Community Care HIV/AIDS Project (CCHAP) was scheduled to receive a proclamation on Tuesday, Nov. 25, from the Lake County Board of Supervisors designating Dec. 1 through 6 as AIDS Awareness Week. The week kicks off on Monday with World AIDS Day in effort to bring awareness to the AIDS pandemic and initiate community and global discussion.
“This proclamation extends international AIDS Day to a full week of discussions,” CCHAP Drop-In Center Program Coordinator Ken Young said. “I think that one of the solutions to the AIDS pandemic is to keep the discussion in the forefront and for families to sit around and talk about it with their children.”
CCHAP is the county”s primary agency providing services and support to those living with HIV/AIDS. The proclamation also recognized the success of the inaugural AIDSWalk Lake County, which brought tremendous awareness to pandemic in September.
“I think the government dropped the ball and all of sudden AIDS awareness took a back burner. Medical research has developed cocktails of medication that allow people with AIDS to live longer. I think there was a general assumption that the AIDS epidemic was taken
care of,” Young said. “AIDS is actually on the rise due to this lack of focus. We are seeing more cases especially among our young people between the ages of 15 and 24. One of the fastest-rising populations is also women, particularly African American women and in our county, there is a rise among IV drug users.”
CCHAP will host another first-time event for the organization on Sunday, Dec. 7. AIDS Awareness Week will culminate with “Lake County AIDS Service of Remembrance,” 2 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Church, on The Plaza, in Clearlake Oaks. The program is being presented in collaboration between CCHAP Drop-In Center, in Clearlake; the Stonewall Democratic Club and the Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Church. The Rev. Dr. Rick Schlosser will officiate and all are welcome to attend.
AIDS Awareness Week will culminate with “Lake County AIDS Service of Remembrance,” 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at the Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Church, on The Plaza, in Clearlake Oaks. The program is being presented in collaboration between CCHAP Drop-In Center, in Clearlake; the Stonewall Democratic Club and the Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Church. Rev. Dr. Rick Schlosser will officiate and all are welcome to attend.
“The theme is to honor those who have gone before us and to celebrate personal responsibility to keep the dialogue out there, all year-round, through individual efforts in leadership,” Young said. “The Service of Remembrance will provide an opportunity to look at the grief and losses in people”s lives and honor those who have been lost to HIV/AIDS. It will give people a chance to heal and it will urge continued conversation and awareness.
“Stop AIDS. Keep the promise. Empower. Lead. Deliver. Make a healthier Lake County. Please join us for this very special commemorative event,” Young said.
Compassionate care and understanding is available to those living with HIV/AIDS year-round at the CCHAP Drop-In Center. A knowledgeable and caring staff awaits anyone seeking guidance and support in managing their lives while living with the illness.
A variety of programs are offered at the drop-in center aimed at providing clients with the tools and resources they need to live healthier, happier more fulfilling lives. The center also engages its clients in activities that promote socialization ? an aspect missing in the lives of many living with HIV/AIDS.
“Having AIDS is such an isolating situation. Having a place where you can come to that is comfortable really helps,” said CCHAP client Jim Morgan. “Becoming more active through the CCHAP office has really helped me come out of my depression and get more active. There”s a lot of laughter here and that”s really healing.”
The CCHAP Drop-In Center has been operating in Clearlake since 1984. It is staffed with a supportive and compassionate team consisting of a program coordinator, social work case manager, a case aide and a registered nurse. Staff members are trained to help clients access resources and gain education to better manage their individual conditions.
The drop-in center provides a safe, drug-free place where clients can obtain counseling and information. It is equipped with laundry and bathing facilities as well as a computer lab that provides clients with access to the Internet. Gas vouchers are available to make sure clients can keep their medical appointments and a food cupboard ensures that their nutritional needs are met.
The CCHAP Drop-In Center is located at 14644 Lakeshore Drive, Suite B, in Clearlake. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Bilingual assistance is available. For more information, call the center at 995-1606.
The center will be closed Thanksgiving Day as well as on Friday, Nov. 28. Regular business hours will resume during AIDS Awareness Week.
Anyone seeking assistance and guidance is invited and encouraged to stop by the center and learn more about CCHAP programs.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
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