New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has appointed Andi Straus, HVCS’ Executive Director, to be one of five representatives of the Tri-County (Westchester, Rockland and Putnam) region for the HIV Health and Human Services Planning Council of New York. The Planning Council is mandated under Part A of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act. She was appointed for a three-year term. She is on the Executive Committee since she was also asked to be the new co-chair of the Tri-County Steering Committee, sharing responsibilities with Derrick Weekes, an Administrative Director at Westchester Medical Center. Andi is very pleased to be appointed since it means that we will have an active voice in discussions about regional treatment and services for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Posts Tagged ‘Westchester’
HVCS’ Andi Straus Appointed to NY HIV Planning Council
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016Gilead Offers Two Trainings on Hep C
Wednesday, January 20th, 2016HVCS will host two trainings on the basics of Hepatitis C infection, transmission and treatment for care managers, service providers, and clients. Amber Pace from Gilead (the maker of several Hepatitis C medications) and a guest speaker will provide a clear-cut, no-medical-jargon version that can be easily understood by all skill levels. A light lunch will be provided.
One training will be held in HVCS’ Hawthorne (Westchester) office, the other in Newburgh.
Attendees MUST RSVP in advance to Anthony at (914) 785-8277 or via email.
Hawthorne Office Holds Its Annual Holiday Potluck
Friday, December 11th, 2015-
- Happy holidays from HVCS’ holiday staff!
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- Janelle and Vanessa begin the “Secret Santa” gift exchange.
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- Lourdes, our longest-serving employee, opens her “Secret Santa” gift.
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- The pile of “Secret Santa” gifts.
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- The dessert table.
On Friday, December 11, 2015, HVCS’ Hawthorne office held its annual Holiday Potluck Lunch. Organized by our office manager Phyllis and a small crew, this delicious and entirely staff-created event brought the entire office together for an hour. This year, staffers set up a “Secret Santa” gift exchange for the first time. Everyone got to mingle, enjoy each others’ home-cooked food, and spread some cheer!
Our New ADAP Ad Campaign Kicks Off
Thursday, November 5th, 2015HVCS received special funding to conduct a comprehensive advertising campaign to raise awareness for our Medical Benefit Specialists, two staffers who work with local residents who are HIV-positive and uninsured or under-insured. The campaign, funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) via the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, consists of a billboard in Kingston, NY; transit shelter ads in lower Westchester County, Spanish language ads in free, widely-distributed Spanish newspapers and websites, and a Haitian newspaper.
The campaign will run through the end of the year, and its goal is to increase the number of people enrolled in New York’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). Our program serves Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester counties. Medical Benefits Specialists can assist with the ADAP application, Medicaid paperwork, referrals for other services, and removing barriers to accessing available resources.
In Ulster County, contact Mary Beth at (845) 339-3281 x17.
In Putnam, Rockland or Westchester counties, contact Ramon at (914) 785-8264.
HVCS’ new billboard in Kingston advertises the Medical Benefits Specialist programs in English and Spanish.
Long-Term Volunteer Needed for Hawthorne Office
Tuesday, March 17th, 2015HVCS’ Hawthorne office is looking for a long-term volunteer who can assist with light clerical tasks and file management. The right volunteer is someone who’s available on weekdays between 9 am and 5 pm, but the amount of time and particular hours spent each week is flexible. Call (914) 785-8326 or e-mail ‘jdewey @ hudsonvalleycs.org’ for more information or to apply. Thanks!
Photos from Libations & Ovations
Friday, February 20th, 2015Photos by Todd Michael Thomas
HVCS’ Libations & Ovations Valentine’s Event by Slidely Slideshow
Special congratulations to our honorees:
Marilynn R. Glasser, recipient of the 2015 Hearts for HVCS Award for Volunteer Service
David Juhren, recipient of the 2015 Hearts for HVCS Award for Community Advocacy
Jeff Kraus, HVCS’ Executive Director, who retired in 2014.
Tickets Still Available for Libations & Ovations
Tuesday, February 10th, 2015
Valentine’s Day is almost here, and HVCS is throwing a party in White Plains to honor a few people we love: a volunteer, a community activist, and our outgoing Executive Director. Tickets for Libations & Ovations Valentine’s Event are still available for $100, but you must purchase them in advance. L.O.V.E. is a snow-or-shine event so we’ll be dancing and romancing no matter the weather.
Get your tickets and more information on the event page: www.hudsonvalleycs.org/love.
Interfaith Coalition Donates Gift Bags, Household Cleaners
Friday, December 5th, 2014
On Friday, December 5th, volunteers with the Interfaith Coalition, a group of inter-linked religious congregations in Westchester, dropped off 60 beautifully packaged gift bags for HVCS clients. Gift bags contained such goodies as warm hats, scarves, ear muffs, and toys for children, and each is carefully labeled for an adult man, woman, boy or girl. (We love that Interfaith packed these items in gift bags rather than wrapping paper, so our care managers can ensure that each bag goes to an appropriate recipient.)
Another congregation held a Thanksgiving collection of laundry detergents and household cleansers. These items are very expensive for families with limited income (like the majority of our clients), and most food banks don’t stock cleansers at all. We are grateful that Interfaith heeded the call for these hard-to-find items for our neediest clients and their families.
If your group is interested in holding a food drive, toiletry drive, or household cleanser collection, please call us for assistance. If your company or group would like to adopt an HVCS client family or donate unwrapped gifts, just let us know and we can help spread the word!
Yom Kippur Food Drive Nets 150+ Boxes of Food
Tuesday, October 14th, 2014The Woodlands Community Temple filled our Hawthorne food pantry with the results of the food drive they held on Saturday, October 4th at their Yom Kippur services. The congregation’s response was so overwhelming that they had to rent a truck to transport all the non-perishable foods to us. Volunteers unloaded 151 boxes of food last week. This much-needed food will go towards our emergency food closet for our clients’ families and those who need emergency service. Thank you to to the Woodlands Community Temple, and organizer Sandi Leib-Geiger!
Thanks to HPNAP, Food Distribution Continues at Mosaic Center
Thursday, October 2nd, 2014HVCS just received word that we will receive a $2,500 grant from HPNAP (Hunger Prevention & Nutrition Assistance Program) to support our emergency food closet and Green Thumb food distribution program at the Mosaic Center in Mt. Vernon. This grant will allow us to continue to give stipends to peer outreach workers to assist us on Green Thumb food distribution days, which are typically the busiest of the month. Special thanks to our peers, Mosaic staff, and THRIVES nutritional program workers who do an amazing job getting fresh produce to hungry families so quickly!