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Newsletter Fall 2009
20th Anniversary
CHRISTMAS
WISH LIST
• Gloves/mittens
• Boots
• Razors and
• shaving cream
• Instant coffee
• Cat/dog food
• Kitty litter
• Flea medication
• Tampons and/or
menstrual pads
• Calorie-rich food
• supplement drinks
-Wishing you a warm and wonderful holiday season-
Executive Director
John MacTavish
It’s hard to believe that we are only a few weeks away from the holiday season. It has been very busy at
HARS. The AGM was held in October and we have a full Board of Directors who will be very busy over
the next few months. On that note I would like to thank Andy Visser, who has left the Board, for all his
dedication and hard work on behalf of HARS. We also recently welcomed Joanne Sands to HARS as the
Regional Support Coordinator. We received great news from the AIDS Bureau of new funding to hire a
Women’s Prevention Coordinator. We hope to have this position filled by January 2010. As you can see it
is never quiet at the office as things are always happening. I would like to invite everyone to the Holiday
Drop-in on December 18 from 1 – 4 PM and hope to see you there.
I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. -John MacTavish, ED.
Holiday Office Hours: The HARS office will close on December 23,
2009 at 4:30 PM and re-open on January 4, 2010.
invites you to choose a greener
option for your next newsletter.
Please send an email message
to anweiler@kingston.net with
the subject title: “request e-
newsletter” and we’ll be happy 2
to oblige!
City Support Coordinator
Allison Cope
World AIDS Day
Tuesday, December 1st marks the 21st anniversary of World AIDS Day. The theme for this years’ World
AIDS Day focuses on access to health care as a human right. Access for all to HIV prevention, treatment,
care and support is a critical part of human rights.
HARS Open House
We are inviting all of our service users and the community in general to spend some time in our space.
HARS will be holding an Open House from 2:00 to 4:30pm on December 1st AT our office and providing
sweet treats, hot apple cider and more. We will also be re-launching the TELL Art Project. In the Spring of
2008 we asked people to create messages on small canvases relating to HIV. We have, to date, collected
43 canvases and are looking to collect another 25. During the Open House we will make art supplies avail-
able for anyone who wants to create a canvas or take one with them to work on at home.
Lucy Fund Update
A very big thank-you goes out to Courtney Prue from the Guelph Veterinary
School for her generous and large donation of dog and cat food. Students at the
university can donate pet food that is made available to them to charities of their
choice. Courtney organized the donations of fellow students, and then took time
out of her Thanksgiving weekend to deliver the 15 bags of food to the HARS of-
fice all the way from Guelph! As a result, we have been able to give out at least
30 smaller bags of food to some of our four-legged friends and still have some
food supplies remaining.
-Allison Cope, City Support Worker
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened”.
Lucy, Oct. 29, 2001—
Anatole France
Sept. 24, 2007.
Volunteer Coordinator
Margaret Row
The Power of Numbers - help organize special events
- write articles for the newsletter
I was looking at the International web sites to find - graphic design
World Aids Day material and I was taken aback by - postering and marketing assistance
the fact that the United Nations calculates that - research
5,500+ individuals die, per day, in the combined - application of computer knowledge – need to know
populations of the 3rd world countries. That totals WordPress
2,007,500 men, women and children whose deaths - committee work (fundraising, social action, special
leave holes wherever they touched. events)
- take photos
HARS Volunteers - make red ribbons
- photocopying, envelope stuffing, stamping pam-
We strive for open attitudes, protection against dis- phlets
crimination, accurate and non-prejudicial perception - be a board member
of people living with HIV/AIDS - keep track of pamphlets
- and more!
Things you can do:
-Margaret Row, Volunteer Coordinator
- office reception
3
Education Coordinator
Rhoda Amaladoss
Winter is on our doorstep and it seems like it has come by too soon. Education seems to be at its busi-
est, with talks and workshops weekly. I am looking forward to my first education workshop in Bancroft.
This definitely gives us the opportunity to raise public awareness and hopefully breakdown some of the
unwarranted stigma that surrounds HIV.
World Aids Day which is on the 1st of December also seems to be just around the corner with the apt
theme this year of 'Universal Access and Human Rights'. Many global leaders have pledged to work to-
wards universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care, recognizing these as fundamental
human rights. About 4 million HIV-positive people had access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in low- and
middle-income countries in 2008. Despite these gains, global coverage of ART is still low, reaching only
42% of the estimated 9.5 million people who need it. (UNAIDS, 2009).
