November 22nd, 2010 at 10:49 am » Comments (1)

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Building Networks for HIV Prevention

The North Central Florida Farmworker Corridor HIV Task Force Celebrates it’s First Anniversary

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Members of NCFFC HIV Task Force commemorates World AIDS Day Campaign “Facing AIDS”.

Globally, December 1 is recognized as World AIDS Day; a profound commitment to ending the spread of the disease and the stigma associated with it. This year’s theme is Universal Access and Human Rights, one we feel quite apropos for the challenges facing Hispanic Immigrants in the South.

In North Central Florida, December 1st marks the First Anniversary of the North Central Florida Farmworker Corridor (NCFFC) HIV Task Force.  NCFFC is a VIA partner. With the unification of 6 counties (Lake, Marion, Putnam, Volusia, Alachua and Levy), the Task Force is a consortium of 26 organizations including county health departments, community health centers, school programs, farmworker groups, health educators, domestic violence organizations and advocates.

Statistics show Florida ranks third nationally in the number of AIDS cases; the ravages of HIV/AIDS continue to impact the state. Presently one in five people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S are not yet aware of their status because they have not been tested.

In a portion of the Farmworker Corridor area (Lake, Marion, Putnam, Levy, and Alachua), there are 2,270 people known to be living with HIV or AIDS.  Of these, 204 (9%) are Hispanic.

To combat these high rates of infection and end this pandemic, the Task Force has prioritized several strategies to pursue: 1) to build prevention networks and offer presentations in English or Spanish in schools, businesses and churches with a focus on increased HIV testing, 2) to address the need for more testing sites with bilingual services and 3) to address accessibility challenges.   The NCFFC’s goal: an end to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Florida Farmworker Corridor.

See NCFFC member’s comments that were added to the AIDS.gov’s National Campaign entitled “Facing AIDS.”  North Central Florida is up to the challenge of HIV prevention!

November 4th, 2010 at 10:39 am » Comments (0)

As many of us exercised our rights by voting yesterday, we took a stand to influence policies affecting our communities. Using our voice is not just a one-day event– making change is an everyday process.

From the VIA findings of 200 survey participants, immigrant communities have a clear understanding of U.S. civics and what is needed to improve their communities. According to survey responses, 45% of these rural Hispanics take personal responsibility to exercise their rights around their concerns for their community, be it through participation in community campaigns, sharing information with neighbors or church friends, signing petitions, or following the law. Notably, another 4% voiced that the surveys themselves were a way for them to be heard and 8% lament that they don’t know what to do or because their situation is so that they migrate so often that they don’t have the opportunity to become involved in community betterment.

From Community Exchange Sessions to surveys, there is continued confirmation of the communities’ knowledge of who is key to bringing about change. The majority of survey participants accurately linked the correct public offices to the concerns they have for their communities. For example, in respect to their children’s education they know that they need to work with both the county and the school to make change. To affect the problems associated with alcohol use in the community, they talk about the need to join together the forces of clinics, schools, churches and the police. And for bringing an initial halt to the daily deportation and separation of families by Immigration, they know that the President has the ability to sign an Executive Order to end the deportations.

So, as we look at the election results, whether your candidate has won or lost, remember that new attempts will soon creep up to impede the participation, movement and livelihood of immigrant communities in the US. In order to keep the momentum for Immigration Reform moving forward, we need to stay informed and involved around how the election outcomes will affect immigrant communities in terms of employment, health access, HIV services and community mobility.

So the question remains, what will you do with the rights you have?

November 3rd, 2010 at 9:03 pm » Comments (1)

VIA TREND #5

November 3rd, 2010 at 8:57 pm » Comments (0)