Community Health Center Commemorates World AIDS Day Monday

From the CHC
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WHAT: In recognition of World AIDS Day Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) and Oasis Wellness Center will host a memorial ceremony and unveiling of the newest section of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on December 2nd. CHC staff and patients along with local community members and business leaders will gather at the health center on Main Street in Middletown to share in the moving unveiling of a 12ft by 12ft square of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, commemorating patients who have lost their battle with HIV/AIDS. The evening will pay tribute to World AIDS Day through a musical and visual commemoration, featuring personal narrative from patients afflicted with HIV/AIDS, a visual presentation of the AIDS epidemic in Africa, live musical entertainment including a performance by an African Drumming Troupe led by Wesleyan alumnus Abraham Adzenyah. The evening will conclude with a ceremonial reading of the names on the quilt.

WHEN: Monday, December 2nd, 2013, 5:30 pm WHERE: Community Health Center, 1st Floor Community Room, 675 Main Street

WHY: According to aids.gov today there more than 1.1 million people in the United States who are living with HIV infection, and almost 1 in 5 (18.1%) are unaware of their infection. World AIDS Day was first celebrated in 1988, the same year that the International AIDS Society was formed. It has since become one of the most recognized international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt was conceived in November of 1985 by long-time San Francisco gay rights activist Cleve Jones. In 1987 a group came together in San Francisco to give life to the Quilt, and document the lives they feared history would neglect. Their goal was to create a memorial for those who had died of AIDS, and to thereby help people understand the devastating impact of the disease. Today the Quilt is a powerful visual reminder of the AIDS pandemic. More than 48,000 individual 3-by-6-foot memorial panels — most commemorating the life of someone who has died of AIDS — have been sewn together by friends, lovers and family members.

CHC’s Oasis Wellness Center is committed to detecting HIV/AIDS as early as possible, preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, initiating the most effective evidence-based treatment, and ensuring that persons living with this chronic disease receive the most holistic, compassionate, and comprehensive set of services available. Located in Middletown, the Oasis Wellness Center is a social support center for people living with the virus and is a critical source of care, case management, and social engagement.