Out in the Mountains

 

Profile: The Vermont AIDS Council

In April of 1989, representatives of
Vermont's eight community-based AIDS
service organimtions (ASO's) met for the
first time. They came together to remedy
the isolation they experienced as they
worked independently in their corners of
this rural state. The groups continued to
meet over the following months, and the
result of their efforts was the creation of the
Vennont AIDS Council.

The Council includes the AIDS Com-
munity Action Project, AIDS Community
Resource Network, the Bennington Area
AIDS Project, the Brattleboro AIDS Proj-
ect, the Franklin/Grand Isle Task Force,
HEAL Vermont, the Northeast Kingdom
AIDS Coalition, and Vermont C.A.R.E.S.

The Council's mission is to serve as "a
forum to insure the delivery of the best
education, information, and services to the
people of Vermont as they are affected by
HIV diseases."

The Vermont AIDS Council serves as
an umbrella for the member organizations
by providing a network for information and
resources, and also provides a mechanism
for collaboration and cooperation among
the organizations. Rather than reinventing
the wheel around the state, the ASO's are
able to share their knowledge and skills
with each other and to participate in shared
trainings and gatherings.

The Vermont AIDS Council provides
a unified voice of advocacy for persons

Safe, Sexy, and Sane!

Have you ever wondered what the
"other guys" do between the sheets? Does
the thought of putting on another condom
bore you to tears? Have you ever wanted to
spend an evening with a group of your
friends discussing how the AIDS epidemic
has affected your personal and sexual life?
Do you need a self-esteem boost?

If you answered "yes" to any of these
questions, Vermont C.A.R.E.S. has the
answers for you in their "Safe, Sexy, and
Sane" workshops. These workshops,
which usually last for three hours, cover a
variety of topics designed to educate and
entertain the participants.

The "Safe, Sexy, and Sane" program is
designed to help educate members of the
gay community on current information
about HIV and AIDS. By exploring the
transmission modes of the virus, you can
begin to separate the facts from the myths

   

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about the disease. In addition, the risks
associated with specific sexual activities
are assessed, and the personal risk factors
of workshop participants are reviewed.
Risk reduction and safer sex practices are
also outlined.

The fun really begins as brainstorming
groups discuss how to eroticize safer sex.
The only limit here is your imagination.

Workshop members also participate in
exercises that address issues of self esteem
and problems faced in negotiating safer sex
with present (and future) partners.

Finally, the workshop would not be
complete without the "Mystery Dating
Game," where participants pick their dream
dates and practice their best pick-up lines.

Sound like fun? Want to host a work-
shop? Just want more information? Take a
chance and give Vermont C.A.R.E.S. a call
at (802) 863-2437.

living with AIDS in Vermont. Among its
priorities are the creation of a state policy
and plan for AIDS and ensuring that ade-
quate funding and services are made avail-
able to meet the needs of Vermonters af-
fected by HIV. As Vermont is one of only
eight states that has appropriated none of its
own revenues for AIDS programs or serv-
ices, the Council will need to wage a sus-
tained campaign to make AIDS an issue
with the state's planners and policy makers.

In its brief history, the Vermont AIDS
Council has accomplished a great deal. It
has incorporated as a not-for-profit organi-
zation and is in the process of applying for
tax-exempt status. In July the Council held
a well-received statewide gathering for
caregivers of people living with HIV and
AIDS in Vermont. The Council has also
become a member of the Vermont Coali-
tion for Disability Rights.

The Council has worked to ensure
continuation of the program that pays for
AZT for people with HIV infection. It has
worked closely with our U.S. Senators to
tight implementation of federal funding
formulas that would be extremely damag-
ing to Vermont's AIDS programs. It was
also an active participant in planning a
November conference that brought to-
gether representatives of provider groups
from all regions of the state.

In June, the Vermont AIDS Council
hired Erica Garfm to serve as its Executive
Director. Garfin came to the Council with a
background in health advocacy and plan-
ning and with many years of experience at
the Vermont Center for Independent Liv-
ing, an advocacy organization for people
with disabilities.

For more information about the Ver-
mont AIDS Council, write to PO Box 275,
Montpelier VT 06501, or call 229-2557.

P.O. BOX 1212

10

THEODORE BOHN
ATTORNEY AT LAW

BRATTLEBORO, VT O5302

802-257-4491