HIV Edmonton
9702 111 Ave NW T5G 0B1 Edmonton, AB, Canada

JOB ALERT! We're hiring! Also, to help prospective candidates learn a bit more about HIV Edmonton and the role, we are hosting a virtual session so folks can ask questions and see what it's all about on Wednesday April 21 at 4:30pm - [email protected] for Zoom details! https://hivedmonton.com/get-involved/opportunities/ #JobSearch #yeg

Urban Indigenous vaccine announcement!

We still have a couple of spots for our Dynamics of HIV course coming up February 23-25th. Shorter sessions to diminish fatigue but still get some great knowledge about HIV, stigma and health equity! Register by e-mail to get links! [email protected]

We have been very open about our losses from concurrent epidemics/pandemics. The losses are excruciating. This piece shows the diversity of lives and faces that Canada has lost to opioids. If you think you know who are the only groups impacted, you may be surprised.

As a member of Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development we wanted to share this event! If you can take a 3pm (our time) coffee or somewhat early cocktail break... Join! This is in honour of both Black History Month as well as African, Caribbean and Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day that we celebrated yesterday! Please register here and you will receive the Zoom link. https://us02web.zoom.us//tZUucuqsqjMrHNO6aKd0xTf_ILBLDJdwY

Please note! We’ve had some mild months but this week is bitterly cold. Stay safe and be sure to keep an eye on each other!

February 7 is African, Caribbean and Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Let’s get talking about sexual health, access to testing and ending the stigma of HIV. . . #yeg #blackhivday #acb #blacklivesmatter #sciencenotstigma #uequalsu

To bring awareness of the over-representation of African, Caribbean and Black communities in the HIV epidemic, we are hosting a conversation that honours the Black community and recognizes the racism that continues to create barriers to health equity and drives HIV. Reach out through PMs to get the zoom info!

It's #winewednesday folks! Imagine a bottle of wine Then imagine it 100 times better!! Now you have Wine for Winter- where one lucky team will win the the Grand Prize of 100 carefully curated bottles. But only if you register before December 4! Register at: wineforwinter.ca... Our featured wine this Wednesday (curated by the specialists at Color de Vino)to whet your palate is the ALVEAR ALAGNE TEMPRANILLO This Spanish gem sees a few months in French and American oak. It has sweetly perfumed and herbal-tinged aromas of redcurrant, raspberry, cherry, balsamic vinegar and menthol. Its lush palate features notes of vanilla and malted chocolate. Bold and plush, this tempranillo finishes with subtle dusty tannins.

Tomorrow is Black Friday and we know that many of our local businesses need support this year so we do hope that you will do what you can for them! After Black Friday comes Giving Tuesday, and this year it falls on December 1... World AIDS Day! We are so amazed by the generosity of Gilead Alberta ULC who are generously matching all donations made on December 1 up to $3000! Please consider honouring our most important day with a donation, large or small, you know that it wi...ll have double the impact! If you choose to donate now at hivedmonton.com please state Giving Tuesday/World AIDS Day in comment so we can ensure it gets matched!

Today is the day many of you have been waiting for with great anticipation! With bright snow on the ground and a new day dawning post election, Welcome to our Wine for Winter contest! (Our new take on Wine Survivor!) Winter is long. And this year is going to feel even longer. You know what would help? Winning wine. Lots and lots of wine. Win 100 bottles of wine. Help a good cause.... With a $40 ticket purchase, you could be stocked for the season.

Here's a chance to get to know Catherine Broomfield, the new Executive Director in an online meet and greet! She'll be sharing her exciting plans and ideas as well as a chance to learn a bit more about her! RSVP for Zoom link to [email protected] Thursday November 26, 4:00pm

In response to the rising numbers of COVID-19 in Edmonton we want all our friends to be aware of HIV Edmonton's precautions as well as limits starting today: - We will have a Support and Outreach Team member scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Friday for our normal work hours (Note we close at noon on Fridays!) - Clients please utilize the Ross Armstrong entrance (we have new doorbell! ) This minimizes contact through the building - Please call to book appointments as we ...are encouraging appointments versus drop in when possible (780-488-5742) - We are not currently welcoming/inviting external partners or guests to our building - We are limiting staff in the building and those of us that can work from home will be doing so to limit exposure - Our existing protocols continue; mask/face coverings, hand hygiene, documenting arrival with screening questions to ensure everyone's safety. We are encouraging our community, especially our clients living with HIV to get a flu shot, stay at home when possible and keep your bubbles small so we can lower the cases in Edmonton. Photo credit: Saskatchewan Health Authority

For those of you who maybe don’t drink wine but love the chance to win some cash! Or maybe you partake in both?!

