Celebrating Successes: Our 2012 Annual Report

When we sat down and started to brainstorm what our 2012 Annual Report would look like, we envisioned something different - something that would capture our innovative programming, showcase our commitment to fighting HIV, and help our donors and supporters better understand what really happens at The Damien Center on a daily basis.

Enter Jane and John. These two fictional clients take readers on a journey from getting tested for HIV to finding stable housing and getting connected with health care, and everything in the middle. As Jane and John access a range of Damien Center services, they are able to stay healthy even as they are infected or affected by HIV. Jane and John represent the thousands of individuals we reach every year through HIV testing, Care Coordination, counseling, housing, and many other programs.

Our 25th year of service - 2012 - was truly our best yet. As a leader in HIV prevention and care, The Damien Center sits at the forefront of a national movement toward Linkage to Care, which is just one key piece of the ever-growing puzzle to eradicate HIV. Each of our programs is carefully designed to tackle different aspects of this complex issue.

We hope you'll take a read through our 2012 Annual Report and explore what it's like to be a client at The Damien Center by following along with Jane and John. It's because of supporters like you that we can continue to offer our services completely free of charge to those in need in our community. Thank you, and enjoy!

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

Still deciding where to dine out? Downtown Olly's and Greek Islands giving 50%

If you're boring and don't want to have fun tomorrow, stop reading this right now. But if you want to laugh, be entertained, and nosh on some treats, all for a good cause, you've come to the right place! Downtown Olly's and The Greek Islands Restaurant, both Premier restaurants giving 50% of your bill to The Damien Center during this year's Dining Out for Life, are hands down two of the most fun restaurants we've got here in Indy.

Downtown Olly's, for starters, is open 24 hours a day. You read that right: sunrise to sunset and everywhere in between. So whether you're looking for a snack after a late night out, hungry for lunch, or just out and about looking for a fun stop, Olly's is the place. Besides being our only 24-hour restaurant to participate in Dining Out for Life, Olly's makes sure every guest is entertained. The atmosphere is vibrant, the decor is bright and fun, and the staff is super friendly. On top of that, Olly's usually has some kind of entertainment going on, like drag shows and karaoke.


A few of our favorite menu items? Start with the bleu cheese sticks and fried green tomatoes, then make the Asian chicken wrap your main entree. And remember: since Olly's is open 24 hours, you can visit anytime on April 25 (tomorrow!) and know that a very generous 50% of your bill is going to the local fight against HIV/AIDS! Lunch specials tomorrow will be penne pasta in a tomato cream sauce with blackened chicken, spinach, onions, and mushrooms, or Olly's taco salad. Either is $6.95. Dinner specials include grilled tilapia with a fresh mango, pineapple, avocado, and mint salsa, or Cuban-style chicken with a delicious black bean sauce and yellow rice. Either is $12.95. Plus, beginning at 9:15pm, Olly's will be hosting a Benefit Drag Show to bring in additional donations for Dining Out for Life. The lineup so far includes Miss Gay Indiana Vanessa Ryan, Mr. Gay Indiana Elite St. James, Tia Mirage Hall, and Silky Ganache. Shantel Sifuentes will host the show and also do a couple of numbers! Food + drag show + a great cause? Win win win!

Not in the mood for drag? The family-friendly folks at The Greek Islands Restaurant are ready to bring YOU into the family with homemade delicacies and some of our favorite Greek food in Indy. It's really a no-brainer, in our opinion, to get the saganaki (flaming cheese) at Greek Islands, and not just for the OPA! part. It's really good. Like, really really good. In fact go ahead and order a couple of them. You won't regret it. The restaurant itself is cozy, but we kind of like that, because it feels a little like you're joining owners Angela and George for dinner in their home, and the food tastes like it too, in the best way possible. Any of the authentic Greek entrees on the menu won't let you down, and the gyros and sandwiches are excellent lunch selections. For lunch or dinner, we especially love the dolmades, which are grape leaves stuffed full of juicy ground beef and rice, then topped with a sweet and tangy lemon sauce. Don't skimp on the side dishes either! The traditional Greek green beans and potatoes are both worth trying. We always feel like we're part of the family at Greek Islands, and the restaurant's generous donation of 50% of sales tomorrow makes it even sweeter.

