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.