Welcome to the Lethbridge HIV Connection
The Lethbridge HIV Connection Society is a volunteer-based not-for-profit organization that provides leadership in building individual and community capacity to respond to and reduce the harm associated with HIV and Hepatitis C in South-Western Alberta.
Spring For Life 2013
Thank you to everyone who helped support our Spring for Life Campaign! And a huge THANK YOU to all of our volunteers for their assistance - we are much appreciative!!
News - Staying Connected
Hours of Operation
The Lethbridge HIV Connection is open Monday - Thursday, 8:30 - 4:00. If you want to see our staff but cannot make it during our regular operating hours, please call the office (403-328-8186) to arrange for a time, including in the evenings, that works best for you. We are happy to accommodate your request.
2013 Alberta Positive Voices Conference
The Lethbridge HIV Connection was proud to be the host for the 2013 Alberta Positive Voices Conference: Back to our Roots, Building our Future. This exciting and unique conference, which is held every other year, brings together people living with HIV/AIDS from across the province to learn about better health management and new advances in the pandemic while providing opportunities to form networks of friendship and support. This year's event was held March 15-17 in Nordegg, Alberta.
World AIDS Day 2012
In 1988 the World Health Organization designated December 1 as World AIDS Day, a day to unite globally and show spport for those living with HIV or AIDS and to remember the millions of lives lost to this pandemic. This year, we hosted a Human Red Ribbon event in the Galt Gardens Parkas a way to increase attention and support right here in our own community. The evening was a great success! We thank everyone we came out to help us form a human red ribbon, and a huge THANK YOU to Laurelle Brown for the extraordinary job she did planning, arranging and organizing the evening. Thank you also to Caitlyn Tracey for her beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace. Finally, thank you to everyone who attended our candlelight vigil on November 30, and to Kiip Kippokii for providing us with beautiful music for the ceremony.
We are grateful to all the businesses and organizations who donated to our Human Red Ribbon event and we extend a special thank you to the following:
The Beaman Family The Snack Facttory
Catwalk Salon and Spa Sous Chef
Destination Dentisty Southern Alberta Art Gallery
Long and McQuade Western One Rentals
We thank the following businesses for selling our red ribbons in the weeks leading up to World AIDS Day:
Catwalk Salon and Spa The Coffee Company
Mocha Cabana Starbucks Company West
Photographs courtesy of Tanya Plonka Photography
Aboriginal Health Coordinator
We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Germain Wells to our team as our Aboriginal Health and Education Coordinator. Germain comes to us with some great experience: she was the former Youth Coordinator with the Feather of Hope Aboriginal AIDS Prevention Society. Germain will begin with us in January, and we look forward to the opportunity to have her on our team!
The Aboriginal Health Project is funded by the Government of Canada.
Sexuality and Men (SAM) Project Events
Please see our "Events" page for a list of December's activities.
International AIDS Conference 2012
The 19th International AIDS Conference, Turning the Tide on HIV, was held in Washington, DC from July 22 to 27, 2012. We were able to send our ED, our Program Coordinator and a Board member to this exciting event. Included among the many, many topics were sessions on ending the pandemic, preventing mother to child transmission, equal access to treatment, HIV and the law, women and HIV, sex works as workers, men who have sex with men and ending stigma and discrimination. Participating in the conference was an amazing experience that we will remember forever. If you are interested in learning more about the proceedings, please contact the office to speak with one of our delegates, or stay tuned for our fall newsletter as it will feature artilces on AIDS 2012.
Some of the thousands of AIDS Memorial Quilts that lined the Mall.
Waterton Parks Campaign 2012
Every summer we hire a student to host a health promotion campaign for the young seasonal workers in Waterton National Parks. This year's student, Laurelle Brown, is now in her last couple of weeks with the agency. Laurelle, along with our Outreach Worker, Char Shurniak, hosted a successful 'bar blitz' in the park on July 5th at the Thirsty Bear Pub. The dynamic duo will be back in the park on August 20 for the final blitz of the summer. If you're in the area that night, stop by to say hello, grab one of Laurelle' great newsletters and stock up on free condoms!!
Laurelle and Char in Waterton
Annual General Meeting for 2011-12
We hosted our AGM on Wednesday, June 20th. We shared some of the highlights of the 2011-12 fiscal year with our guests, and even gave s sneak peek into some of the exciting initiatives coming up in our current year. A special thank you to the two clients who served as our guest speakers for the evening and shared their personal stories. Pleae follow the link at the top of th page for a copy of our annual report if you are interested in reading the details of our year.
Pride Fest 2012
Pride Week 2012 kicked off with a barbecue on Saturday, June 16. Throughout the week various events were held around the city, inlcuding Queeraoke, Pride Variety Night, the Pride Awards Dinner and OUT in the Park, which closed the celebration on Saturday, June 23. This year the Lethbridge HIV Connection was a proud sponsor of Pride, a title we hope to be able to boast again next year. Congratulations to the Pride Fest Committee and organizers for another great Pride!
Pat, Char and Laurelle at OUT in the Park
Spring for Life 2012 Success!
A special thanks goes out to all the volunteers who made the Spring For Life 2012 campaign a success. Without the countless hours donated by our volunteers this fundraiser would not have been possible.
Thank you to all the people who supported our cause this year by purchasing a bouqet.
The Spring For Life Campaign is an annual fundraiser created to help the Lethbridge HIV Connection raise continued funds for HIV education and advocacy in Lethbridge and surrounding areas.
A Visit with Her Excellency
On November 30, 2011 the wife of Canada's newest Governor General, Her Excellency Sharon Johnston, paid a visit to the Lethbridge HIV Connection. Her Excellency spent time talking with staff about our programs before hearing stories from clients living with HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis C. To commemorate World AIDS Day, which was the following day, we gave Her Excellency two red ribbons so that both she and His Excellency, David Johnston, could show their support for those with with HIV or AIDS. His Excellency, to our great delight, issued a message for World AIDS Day, which talked about the need to fight against "prejudices and discrimination faced by millions of people around the world." He further went on to state: "HIV/AIDS does not discriminate. Although the majority of cases are found in developing countries, men, women and children of every race and class are being affected by this pandemic, the biggest the world has ever seen."
To read His Excellency's message in full, please go to: http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=13967
Her Excellency Sharon Johnston poses with the LHC Team
Questions or Concerns?
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