BABES Network-YWCA

Check out our World AIDS Day events flier and BABES December Calendar!

Happy Holidays from BABES Staff, Volunteers and Advisory Board!

Last year, many local organizations supported BABES Network-YWCA and our World AIDS Day event. This year, rather than holding our own event again, we decided we wanted to support the events of other local organizations! We hope you can join us!

In our December Calendar, we have listed some of the events going on in the Seattle area you might like to attend!

The World Health Organization established World AIDS Day in 1988. Because there are currently 1.2 million people living with HIV in the U.S., and because 1 in 5 people infected with HIV don’t know it, this year’s theme is “Getting to Zero.” Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination & Zero AIDS-Related Deaths.

On World AIDS Day, U.S. Positive Women’s Network is launching Count Us In! - a national campaign focused on ensuring that women living with and vulnerable to HIV receive women-centered care that upholds our human rights! Want to get involved in the Count Us In! campaign and have your voice heard? Contact BABES Network Program Manager Nicole Price, Nicole@babesnetwork.org, (206-461-4488).

Prairie Underground is having a Sample Sale this Saturday and Sunday (December 3rd & 4th) from 10am-5pm! The event will take place at the Canal Building in Fremont (716 North 34th Street)! Twenty percent of the sale proceeds will be donated to BABES Network-YWCA! Come down check out their clothing line and visit BABES staff and volunteers. We will be there all weekend!

Exciting events going on in November at BABES Network!

Check out the Fall 2011 Newsletter to read the submissions from BABES members from their 5-week Writers and Poets workshop with Caroline Brown! We would like to thank the BABES members who participated for sharing their beautiful pieces with the BABES Community.

Calling all HIV+ women! We have a training coming up you definitely won’t want to miss!  U.S. Positive Women’s Network is coming to Seattle for an all-day Communications, Media and Policy Training - Saturday, November 19th from 9-5pm at the YWCA on Fifth and Seneca! For more details check out the newsletter and call the BABES staff to get your name on the list. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Please also ask about free parking spots when calling to RSVP.

Also in November join us for our Annual Harvest Dinner Friday, November 11th from 6-8pm. Dr. Javeed Sidiqqui from Sacramento, CA. will be the speaker and as usual we will have a full Thanksgiving style dinner. The event will take place at the YWCA 5th and Seneca Multipurpose room. Please feel free to bring a guest and make sure to RSVP to BABES. This event made possible by ViiV Healthcare.

From the staff and volunteers at BABES Network-YWCA we would like to wish you all a very happy holiday season!

This month’s August 2011 BABES Talking Newsletter features members’ reflections from BABES Annual Leadership Retreat, updates on program changes and upcoming summer events.

Newsletter highlights include info about our upcoming Annual Picnic, sponsored by Windermere Foundation.  We hope you can join us for some BBQ, fun times and sunshine (fingers crossed) on Saturday, August 6th, 11am-3pm at lower Woodland Park, shelter 1!

Advocacy Opportunity Alert! We’re excited to host the 2nd HIV Law Project/ U.S. Positive Women’s Network Webinar: Government and Decision Making Bodies 101 .  This training is for HIV positive women interested in advocacy.  Come meet other peer advocates on Tuesday, August 9th 9am-12pm at BABES.  Please let us know if you are able to make it!

This site was unvieled in mid-July.  Please give us feedback on what we can do better! 

Program updates:

Our 2011 Leadership Retreat was made possible with support from Pride Foundation, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Bristol Meyers Squibb, Ms Foundation for Women and many more generous supporters.

Leadership Retreat July 2011

We just returned from our Annual Leadership Retreat.  This year’s retreat was especially well-attended, empowering and reached a dynamic group of 32 consumer advocates.  Thanks to our wonderful volunteers and presenters including Shireesha Dhanireddy, MD, assistant medical director at Madison Clinic at Harborview and Linda Scruggs from AIDS Alliance for children, youth and families.  

Linda Scruggs, Nicole Price and Pat Migliore at Leadership Retreat 2011

Attendees actively engaged in leadership workshops facilitated by national AIDS Advocates and Positive Women’s Network members Linda Scruggs and Pat Migliore.  It was a wonderful kick-off to future leadership trainings by and for women living with HIV. 

Next week we welcome Nicole Price as the new Program Manager.  We’re thrilled that Nicole has accepted the position.  She brings 7 years experience working at BABES as a peer leader and event coordinator.  She has attended numerous trainings around the country and is well-respected here in the local HIV/AIDS community.  Please join us in welcoming Nicole into this new role!

Signing off,

Amelia Vader, Program Manager for now