So there is nothing normal about anything this year. No big gatherings — Austin’s Pride is normally this time of year, because the students have come back & we wanted to welcome them. But no Pride. And the AIDS Walk has to be virtual. The agencies that provide services to people dealing with HIV/AIDS need your help more than ever, because much of what they do must be in person, so the must purchase PPE and find ways to create enough space to keep safe distance.
If it is at all possible, please donate on my AIDS Walk page. Anything. Any amount — even $5, because this is the beginning & a good start will push us to the goal.
The Walk doesn’t bundle money up & send it off to a lab (not that research isn’t fantastic & wonderful & I’m glad for all the advances). It goes directly to help people who are living with HIV/AIDS — food bank, dental clinic, case management, subsidizing meds…. Direct help to people right now. So please if you can donate to my AIDS Walk page. Here’s some examples of what your money does:
$120 provides education for 440 people. Education is one of the most important tools in reducing new infections.
$250 provides 3 family counseling sessions. It can be devastating for a family when a member is diagnosed, and we know that an intact family unit promotes health and provides a built in support.
$500 provides a month of rent for one family in supportive housing. Assistance with food, daily chores, trips to medical appointments and social support create a foundation for continued health and a step toward independence.
$1,000 gives 450 home cooked meals for hospice patients. When in hospice, there are often unique food needs. You can make sure that final days are spent with delicious food that doesn’t upset someone’s stomach.
We are the only ones who can help — as my boys say: there is no them, there’s only us
And this song also reminds me so much of the Walk (well, how the Walk used to be), here’s the chorus:
Sound and pulse and volume
Hands just reaching out for hands
This is almost overload
I said almost overload
Friends and foes and princes
Are all just human in the end
This is so damn simple, yeah
It’s so damn simple
I don’t know if we’ll ever be in crowds like that again. But we can reach out to each other anyway. That really is what participating in the Walk is like — it’s a big group of friendly people, all joining together for a great purpose, please donate at my AIDS Walk page and/or share this around, if you know people who might donate
Thank you for doing the good work. I’ve got to wait until next month before I can do anything. I’ve got too much on my credit cards to put any more. But once the new credit card cycle gets here I should be able to send something. {{{HUGS}}} and thank you again.
You are so generous! Thank you!