Find locations and hours for Downtown Olly's and The Greek Islands Restaurant at diningoutforlife.com, and visit us Facebook and Twitter for ongoing updates about Dining Out for Life.

Forty Five Degrees, Yogulatte owner long-time Damien supporter

Before his chic Mass Ave restaurant and coffeeshop/yogurt destination were born into existence, Bill Pritt was a volunteer for The Damien Center. As a Buddy in the Center's Buddy Program, Bill spent time with those living with HIV, helping them out with big things and little things, and walking alongside them, as a friend, through the good times and bad. Eventually, after the Buddy Program transitioned into a variety of different programs and services, Bill transitioned into volunteering as a Dining Out for Life Ambassador, representing The Damien Center and talking to diners about what it means to support the local fight against HIV/AIDS.

So, when Bill opened his first Indy restaurant in 2006, it was only natural that he would sign Blu Martini up to participate as a Premier Restaurant, giving 50% of proceeds for one day to The Damien Center. Since then, Bill has focused his time and efforts toward opening and developing Forty Five Degrees and Yogulatte, his two side-by-side Mass Ave eateries. Opened in 2008 and 2010, respectively, each restaurant gives at the Premier level, so a generous 50% of diners' bills goes back to the local fight against AIDS.

"It's my favorite check that I write all year long," Bill says of his support for the Center and the event. "You can't do everything, but you can do something, so we decided to do this."

Here at The Damien Center, we encourage our supporters, friends, and Dining Out for Life diners to keep returning to our participating restaurants all year, to continue saying thank you for the generosity these restaurants show us each April. And according to Bill, Dining Out does matter to his customers. "People recognize our support throughout the year," he says.

While many diners (including us!) return to Dining Out for Life restaurants to continue showing our support all year long, we also think people go back to Forty Five Degrees and Yogulatte for the food and drinks! Many know FortyFive Degrees for their sushi, which is no doubt top-of-the-line, but we're also fond of the Forty Five Salad (with grilled salmon ... mmm), lettuce wraps, and oh so much more. And let's not even get into the martinis. You can't go wrong!

At Yogulatte, which is an obvious post-Forty Five Degrees dessert stop (or really pre- or post-anything dessert stop), you get to build your own frozen yogurt treat from start to finish. And it's really fun. First, you pick your yogurt flavor, or two or three if you want. Rich, creamy, classic flavors like peanut butter, raspberry, vanilla bean, chocolate, and strawberry site alongside quirky offerings like dulce de leche, toasted marshmallow, and cake batter. And that doesn't even account for the fat-free options, dairy-free options, and double-duty dispensers, which feature two flavors in one (chocolate/peanut butter anyone?). Then, the toppings. OH, the toppings. Crushed Oreos, fresh fruit, sprinkles - you name it, they've prepped it. A scoop here, a scoop there, and you've got a handcrafted dessert. Yogulatte also serves coffee and other hot drinks, so we also like to stop by for our daily caffeine boost when we're running low.

Convinced yet? Dine out at Forty Five Degrees, Yogulatte, or any of our participating restaurants THIS THURSDAY and 25-100% of your bill will go back to The Damien Center and the local fight against HIV/AIDS!

See Pita Pit, Punch Burger, and Red Lion on FOX59!

This Saturday and Sunday, tune in to the FOX59 weekend morning show around around 9:50am and you're going to get a special treat from two of our Dining Out for Life restaurant owners. You'll be cooking with the pros when Travis Sealls and Wally Bolinger put on their chef's hats and share their secrets. Travis, who owns Indy's new burger darling Punch Burger as well as the downtown Indy Pita Pit, will be live on Saturday to share some fresh, healthy recipes with viewers. Red Lion Grog House owner Wally will be on the show Sunday morning to share some Red Lion favorites that are certain to make your mouth water. (Seriously. Have you had the fish and chips? The buffalo burger? Bangers and mash?)

