, and oppression or the side of opportunity..., celebration, and equality. HARS stands with #BlackLivesMatter in their movement towards freedom. When considering the disproportionate rates in which BIPOC are impacted by HIV, it has never been more clear: Anti-racism Work = HIV Work. We are committed to combating anti-black racism within our community, celebrating the Black community for their priceless contributions and tireless work towards the civil rights and HIV/AIDS movements, and staying true to the fight for anti-racism. The spirit of Black History Month goes beyond achievement. It is also about remembering and demonstrating that our lives and contributions are creative, industrious, transformative and joyful. Given the traumas of the last year, it’s important to call out that our experience is about more than the deaths we protest and the pain we hope to heal. Black life is so much more than that. We are not only triumphant and resilient, we deserve to be celebrated and valued. Our minds, our bodies, and our spirits are worthy of real investment. - Patrisse Cullors, Black Lives Matter Co-Founder and Executive Director #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackLivesMatter #BLM #BlackExcellence

#BlackHistoryMonth Spotlight: Achim Howard, Founder of Trans Men Rising. This interview is part of a diverse collection of videos from around the U.S. highlighting the experiences of transgender folks living with HIV & AIDS, as well as the contributions of transgender activists (both HIV- and HIV+) to the fight against the epidemic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHJ7-0pVTe0... #BlackLivesMatter #HIV #Trans #SupportNotStigma

https://globalnews.ca//kingston-integrated-care-hub-exten/

#BlackHistoryMonth Spotlight: Kiara St. James , Founder & Executive Director of New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG). This interview is part of a diverse collection of videos from around the U.S. highlighting the experiences of transgender folks living with HIV & AIDS, as well as the contributions of transgender activists (both HIV- and HIV+) to the fight against the epidemic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s-za2plPa0... #BlackLivesMatter #HIV #Trans #SupportNotStigma

We would like to extend a very special thank you to Pet Valu Kingston - Your Pet Your Store for their continued support of local animals in need - with these generous donations, we are able to provide pet food to members of our community who may otherwise go without. We appreciate you!

#PinkShirtDay was started in 2007 to bring awareness to the bullying many children face at school. At HARS, we welcome many individuals who have experienced bullying and marginalization, including people living with HIV/AIDS, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, racialized and Indigenous people, as well as people who use substances, face mental health challenges, and have experiences of poverty. We work hard to be a welcoming place where people can be themselves authentically ...and escape the harsh judgement of the outside world. More than ever, the staff at HARS want to show our support and remind you that although we are living through a period of physical distance, we remain here to support you. #PinkItForward #StopBullying #AntiBullying #StandUpToBullying

NORS is an overdose prevention hotline for Canadians providing loving, confidential, nonjudgmental support for you, whenever and wherever you use drugs. Call (Canada only): 1-888-688-NORS(6677)

GREAT NEWS! PLEASE SHARE! As of this Friday, January 1st, 2021 the Brockville Warming Centre will be open to serve those in need every single night, seven nigh...ts a week. This is expanded from the original three nights a week. That's right, starting this Friday night, you can stop in to warm up, have a coffee and a hot meal, pick up some everyday items, and find a place to rest and stay safe SEVEN NIGHTS A WEEK. Please share this information with anyone you think could benefit. This is a judgement free space, open for the immediate future in light of winter months. So please don't be shy to stop in. The staff there are eager to serve you! The Brockville Warming Centre is located at Wall Street United Church, and is open 8pm to 8am the next morning. The space opens again this Friday, January 1st.

The numbers are staggering, McIsaac said. If this were any other population of individuals who almost 20,000 people have died, we would be responding very, very, very differently. https://www.thewhig.com//going-down-the-numbers-are-stagge

Community Notice: The HARS office at 844a Princess Street will be closed from December 24th until the end of the provincially mandated lockdown. After January 4th, voicemail and email messages will be responded to regularly. Support Services will continue to be available remotely.... Drop-In and Harm Reduction services will continue to be available at the Integrated Care Hub, 661 Montreal Street, Kingston. Wishing you and yours a safe and happy holiday season, and good health during these challenging times.

When we add up all the years of productive life lost, the opioid epidemic will have robbed our community much more than any infectious disease pandemic would have because it affects youth." (Dr. Kieran Moore, KFL&A Public Health) https://www.thewhig.com//its-very-scary-very-scary-this-ye

Once again, Chris made a delicious holiday meal for our community members. We would like to thank the many volunteers and donors who donated their time and lots of wonderful food to make this happen

This month, the OAN launched STEP FORWARD, a digital communication and podcast series that challenges anti-Black racism within Ontario’s community-based HIV res...ponse. This series, hosted by Kondwani Mwase, is a collaboration spearheaded by the Ontario AIDS Network and produced by 54Lights podcast. Listen to the Trailer at the link below: https://soundcloud.com/k-m/step-forward-series-trailer-2020 Subscribe to the Newsletter to get the Podcast and resources right to your inbox: https://red.us18.list-manage.com/subscribe

Don't forget folks, if you find yourself in need, the Brockville Warming Centre will be open Christmas weekend (and is also open this Sunday night from 8pm to 8am Monday morning). The Warming Centre is located at Wall Street United Church, at 5 Wall Street in Brockville.

Today is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Today, and always, WHAI stands in solidarity with incredible sex work advocates and action networks across Ontario and beyond. These advocates are doing tireless and inspiring work to fight for the rights of sex workers and address systemic violence. Sex Workers have fought at the front lines of the HIV crisis, the overdose crisis, violence against Black, Brown, Indigenous, Trans and drug using women - and more. Today - we acknowledge this incredible work of sex work communities and stand in solidarity in the fight to end violence against sex workers. To all of these amazing groups in Ontario, and any that we have missed ... THANK YOU for your incredible and fierce leadership! #IDEVASW

Hear from the Integrated Care Hub management team about the importance of the work being done at the ICH. https://globalnews.ca/video/7468851/integrated-care-hub- managers-provide-update-on-transition-to-new-location

TONIGHT at 5pm Nonbinary Community Support Group. Make friends, share your experience, build community. We hope to see you there! Meeting zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2032327733

TONIGHT - Join us at 5pm for our first meeting! We hope to see you there. Meeting zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2032327733

Please join us on November 20th at 7:00 pm as we live stream for Transgender Day of Remembrance. Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we... face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence. This event is presented in partnership with TransFamily Kingston and Education on Queer Issues Project (EQuIP)

Job Opportunity - Peer Navigator Position at the CIHR Centre for REACH 3.0 in collaboration with Women’s Health In Women’s Hands (WHIWH), Canadian HIV/AIDS Black, African & Caribbean Network (CHABAC) and Community Based Research Centre (CBRC) To apply, email: [email protected]