SAN DIEGO – With this year’s presidential election underway, San Diego Human Dignity Foundation (SDHDF) has announced that in addition to supporting local agencies and programs through grants, the organization will be partnering with the San Diego HIV Funding Collaborative to support six consumers living with HIV/AIDS through the national advocacy initiative, AIDSWatch. This is the third year the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation and the San Diego HIV Funding Collaborative have partnered to send representatives to the nation’s capitol to advocate on behalf of San Diegans living with HIV/AIDS.“This is such a unique opportunity for our elected officials to hear, directly from constituents, how their voting choices affect individuals living with HIV,” said Ian Morton, senior program analyst with San Diego Human Dignity Foundation and HIV Funding Collaborative. “These consumers represent the voices and stories of those who are impacted by HIV, healthcare and education legislation. Since the initiative began at SDHDF three years ago, San Diego has one of the highest levels of representation for Capitol Hill visits.”
Presented by the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, AIDSWatch is the nation’s largest annual constituent-based HIV/AIDS advocacy event, which brings hundreds of individuals living with HIV and their allies nationwide together to meet with elected officials to educate them about the important issues at stake for people living with HIV/AIDS.
This year, AIDSWatch 2016 occurs Monday, Feb. 29 through Tuesday, March 1 in Washington D.C., and the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation’s delegates team will be made up of the following representatives chosen for their outstanding work through local HIV/AIDS services and programs:
• Anthony Mendavil (Stepping Stone)
• Dennis Vega (San Ysidro Health Center)
• Priscilla Mahannah (Christie’s Place)
• Rafael Rubalcaba (North County LGBTQ Center)
• Raul Robles (San Diego LGBT Center)
• Tracie O’Brien (Family Health Centers)
With new advances in treatment, improved access to care through health reform and new prevention technology, huge strides have been made in the journey to put an end to AIDS, but we are far from the finish line. Success will depend on key legislative efforts, which include ongoing support, modernization of the Ryan White Care Act, removing the ban on federal funds for syringe exchange programs, ensuring funding and support for comprehensive sexual health education, and addressing outdated HIV-criminalization laws across the United States.
The public’s help is needed to help these representatives cover their expenses for their trip in just a few weeks. By visiting the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation’s Web site page for AIDSWatch 2016 (http://www.sdhdf.org/donate-
