25 Stories: Colin Hammar

Many people in Colin’s generation haven’t lost friends or family to HIV thanks to new treatment options that significantly prolong life. “That’s going to be one of the changing factors of the younger generation born in the mid-80s and onward.” The sociology grad student thinks that this, coupled with the fear and stigma associated with the disease, has made many people distance themselves from the issue.

Colin also feels that there may be a cultural HIV white-washing. Many people perceive HIV/AIDS as a gay disease; that stigma still exists, though the most affected populations are changing. HIV is often introduced as an STD like any other, and Colin is frustrated that many schools do not teach that some genders, sexualities, and demographics are more at-risk. Often, the social history isn’t taught until college. This doubled-edged sword means that all populations are reached, but at-risk populations are losing out by not highlighting the history or reality.

It’s these attitudes and beliefs that inspired Colin to make a difference and become active on college campuses; he often brings in speakers and does educational prevention outreach.

“My work in my graduate program and my research has let me grab my own personal experiences…to be the voice and perspective [for the disease], which is traditionally left out in a lot of academic circles.”




Share your story with us! Leave a comment or email Brenden Hudson at bhudson@damien.org.

25 Stories: Elaine Cox

Dr. Elaine Cox has been an HIV care provider for 16 years, specializing in pediatric HIV. She only planned to do it for a short time, but it quickly became her life’s work. She remembers when even doctors were afraid of people with HIV 16 years ago, and how end of life care was the only option.

“Our biggest sadness is when our patients leave pediatric care and go to the adult side – which is a great problem to have!” Dr. Cox says, smiling. With the current medications on the market for HIV, these children can go on to have a long, healthy life.

But Dr. Cox notes that though HIV is a medical disease, there’s an entire social aspect to it. “We do still see some bullying and ostracizing. We see some families where, if a family’s [HIV] status gets out, an apartment is suddenly no longer available.”

Despite the hardships, Dr. Cox knows that there’s hope. Her patients are going to college, getting scholarships, and doing very well. “They’re overcoming all sorts of obstacles!”

Like her patients, Dr. Cox is also conquering hurdles; to combat stigma and normalize HIV testing, she helped start a legislative effort to get prenatal HIV screenings for pregnant mothers. It passed.

Pausing to reflect on her work in the HIV community, she remembers thinking that being in the HIV field in the 1990s was just a phase in her career. “Sometimes, you fall into the best of things without ever knowing it.”


Share your story with us! Leave a comment or email Brenden Hudson at bhudson@damien.org.

Dining Out for Life Ambassadors

Dining Out for Life relies heavily on its Ambassadors - volunteers stationed at one of our many wonderful restaurants! It is important that every Ambassador attend a training - even if you've been an Ambassador before. We have some new, exciting parts of this event, and we don't want our Ambassadors to miss out! If you would like to help out with the largest restaurant event in Indianapolis, come to a training on:

Saturday, March 31 from 9-11

Tuesday, April 3 from 5:30 - 7:30

Tuesday, April 10 from 1-3 

Tuesday, April 10 from 5:30-7:30

Please RSVP by calling Traci at 317-632-0123 x2637or by emailing her at tjohnson@damien.org

25 Stories: Rob Bullock

Rob Bullock was a social security adjudicator in the early 90s; at the time, The Damien Center had just started. There were no social security benefits for people with HIV, so many people were denied.

Rob knew that people were dying, and that they needed care. He began looking through the 5,000 page operations manual to try and find the secondary diseases that would help get people living with HIV the benefits they needed.

Through his hard work, Rob earned a reputation in the community as an advocate for people with HIV. He was soon asked to work for The Damien Center in 1992, where he oversaw most client-related activities. School systems were under pressure from parents who did not want their children receiving safer sex messaging; instead, Rob and The Damien Center were asked to provide presentations so that the students would get the information that would one day save their lives.

Rob remembered how there was (and still is) cultural pressure for men in the Midwest to get married and have children. Many married men would contract HIV from discreet sex with other men, and then have unprotected sex with their wives – thus passing on the disease.

It’s much better now that HIV isn’t a death sentence, but it’s still out there. “I don’t think we hear the HIV message as much as we used to because it’s not as imminent,” said Rob. “People aren’t dying as quickly.”


Share your story with us! Leave a comment or email Brenden Hudson at bhudson@damien.org.

25 Stories: Evelyn Myers

Rev. Earl Connor retired in 1986, but Evelyn knew he was working on something from the hints he dropped. “AIDS.” “AZT.” “Test positive.” When Earl asked Evelyn about properties for sale, she had no idea that she was about to help found what would become Indiana’s oldest and largest HIV/AIDS service organization.

Earl opened The Damien Center in June 1987 in an empty archdiocese building. “When we started, the phone never rang. Nobody was there, and nobody knew much about us,” said Evelyn. To help spread the word, the Center hosted an open house; because of the stigma surrounding the disease at the time, they had no idea if they would be picketed or if anybody would come.

After the open house, Evelyn saw the cavernous building grow into a bustling place with furniture, volunteers, and clients, led by the hardworking reverend. Together with a team of volunteers and a handful of staff, The Damien Center became the first truly coordinated effort to care for people who had contracted HIV.

Apart from The Damien Center, Evelyn was a quiet champion for HIV, in her own humble way; when the disease was new, she noticed that people would avoid those living with HIV in church. To combat the ignorance, she decided to lead by example and be the first to take the Eucharist after people with HIV. “I would like you to think that I knew I was on the cutting edge and doing something that was unique,” she said. “But I didn’t. I was just helping out a friend.”


Share your story with us! Leave a comment or email Brenden Hudson at bhudson@damien.org.

The Damien Center Honored with Grant Awards

The Damien Center relies on funding from many sources to provide the high quality programs and services that help us meet our mission.  In recent months we have received several grants from private foundations that will help us continue to improve our services and meet the needs of our clients. We have recently received notification of funding awards for three now positions that will expand our services to our HIV clients:

• Marion County Public Health Department has awarded The Damien Center through Ryan White funding a full-time Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counselor as well as a full-time Medical Case Manager.
• MAC AIDS Fund has awarded The Damien Center with a part-time Housing Case-manager.

In addition to these exciting new positions, The Damien Center was recently awarded the following grants:

• The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate:  $40,000 for general operating support
• Christ Church Cathedral:  $10,000 for general operating support
• The Realtor Foundation – $3,500 to provide one transitional housing unit for the transgender population
• Canfield Memorial Trust - $1,500 to support Kids Club programming

We are grateful to these funders for recognizing the importance of supporting HIV/AIDS programs in our community and for their confidence in The Damien Center’s ability to provide these services.