World AIDS Day provides an opportunity for all of us frontline workers, communities and political leaders
to take action and ensure that human rights are protected and global targets for HIV/AIDS prevention,
treatment and care are met. We can all try in our little way to make a difference.
-Rhoda Amaladoss Education Coordinator
Regional Support Coordinator
Joanne Sands
Hi everyone! My name is Joanne Sands, and I am very new to the role as the Regional Support Coordi-
nator. I am so thrilled to be working here and in the 4 short weeks since starting, I have had the opportu-
nity to meet lots of fantastic people and participate a variety of workshops and events. I would like to say
a special thank-you to those of you who have stopped by my office to offer decorating advice, kind words
and to take the time to share your stories while I continue to “learn the ropes”! I know there are many
people who I have yet to meet, so feel free to stop by and say hello or if you live out of town, I welcome
you to call so that we can set up a time to get together!
I have been working on a few projects and would love some community help. Christmas is approaching,
and Allison and I are working together to create treat packages for our service users to put a little ‘joy’ in
Christmas. Many of our clients are and are facing extreme poverty, and when it comes to Christmas,
most are not in a position for any of the ‘extras’ that so many of us take for granted. We are asking the
community to consider making a small donation that could be included in the gift bags such as choco-
lates, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate or coffee gift cards. If you know of anybody that may be willing to
help out, they can contact the office and ask for Allison or myself. Donations can be dropped off at the
HARS office, 844a Princess St., or we can arrange for pick-up.
Another exciting fundraiser that I am working on is FUNDSCRIP. A fundraising program asks you pay for
your everyday purchases with gift cards bought through our agency. A percentage of money from the
purchase of the cards will then be donated back to HARS. With Christmas approaching, this is a great
time to consider buying your gift cards through us! I will be sending out a bulk order for these gift cards
on December 7th so that the cards are available by December 11th. If you would like more information, or
are interested in purchasing gift cards, please contact me by email jsands@kingston.net or call me at the
office. You can also check out the HARS website www.hars.ca for information and forms.
-Joanne Sands, Regional Support Worker 4
World AIDS Day Open House at HARS
December 1st, 2—
4:30pm at
844a Princess
For service users
and the community 5
HARS Christmas Drop-in
for Service Users
Friday, December 18th
from 1 till 3pm
at 844a Princess St.
Ambiance, food, music and friends
-Wishing you a warm and wonderful holiday season-
6
Education Coordinator
Rebecca Anweiler
With World AIDS Day and the holiday season right around the corner, I want to remind you of all the bless-
ings in your lives and to leave you with some quotes to enter the month of December in the right spirit:
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne
Frank
Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. ~William James
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. ~Dr. Seuss
Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity. ~Edwin Hubbel Chapin
Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice,
he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope... and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and
daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resis-
tance. ~Robert F. Kennedy
If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito. ~Betty Reese
We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. ~Herman Melville
Some see a hopeless end, while others see an endless hope. ~Author Unknown
Education is the movement from darkness to light. ~Allan Bloom
-Rebecca Anweiler, Education Coordinator
A drop-in for LGB?TT?IQ youth (under 19)
Every Tuesday 3:30-5:00pm
99 York St. (until January)
and 20 Montreal after that.
Chill out. Grab a snack. Meet new people. Chat.
Do art. Get info & much more.
For info contact Marney at
fuse.kingston@gmail.com
7
844 A Princess Street
Kingston ON K7L 1G5
Business: Staff Members
613.545.3698 or
1.800.565.2209 Executive Director: John MacTavish
Fax: 613.545.9809
hars@kingston.net City Support Coordinator: Allison Cope
www.hars.ca Regional Support Coordinator: Joanne Sands
Prison Support Coordinator: Diane Smith-Merrill
Education Coordinator: Rebecca Anweiler
Education Coordinator: Rhoda Amaladoss
Volunteer Coordinator: Margaret Row
2009-10 Board Members
Chair Stevenson Fergus
Vice-Chair Joseph Babcock
Treasurer Tegan Boyce
Secretary Mary Louise Adams
Director Erich Prohaska
Director Mathew Hou
Director Ren Bowman
Executive Director John MacTavish
(ex-officio)
8
