February 12, 2009
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In Today's In-Brief:
This Valentines Day, Be an Advocate for NYC Youth Each year hundreds of thousands of students are at risk for unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV infection — because they don’t have the facts. Our youth need and deserve medically accurate, age-appropriate sexuality education information to make healthy choices for themselves and their partners! The women at HIV Law Project’s Center for Women & HIV Advocacy (CWHA) are busily collecting signatures on 1000 postcards urging Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott and Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein to mandate comprehensive sexuality education for New York City students. Please join our efforts. Click here to send messages to Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Walcott and Chancellor Klein letting them know that you support comprehensive sexuality education in New York City schools. Comprehensive sexuality education promotes a positive view of sexuality as a natural part of human development. It provides information about sexual abstinence as well as pregnancy and disease protection. It also teaches teens valuable skills that empower them to take care of their sexual health and make healthy, responsible decisions. “That is what the fight for comprehensive sex education is all about – giving youth – especially our young women – the tools and information they need to stay healthy,” says Tracy L. Welsh, Executive Director of HIV Law Project. HIV Law Project’s new publication Comprehensive Sex Education: A Campaign Toolkit for HIV Advocates is a practical, hands-on resource for advocates interested in pushing for comprehensive sexuality education as a tool for preventing HIV transmission among our youth. The toolkit is designed for advocates around the country who are interested in learning more about comprehensive sexuality education and the importance of this issue in the fight to end HIV/AIDS. The toolkit has been distributed nationwide to about 600 HIV+ women advocates through the U.S. Positive Women’s Network and is now available on-line. Visit us online to read more about HIV Law Project’s Center for Women & HIV Advocacy (CWHA), its campaign for comprehensive sexuality education, and to download our new campaign toolkit. HIV Law Project’s 20th Anniversary HIV Law Project has provided critical legal and advocacy services to low-income people living with HIV/AIDS since 1989. Many of you know that we were the first and, today, remain the only legal agency providing legal services exclusively to this disenfranchised population, including women, people of color, recent and undocumented immigrants, low-income members of the LGBT community, and the homeless. Throughout our 20 years of service, HIV Law Project has been a place of last resort for some of New York City’s most vulnerable populations and we have been a national inspiration and model of quality and service in the fight for the rights and dignity of people living with HIV/AIDS. Again and again, for the past 20 years, we have been successful in securing winning results and making a lasting impact in the communities where we work. We have not done this on our own. Your support over the years, through thick and thin, has enabled us to keep our doors open, to empower people to empower themselves, and to secure justice and personal dignity for those who desperately need our help. As we recognize our 20th year of service in 2009, we also recognize our supporters and network of friends who have enabled us to do the important work that we do. Thank you. Visit us online to learn more about HIV Law Project and upcoming activities marking our 20 years of service.HIV Law Project: A Leader in HIV/AIDS Legal & Advocacy Services 2008 was a year of challenges. Despite the economic crisis and loss of funding, HIV Law Project remained determined to continue providing a high level of quality services to its clients. While vacant staff lines remain unfilled, our already small but highly effective legal staff assumed additional casework to ensure continuity of client services. Our fund raising efforts have increased. Each new dollar we raise helps ensure that our services will continue not only this year but through 2010 and beyond. HIV Law Project handled a total of 1,044 cases in 2008, including immigration, eviction prevention, and benefits related legal services. Of this number, 751 cases were newly opened. We closed 377 cases, which benefited 440 people, including 102 children from low-income families. Through legal education, advocacy training, and issue-specific community outreach, our Center for Women & HIV Advocacy (CWHA) empowered HIV-positive women in 2008 by giving them the tools to organize and the skills to educate each other, public officials, the media, and the general public on issues important to them. CWHA’s success in 2008 was due to actively involving women of color in organizational leadership and decision-making structures. HIV Law Project also engaged in a number of new initiatives during 2008, including: launching our very first Spanish language LawTap, which provides low-income, HIV-positive women the training and knowledge they need to become successful advocates for themselves; launching a pro bono program and establishing key working partnerships with leading New York City firms, such as Weil Gotshal & Manges, LLP and White & Case, LLP; and expanding our internship program to include fall and spring semester slots in addition to our traditional summer internship opportunities. In the area of communications and outreach, we launched a new website design, set up an RSS feed, explored social networking initiatives, such as establishing a presence on Facebook, and introducing In-Brief, our bi-monthly update sent to subscribers via email. In addition, HIV Law Project welcomed three new board members and five new young professional advisory board members in 2008. Together, we have made a direct impact on the lives of people who desperately need our help. I thank you because these results would not be possible without your support. Sincerely,
To find out more about HIV Law Project work, please visit www.hivlawproject.org. HIV Law Project is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and qualifies for the maximum charitable contribution deduction by donors. BE SURE TO RECEIVE OUR IN-BRIEF EMAILS. MAKE HIV LAW PROJECT YOUR BUDDY! Some Internet Service Providers like AOL, Yahoo!, Hotmail, and Juno use email filtering software that allows you to add email addresses to a "buddy," "trusted," "safe," or approved list. Please add news@hivlawproject.org to your list so that our messages don't end up in "junk mail" or the "trash." HIV Law Project |
 Comprehensive sexuality education is a critical tool in the fight against HIV! Send a valentine to Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Walcott and Chancellor Klein to support comprehensive sexuality education in our public schools today! Learn more>>
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