When you win Wine for Winter, you're not winning wine from the discount bin. Your team could walk away with 100 carefully curated bottles! Just picture these five wines warming up your winter! Head to WineForWinter.ca to register!... All thanks to the fabulous team Color de Vino for curating these bottles! TERRA VECCHIA UNE ILE ROSE This rosé is very expressive and complex, combining notes of red fruit, candy and citrus. It's fresh and full on the palate, with aromas of grapefruit and red currants. Its long and delicious finish is the expression of a stylish, well-made wine100% Niellucciu. LAPIS LUNA CHARDONNAY This is a wonderfully elegant and vibrant white wine with pure fruit flavours of apple, pear and hints of savoury herbs. SOLA FRED This Montsant red wine features notes of blackberries, bing cherries, earth, and leather. It is bold and juicy and packed with fresh and dark fruits. PARES BALTA BRUT DE PACS This sparkling wine has nutty notes combined with aromas of pear and apple. It feels fresh and alive in the mouth with dominating notes of fruit. RESS WEINHAUS PINOT NOIR This medium-bodied German Pinot Noir from the Rheingau region is made by the 4th and 5th winemaking generations of the Ress family. It has lots of ripe and concentrated red fruit flavours with some delicate spice notesall backed up with an elegant body

On this day we remember those we have lost and in turn commit to ending the violence against transgender people. We must commit to challenging systemic racism that continues to harm and traumatize, and kill, our Black and Indigenous friends, family and community.

Why is it important to work on de-stigmatizing illnesses like HIV even if you never knowingly interact with an individual living with the virus? "The fact that ...the stigma of HIV is always a part of what many people are coping with, taking that one pill once a day that we think should be so easy and simplistic oftentimes is a reminder of something that many people just don’t want to think about. It’s also a situation that requires that they divulge their diagnosis to others if they have a bottle of pills in the house, or they are taking pills in a situation where others may find out. The fact that they feel uncomfortable either having the pills in the house, taking the pills on a regular basiseven once a dayacts as a very important stigmatic factor for why people don’t take their pills. Of course, they would rather just forget about it. They’d rather pretend it’s not there and not have to take that pill a day as a reminder." https://www.thebodypro.com//integrase-inhibitors-secondary

It may be Friday the 13th but that means it is only 5 days until Wine Wednesday again! Although we may have new restrictions we thought we would share some interesting ways to ensure you keep your good luck tonight if safely sharing in a lovely bottle of vino within your bubble! Good luck Tip: Always make eye contact when making a toast, failing to do so can banish you to 7 years bad luck in the boudoir! Lock eyes and toast that vino! Good luck Tip: Don't be greedy and sha...re that wine.. never pour yourself the last drops of wine (when sharing) as it is bad luck (also shows respect to share with friends and loved ones!) Keep the good luck rolling and be sure to enter to win 100 bottles of wine in our Wine for Winter (Wine Survivor) game! That's a lot of toasting that can happen when you win!! Wine collection curated by our wine connoisseurs at Color de Vino

It's been a very long time coming. Until now, HIV self-testing kits have not been approved for sale, or available to Canadians who need them, despite the fact that they are available in more than 30 other countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France. How does the HIV self-test work? A person pricks their finger, takes a single drop of blood with the materials provided in the kit, follows the simple procedure instructions provided in the package, and reads their results. The process can take as little as one minute. Thanks to Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) for their incredible advocacy and work on this!

It's been a whirlwind since Catherine has arrived and so we are a bit late on our official social media welcome! Please join us in officially welcoming Catherine Broomfield to HIV Edmonton! Catherine joined our team on October 26 eager to take on her role as Executive Director. Catherine comes to HIV Edmonton with a positive attitude, compassion and a wealth of valuable knowledge. A few words from Catherine:... Tansi. Hello HIV Edmonton friends, community members and champions! It is with a great honour that I step into the void left by departing Executive Director, Shelley Williams, and become HIV Edmonton’s new Executive Director. I know I will not be able to fill Shelley’s shoes in the same way, however, I hope my style of leadership will be a good fit for the next evolution in our organization’s development, as well as the current unusual COVID-19 circumstances. During the recruitment search, I was asked to deliver a timed presentation to the Board on a specific question: Where do you see the positioning of HIV Edmonton and it’s value to the community in the next 5 years and how will you motivate/engage the staff to move in that direction? That’s a BIG question to cover in 20 minutes! My response was to present a framework I would follow in the coming years with a focus on three actions: Share > Collaborate > Stretch. By ‘Share’ I meant that I see myself spending a lot of my initial time in the organization learning the ropes and listening to the needs of the community members, staff and other stakeholders. In pursuing an intention to share and learn, I see that I’d next be looking to ‘Collaborate’ in identifying needs, problems and possible solutions. In doing so, I’d see us ‘Stretching’ the current capacity of HIV Edmonton into its next evolution. Stretching to me doesn’t necessarily mean ‘growth’ it could certainly mean change, discomfort or newness, however, growing in ways that aren’t authentic to the HIV Edmonton community is not my intention. I guess my presentation resonated with the Board because here I am. So, with this first connection through the newsletter introduction, I extend an invitation to begin sharing and learning with you. If you have something that’s been on your mind for a while and you want me to know then I invite you to email or phone me and let’s talk! I can be reached by phone (780-488-5742 ext. 401, or email at [email protected]). In closing, thank you for the welcome that has already greeted me. I look forward to representing the HIV Edmonton community and encourage your engagement in my learning and in the activities that will be on the horizon as HIV Edmonton embarks on an update of its Strategic Plan beginning in 2021. In friendship, Hiy Hiy. Catherine

