Testing 123, Testing 123.

We know. Getting tested for HIV doesn't sound like too much fun. Luckily, it's also not too difficult, and thanks to our rapid HIV tests, it's not time-consuming either—you'll have your results within 20 minutes. No poking, no pricking—just a mouth swab and some quality time with one of our trained HIV tester-counselors.

Still sound a little scary? The awesome Teen Damien crew made this hilarious (but informative) video to prove that really, it's not. What it is is something that can help prevent the spread of HIV and STDs in our community.

Check it out and then stop by our testing center for a free and confidential test today.

Celebrate local artists. Prevent HIV.

At The Damien Center, we work hard to prevent the spread of HIV. But we also work hard to have fun while we're at it. This Saturday night, join us for Damienpalooza, a one-of-a-kind festival that will showcase local talent while building awareness around what HIV is and how we can all work toward an AIDS-free generation. 

 
For an easy $5, you'll take in local live music, dance, poetry, and original art while sipping on special Damienpalooza cocktails and learning what we do at The Damien Center. The historic Athenaeum Theatre will play host to this event, the first of its kind in our history. Here's a sneak peek at what's in store:

• Contemporary fine art from Kuaba Gallery
• Community partner tables and information
• Performances by lead Bonesetters musician Dan Snodgrass and local jazz combo The Jazz Men from Outer Space
• Choreography from Adrienne Jackson
• Spoken word by Charlene White
• A full-length work from new local dance company Create Freedom Dance Project 

You'll also hear from Damien Center staff and other advocates about how they work to prevent HIV and promote healthy lifestyles. Learn what you can do to prevent the spread of HIV in your community while supporting local artists, community partners, and The Damien Center.

Join us for Damienpalooza, this Saturday night from 6 to 10pm at The Athenaeum!

United Way Features The Damien Center Success Story!

One of our success stories was recently featured by the United Way of Central Indiana! Read on to rind out more.

United Way of Central Indiana helps people learn more, earn more and lead safe and healthy lives.
 This mission includes support of nearly 100 agencies whose programs contribute to one or more of UWCI’s priority outcomes, including: members of vulnerable populations coping with long-term or chronic diseases receive necessary non-medical support services and income is not a barrier to receiving qualified legal assistance in civil matters. The Damien Center, Inc. contributes to the achievement of these goals through education, counseling and care coordination for individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.  Read how the agency helped one young woman not only cope with her disease, but also escape an abusive relationship, acquire her green card, and obtain employment and safe housing for herself and her children. In 2007, 23-year-old “Elizabeth” was referred to The Damien Center after the birth of her second child.  She had just learned she had contracted HIV from her boyfriend.  She felt lost, frightened and desperate. The father of her children was physically and emotionally abusive, but without legal citizenship, a job, insurance, or any other means of support, she was completely dependent on him. Elizabeth came to the U.S. from Zambia as a teenager on her father’s student visa.  The rest of her family had applied for permanent residency, but due to an error in the paperwork, Elizabeth was never included in that filing.  Now she was an adult and in the country illegally.  Confused, intimidated and more than a little fearful of the immigration process, she didn’t know where to go or how to go about applying for residency on her own.
 When she first met the man who would be the father of her children, she temporarily stopped worrying about her legal status.  However, their relationship soon turned abusive when her partner began to prey on her insecurities and total dependence on him.  The next few years turned a once strong-willed and outspoken young girl into a fearful, obedient woman punished by her boyfriend’s controlling nature and infidelities.  When Elizabeth learned she had HIV she was devastated.  She was terrified of being deported back to Africa where she would likely die and her children would be orphans.  She was determined not to let this happen. At The Damien Center, Elizabeth was enrolled in their Care Coordination program which provides intensive case management for people with HIV/AIDS.  They first helped her obtain rental assistance through HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS) so she could escape the tyranny of her boyfriend.  They also connected her with free legal services to stop his harassment and control over her and her children.  They helped her obtain insurance so she could obtain life-saving medication for her HIV and health care for her children.
 Elizabeth’s care coordinator researched the process of applying for legal citizenship and connected her with another United Way agency, Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, where she received the legal assistance needed to obtain her green card so she could work to support her family.  Her care coordinator referred her to vocational rehabilitation services and provided her with bus passes so she could get to interviews and medical appointments. That frightened young mother is now a legal U.S. resident with two happy children who will never know how hard their mother has worked to provide a good life for them.  Elizabeth has since received her green card, been granted permanent residency status, was approved for an extension of her housing assistance, secured a job, and receives a child care voucher from FSSA. Although hers has been a long journey littered with hardships, Elizabeth credits The Damien Center with giving her hope and confidence in herself.  She now knows she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.  Elizabeth is a determined, empowered and soon to be fully self-sufficient individual whose life has been greatly impacted by The Damien Center. The Damien Center first received UWCI support through special “venture fund” grants beginning in 1991 until becoming a certified member agency in 1993.  UWCI has invested more than $5 million in the agency’s mission to provide a broad range of services and support to persons affected by HIV/AIDS.  This funding includes more than $1.3 million for capital projects, facilities maintenance and technology needs. (These monies are contributed specifically for such needs and do not come from the annual campaign.)  The agency’s current Community Fund allocation is $57,829. Addressing today's needs. Reducing tomorrow's.Web Site: www.uwci.org

25 Stories: Kim Johnson

Kim met Joe in 1974, and the next 28 years of their lives were a whirlwind of activities: anniversary parties, family deaths, building careers, and more.

In 2002, Kim fell ill with one disease after another. Shingles, panic attacks, coughing, a “type” of pneumonia…the list goes on. Eventually, Kim became hospitalized in September 2002, and doctors gave him an HIV test.

“Mr. Johnson, you have AIDS.”

With a CD4 count of 26 at diagnosis*, Kim’s family never expected him to leave the hospital – but Kim never thought about dying. Unfortunately, Joe wasn’t prepared to live his life without Kim, so he took his own life. When Kim left the hospital, it wasn’t because he was well; it was because there was a funeral.

The next two years were full of grief, doctors, starting medication, and learning everything he could about HIV/AIDS. In 2004, Kim’s friends flew him to New Mexico for a New Year’s Day brunch where Kim met John.

The two hit it off instantly, talking every day for a month. It was then that Kim divulged his HIV status. John said it was a non-issue; he knew how it was spread and how to prevent the virus’ spread. “He was in no way judgmental,” Kim remembers.

Eventually, John moved in with Kim in Indianapolis. To this day, they are a “discordant couple,” or a couple where one partner is HIV-positive and the other is HIV-negative. The disease doesn’t define their relationship.

Kim is currently the co-chair of The Damien Center's Client Services Committee and has been actively involved with the Ryan White Planning Council.

“My new mission now is to be more open, and to get out the message about HIV/AIDS.”

* A person’s CD4 count is how many CD4 cells a person has; these cells are the part of the immune system that HIV attacks. A person with a healthy immune system may have anything between 500 and 1600; a CD4 count under 200 qualifies a person for an AIDS diagnosis. A CD4 count of 0 is almost certain death.

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.