The best part? All three restaurants - Punch Burger, Pita Pit, and Red Lion Grog House - are among our top supporters for the 19th Annual Dining Out for Life Indianapolis! As our returning Champion Restaurant, Red Lion will be donating 100% of sales on April 25 to The Damien Center and the local fight against HIV/AIDS. Punch Burger and Pita Pit, both Premier Restaurants, will each be donating a generous 50% of next Thursday's sales, making it easy for downtown folks or those in a rush to still squeeze in a good meal for a great cause.

So let's talk about food. Besides featuring some of Indy's best fish and chips, as noted, Red Lion's menu is somehow both classically English and deliciously American. Sometimes English food gets a bad name for being bland, but not at Wally's joint. This blogger had no idea she liked shepherd's pie until she tried Wally's version, which is filled with savory, seasoned meats and veggies cooked into a thick, chili-like consistency and topped with creamy garlic mashed potatoes. You won't regret trying something new if it's from Red Lion. In a pickle about what to order? Just start eyeing the tables around you - something incredible is sure to catch your tummy's attention!

Indy's downtown Pita Pit, as those who like or work down in the mile square know, is the ideal quick-healthy-fresh lunch spot. You can build your own pita from available ingredients (everything from meats, veggies, and cheeses to red thai curry sauce and black beans) or choose from pre-planned pitas. You can go classic Mediterranean with falafels and hummus, go meat-heavy with a club or Philly steak, or stay healthy with a range of "light" options. Pitas take on a life of their own at Pita Pit, and you can feel good about your healthy choices.

Lastly, Punch Burger's menu is all about locally sourced, high-quality burgers and craft beer at a great price. All of Punch Burger's angus beef comes from local cattle farmer Dave Fischer. Dave raises his cattle humanely with no hormones or antibiotics, right here in Indiana (Jasper, to be exact). Once the beef reaches Punch, it takes on a new life as Travis and his staff dress it up with everything from the classics (Lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, ketchup, mayo, American cheese. Done.) to the I-never-thought-that-would-taste-good-on-a-burger (Peanut butter, onion, Asian slaw, sweet chili sauce. Thai Burger.). You can also build your own burger, and don't forget to grab a pint of local brew from Upland, Triton, Flat 12, and more.

Now that we are officially salivating (and we hope you are, too), let's take a break for lunch. Go visit these three truly generous eateries today, and then go back next Thursday for Dining Out for Life. Find the full list of participating restaurants at diningoutforlife.com.

*Note: The juicy, cheesy burger and tots featured up top were photographed by WhonPhoto. Contact Chris@WhonPhoto.com for details.

Why Santorini Greek Kitchen gives back

This time of year, our days are filled with Dining Out for Life Ambassador trainings, last-minute preparations for one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, and lots of time spent communicating with our participating restaurants about the upcoming event. Indy's largest dining fundraiser is less than three weeks away, so this week, we got out and about in the city and delivered promo materials to all our restaurants so we can all get the word out. Lucky for us, Jeanette Sawi, co-owner of Santorini Greek Kitchen, had a few minutes to sit down with us and share why her restaurant continues to support The Damien Center via Dining Out for Life year after year after year.

A little background: In addition to serving up incredibly rich and flavorful Greek delicacies, Santorini is also one of our longest running Dining Out for Life participants. The event is in its 19th year, and Santorini has been on board for well over a decade. So why The Damien Center and why Dining Out?

Pre-Santorini, Jeanette was a nurse. While she was still a nursing student in Houston, TX, in the mid-1980s, Jeannette worked on the HIV/AIDS wing of a Houston hospital and saw the epidemic rear its ugly head on a daily basis. She saw people dying alone, hopeless and helpless, praying for a cure but knowing they wouldn't see one in their lifetime. So, as a nurse, she did her best to care for those with HIV, helping them live their last hours with dignity, showing them that no matter how stigmatized HIV was and would continue to be, she would continue to care. Incidentally, this was the objective of The Damien Center in its early days as well. When the agency was founded in 1987, at a time when little hope was on the horizon for a cure or better treatments, its staff and volunteers walked with people in their last days so they would know they were cared for until the end.