We have a Good Samaritan Law in place to ensure lives are saved and that people can feel safe to report overdose concerns. This is so important. This is about saving lives. You don’t have police showing up for someone with a heart attack, Chu said, so why exactly are they showing up at overdose scenes and collecting information? Mistrust of the law itself and confusion around its protections and limitationsand how it is being enforced in real lifewere found to be ongoing issues, said a June report from the HIV Legal Network that surveyed drug users in five cities across Ontario. The report zeroed in on one case where a person who said they overdosed and was trailed to the hospital by a cop and arrested as soon as (they) started to wake up from the Narcan.

It's Friday... and we could all use the warmth of a feel good moment, and that moment is brought to you by OREO's.

Out here in Alberta it's 3pm cocktail hour... but if you can take a break (maybe coffee if that suits better?) it should be a cool chat with the amazing Trevor Stratton!

An interesting piece about access to benefits during COVID-19 (CERB) and sex work. The risks and challenges of tax filing... and some benefits of filing. Sex work is work and yet as we know, it is not always safe to disclose.

Not everyone got the day off today, check out CBC Edmonton tonight with Nancy Carlson when we address the challenges of communicating health messages around infectious diseases. Also cover some of the similarities between prevention messages for COVID-19 and HIV.

Other G7 countries such as France, U.S. and U.K. currently have HIV self-tests available. We expect the arrival of self-testing kits in Canada to lead to greater advancements in HIV care and awareness. Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) is driving the campaign to get Canada up to speed. Testing and access to treatment are the best way to change the trajectory of HIV.

"HIV stigma arises from fear, lack of knowledge, and existing prejudices against groups of people most affected by the virus. Defeating common myths surrounding the transmission of HIV will play a significant role in stamping out stigma."

Big changes for our organization and with change comes grieving loss of one and creating excitement for what's next! It is with sadness that after almost 10 years, we say a fond farewell and wish an incredible future filled with passion, joy and laughter to our Executive Director, Shelley Williams. Shelley has committed so much to our agency and has understood fully the value of relationships with clients, staff, volunteers and community. Shelley has dedicated a substanti...al piece of her life to making sure we are making a difference in the lives of those we serve. We cannot express how grateful we are for her guidance and strong leadership in these past years and her dedication to ensuring our organization is in a strong place to move into the future with confidence. It is a demonstration of Shelley’s dedication to the work of HIV Edmonton that we have been able to adapt and thrive in the current realties of society and continue to serve the most vulnerable. The HIV Edmonton Board of Directors is proud to welcome Catherine Broomfield, who will be joining us as of October 26th, as our new Executive Director. Catherine brings with her a wealth of valuable experience. With a diverse background in non-profits, the public and private sectors, post-secondary education and military service, and for 10 years as the Executive Director of iHuman Youth Society. With warmth and love we wish Shelley all the best in her future endeavors as we welcome with excitement the leadership of Catherine. Please join us in welcoming her to the agency and looking forward to the continued great work of HIV Edmonton. Lynne Kaiser HIV Edmonton Board Chair

Reduction in all levels of support continue to make our work even harder!

We feel so honoured that with everything happening in our world today and with so much uncertainty, that Evolution Wonderlounge and the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose are making a huge effort to recognize World AIDS Day on December 1. HIV Edmonton and Evo have done so many special events and this one always pulls our hearts! This year where focus is on a different pandemic... we need folks to remember our pandemic that still has no cure and still after 40 years, no vaccine. What a special night

The Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose have committed to giving to community in a way that not many service groups do! They often look to which organizations may not be seen or heard and overlooked and then they work hard to raise not only money, but the profile and awareness. The very first cheque to ever come to us as the AIDS Network of Edmonton Society over 35 years ago was bestowed by none other than the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose. This weekend we... met up distanced and masked for them to make an incredible donation of over $5600! This, in a year where COVID-19 momentarily stopped shows and in person 50/50s and all the ways they traditionally could raise the money for their chosen charities. They pivoted and collected cans and bottles and found new creative ways to ensure funds still were distributed to their organizations. You have seen how the drag community has been able to bring light, love and acceptance through entertainment during the past few trying months. With shows in the parks, at people's homes and literally in the streets! Members from The Court started a food bin in Paul Kane Park, just because they knew there was a need in these uncertain times. Thank you never seems enough for over 44 years of support to community and 35 to us! We truly feel love for all that continue this amazing tradition. Thank you! See more