From Jesse's Heart

I have been living in Boise and working at Allies Linked for the Prevention of HIV and AIDS (a.l.p.h.a.) and the Wellness Center for over a month now and I can say that I absolutely love it. I have been working with patients to let them know that there are things out in the community that they can get involved in socially such as classes, to better themselves both mentally and physically, retreats, potlucks and support groups, among other things. Also at the Wellness Center I have been doing HIV testing and counseling. That is truly one of the things I love to do. I would also like to thank everyone at a.l.p.h.a. and the Wellness Center for welcoming me into all their lives. This is an awesome experience for me!!!

Working with United Vision for Idaho

United Vision for Idaho is a coalition consisting of more than twenty nonprofit organizations. Together with our partners, affiliates and individual members it is our mission is to transform the political landscape of Idaho by promoting education and understanding of public policy which allows every person to live with dignity and security in a healthy environment; by building relationships and open communication at the community level; by promoting public dialogue on the common values of the coalition; and by working to empower participation in democracy. We believe that far more unites than divides us and through collaborative grassroots work, we can change public policy, dismantle oppression, and enhance the equality, dignity, and power of all people.

Why We Do What We Do:

We believe that we must all work together

To advance the station of all people, To provide opportunities where few or none existed,To ensure that no one gets left behind and that all people have access to the tools and resources they need to enhance their own lives, that of their families,their communities, state and world. 

We do this work because we believe

That a world of equal opportunity, free from discrimination and barriers is a world where we can all flourish.  We do this work because even though the challenges sometimes seem insurmountable we'd rather spend the whole of our lives trying to help us all get there together than live a life resigned to the notion that better isn't possible.

But it will take all of us to achieve that promise.

So we come together as nonprofits, business owners, musicians, artists, citizens activists, and advocates. We come together as people committed to building a better future for our children's, our children, our parents, and grandparents, our family, friends and neighbors, for all people.

By our actions, by showing up, speaking up, and taking part, we create the slow and steady drip

that never leaves any rock unchanged!

THE LIQUID FORUM   

Is a program designed to foster community engagement.  Every first Wednesday of the month, we showcase a different Idaho nonprofit and local musical talent.  Join us as we learn and celebrate the important work non-profit organizations do for our community amidst the sounds that give pulse to our community.  Let's work together to turn policy into poetry and social justice into something we can all participate in!

April features Duane Quintana from a.l.p.h.a. committed to preventing the transmission of HIV and AIDS through education, public awareness, testing, and providing supportive services to infected and affected individuals. Duane will lead a discussion about the important work of the organization and reveal some exciting new developments. More about a.l.p.h.a. at http://www.alphaidaho.org Our Musical Guest will be the amazing,

Jani's Thoughts

Volunteering at a.l.p.h.a. has given me a chance to feel as though I am actually making a difference, even if it is only in one life, in one day. To be able to fill the gaps in knowledge for teens and adults for that matter, in what HIV/AIDS is, how it’s transmitted, that anyone can be affected and how it’s no longer a death sentence has given me more intrinsic rewards than anything I have done in my career. It has provided me an opportunity to model respect and the power of being informed to my children while also providing them the opportunity to be exposed to so many different populations. My children have been set on a path of health and personal responsibility and that is something I can never replace. a.l.p.h.a. is so important to our local communities; providing education, testing, and a sense of belonging that lacks in so many places in Idaho. I am forever indebted to the organization for that.

30 Years of Fighting the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the United States

This year, CDC will commemorate 30 years of fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. To highlight our collective progress and examine existing challenges, CDC will launch on April 6, 2011, an online community that will serve as an information and communication portal. Here, we invite you to share your voice to remind us of the accomplishments, inspire one another with stories of perseverance and success, and position ourselves and our work for the road ahead.

This unique social networking community will allow members to share events, stories, photos, videos, and much more from the past 30 years. Many of us have been personally affected by HIV/AIDS over the past 3 decades, from receiving a diagnosis, to living with HIV or AIDS, to caring for a friend or family member with the disease. Our personal stories speak of challenges, but they also speak of hope. Please share your personal story with us and with others who have become a part of this epidemic's history.

Furthermore, some of us have worked in HIV since its beginning 30 years ago—in clinics, community organizations, the hardest-hit areas, health departments, and federal agencies. Some of us have more recently enlisted in this fight. But all of us have had moments that defined our work and our dedication to reducing the burden of HIV and AIDS. Please join the online community and share your defining moment in HIV prevention.

The Web community will also feature a calendar of events and host guest bloggers ranging from CDC leaders to community activists and partners in our collective struggle to end the epidemic. We encourage you to spend some time in this section of the portal and invite you to respond to blog posts with memories, lessons learned, or words of encouragement. To further commemorate the first reported case of AIDS, CDC will convene the lecture series, "HIV/AIDS: 30 Years of Leadership and Lessons" moderated conversations with leaders describing defining moments that changed the course of the epidemic. The series will begin early June 2011 and run through the final day of the CDC's National HIV Prevention Conference, which will be held August 14-17 in Atlanta. The conference will provide another opportunity to look back at the successes and challenges of the first 30 years of the epidemic, the lessons learned, and how we can apply these lessons today to have an even greater effect on the HIV epidemic.

Once you are a member of the online community, you can connect with colleagues past and present, meet new friends, honor loved ones affected by HIV or AIDS, and remember those who died from the disease. We have made significant progress, but much more remains to be done.

Information from CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS prevention

A Few Words From Robbie

Before I started a.l.p.h.a., I had never been tested; I figured that it was a waste of my time. In June of 2010 me and my husband Sean LaCelle went to Boise Pride, at this Pride alpha was doing Free HIV Testing. I looked at Sean and said let’s get tested. Sean was all for it so we walked over and got in line. The staff person handed us the following paper and I started to panic I started to shake really bad. Despite this I continued to go through with the test. Once I got my results I still was shaking really bad, at this time a lady named Crisa Charlton came up to me and we talked about a.l.p.h.a., I explained that I lived in twin and that I think what there doing here is a big thing, after leaving Boise that day I called Crisa and told her that when I get back from Cali I wanted to start volunteering. Couple week’s passes and when I got back I called Crisa up and we meet at a coffee shop on Blue Lakes, at this time I pitched an idea to her, and Idaho HIV and AIDS walk something that never happened in Idaho, we started planning it and went forward. In weeks to come I got to meet Duane for the first time and we talked a little bit and than just two days later we were opening an actual office here in Twin Falls. At first when I started a.l.p.h.a. I was the Fundraising Coordinator after couple months I became the Office Manager and now I’m currently the Office Manager and the Testing Coordinator for the Twin Falls Office.

I look back at the past year and I can say that a.l.p.h.a. has changed my life, I look at people in a different way and I feel that I care more about people’s safety and well being. I can say that it’s an honor working for an organization that offers so many services for the public. With Twin Falls being a very conservative community it has been a struggle to get people to understand that HIV and AIDS is a global epidemic and that we need to work together to help protect kids, friends, family and just about every living person.