Today? Today, we are so fortunate to be helping people live instead of die. We are fortunate to see weekly and monthly breakthroughs in treatment and possible cures. We are fortunate to have 30+ HIV drugs on the market that do an exceptional job of saving lives. When Jeanette got into the restaurant business, she wanted to honor that part of herself that saw what she saw in Houston - the nurse, the caretaker. Supporting The Damien Center through Dining Out for Life is one (we think really generous) way that she gets to do that, and for this, we are so grateful.

We say our sincerest thanks to Jeanette and Santorini Greek Kitchen, which will be donating 50% of sales on April 25 back to The Damien Center and the local fight against HIV. Make a reservation at Santorini for April 25 by calling 317.917.1117. OPA!

Extra! Extra! 44 Indy restaurants to fight AIDS on April 25

We know, we've been teasing you. Mentioning our Dining Out for Life restaurants on Twitter, sharing their photos on Facebook, pinning foodie pics on Pinterest - we're getting excited just thinking about the dozens of Indy-area restaurants set to donate a big chunk of their sales to The Damien Center on April 25! But where's the list, you ask? Where can I dine? How will I know how much my restaurant is giving? Well, we're here to day to give you the full restaurant list so you can get started plotting for April 25. This list has been building over on our Dining Out for Life International web page, and we've got a map over there too so you can which restaurants are nearby, but here's scoop on 2013 Dining Out for Life restaurants, by neighborhood/area. There's a restaurant for everyone!

2013 Participating Restaurants Donating 25%

* Donating 50% of

   your bill

** Donating 100%

Broad Ripple

Bazbeaux

Café Patachou

JT’s Grille & Bar

Marco’s Restaurant

Monon Coffee Co.

Recess

Twenty Tap

Mass Ave

Aesop’s Tables

Bazbeaux

Forty Five Degrees *

Mesh on Mass

Metro Nightclub & Restaurant 

R bistro

Tini

Yogulatte *

Carmel

Bazbeaux

Café Patachou

Greenwood

Arni’s Restaurant

East Side

The Legend Classic Irvington Café

Downtown

Adobo Grill

Bosphorus Istanbul Café

Café Patachou

Cerulean

Chef Joseph’s at the Connoisseur Room

The Columbia Club

Creation Café

Downtown Olly’s *

English Ivy’s

Greek Islands Restaurant *

Hoosier Park’s Winner’s Circle Pub, Grille & OTB

Iaria’s Restaurant

Monon Coffee Co.

Palomino

The Pita Pit *

Punch Burger *

Ralph’s Great Divide

Fountain Square

B’s Po Boy

La Margarita

Red Lion Grog House **

Santorini Greek Kitchen *

North Side

Arni’s Restaurant

Athens on 86th

Café Patachou

Hellas Café

Damien Center Director of Prevention earns Stand & Deliver nom

Recently, Merz Aesthetics, distributor of Asclera^® (polidocanol) Injection, along with an advisory panel of women who were selected for their significant abilities to Stand & Deliver, searched the nation for inspirational women who are changing their communities one day at a time through support of a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Where did they find one of their finalists? Right here at The Damien Center!

Our own Director of Prevention Rhonda Bayless has been selected as a finalist for her outstanding work with the Center of Wellness for Urban Women. "We aim to provide women access to the tools and resources to help in their journey to living a healthy life," says Rhonda, who founded the CWUW in Indianapolis.

According to Akilah Webster, who nominated Rhonda, she is "a caring, giving, dedicated woman who works tirelessly and selflessly in the Indianapolis community. Not only does she work extremely hard at the Damien Center, a nonprofit org that provides services to HIV/AIDS affected individuals, she also founded the Center of Wellness for Urban Women, a nonprofit that empowers women and their families to become more proactive about their health." The Stand and Deliver grand prize includes $10,000 from Merz Aesthetics and Asclera^® to support the charity of Rhonda's choice as well as a professional makeover.

We are proud to have Rhonda on our team here at The Damien Center and encourage all our friends and supporters to cast your vote for her to win the Stand & Deliver award!

Voting is easy and you can vote for Rhonda once per day until April 19. Vote now!!