Do you need to get linked?

Are you HIV+ and haven't seen your HIV doctor in a year or more? Or maybe you know someone who is HIV+ who hasn't seen their HIV doctor in a year or more? A new program at The Damien Center is here to help.

The Linkage to Care (L2C) Program is designed to reconnect HIV+ individuals with the care they need to get and stay healthy as they manage their disease. The program also targets newly diagnosed HIV+ individuals who need support as they navigate their new experience. The goal of L2C? We're working to eliminate barriers to care and support, get more HIV+ individuals into care, and reduce our community viral load as a result. The overall outcome is a healthier community!

L2C staff can help with:

• Gathering documents needed to get free or reduced-price insurance coverage. Need help getting your INET statement? A new state ID?
• Providing transportation to appointments
• Attending doctor's appointments with you
• Understanding your doctor's recommendations
• Childcare during appointments
• Understanding your medication and how to take it
• Reminder calls to take your medication
• Accessing community resources (food, housing, utility assistance, etc.)
• Understanding your HIV diagnosis

There is no cost for Linkage to Care services! If you are HIV+, you can automatically access all of our services. Please contact us today to get linked with the care you need.

Visit damien.org/linkage or contact:
Abbe Shapiro, Linkage to Care Program Manager
ashapiro@damien.org or 317.632.0123 ext. 263
Call or text 317.296.3687

The 19th Annual Dining Out for Life was a smashing success!

In case you had any doubts, we here at The Damien Center have cause to be grateful every single minute of the day for people, organizations, businesses, and other groups who give so generously to support what we do. So on the heels of one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, Dining Out for Life (the other is the Grande Masquerade), we have a LOT to be thankful for! This year's event is set to exceed both last year's funds raised and this year's goal. Here's who we have to thank:

Let's start with our participating restaurants. An incredible 46 restaurants participated in Dining Out for Life this year and gave us at least 25% of their day's sales on April 25, including seven that gave 50% and one very special eatery that gave 100%! Without the commitment of these 46 amazing dining spots, we truly wouldn't have a Dining Out for Life at all. Already itching for next year's (20th!) annual event? We encourage everyone to continue dining out at these fantastic restaurants all year long to show their owners just how much we appreciate them!

In addition to the contributions made by our participating restaurants, funds and awareness raised by Dining Out for Life also depend on a key group of volunteers. Our volunteer restaurant ambassadors spend their own time at each participating restaurant telling each and every diner about The Damien Center and collecting additional contributions. This year, ambassadors raised more than $23,000, a 32% increase over last year! Ambassadors work hard to share their passion for The Damien Center with diners across Central Indiana during Dining Out for Life, and we thank them for all that they do.

Another portion of funds raised for the event comes from businesses and individuals who support The Damien Center in the form of sponsorships. All those colorful logos you see on our posters and materials? Those are our Dining Out for Life sponsors! These are the businesses you want to support here in Indianapolis. They help us put on this event through their sponsorship, and many help us promote it through various media outlets. Sponsors, you are the tops!

And last but certainly not least, we have YOU to thank, diners! By Dining Out for Life, you're helping us continue to lower our community's HIV viral load and improve the overall health of our community through the services we provide completely free of charge. 

We'll be back with another update later this summer, once we have a final fundraising total to announce!

Disco Ball Roundup

With another successful Dining Out for Life under our figurative belts here at The Damien Center, our minds are already racing toward the next big thing: the Grande Masquerade! In case you missed our Facebook announcement, the theme for our annual gala fundraiser is going to inspire you to boogie, hustle, and cha cha the night away, disco style! We know it's early, but we're so excited about this year's disco-themed party that we wanted to share some links so you can get excited too.

• Check out our Grande Masquerade 2013: Disco Ball Pinterest board for disco attire ideas. Think of it as our virtual disco mood board. We're heavy on the Donna Summer pins, but really, The Queen of Disco is our main inspiration!

•  Interested in being a table captain and getting a group of friends, colleagues, or clients together for our disco gala? Find everything you need to know in our online Table Captains Toolkit.

• We're also on the lookout for sponsors for this year's gala. Logo recognition, tickets to the event, social media promotions, and other perks are included at various sponsor levels. Get all the details in our Grande Masquerade 2013 Sponsorship Packet.

Don't forget to save the date for the Disco Ball you've been dreaming about since 1976! Here are the need-to-know details, and when tickets officially go on sale, you'll be the first to know:

When
Saturday, October 19, 2013

Where
The Westin Indianapolis
50 S. Capitol Ave.
Indianapolis, IN