Community Awareness
SFAN is committed to developing community resources to ensure ongoing quality
health care for HIV/AIDS clients in Miami-Dade County. SFAN hosts regular
community education sessions, support groups, health fairs and outreach
initiatives.
The South Florida AIDS Network Annual World AIDS Day Luncheon and Health Fair
are annual events for the community. Since 1988, December 1st has been
designated as World AIDS Day, bringing messages of compassion, hope, solidarity,
advocacy and understanding about HIV/AIDS to every country in the world. This
annual observance brings healthcare and client service providers, advocacy
groups and pharmaceutical industry professionals together with the persons who
are infected and affected with HIV/AIDS. The event theme, “Many Hearts, One
Beat,” serves to underscore our diversity and our unity in the battle against
HIV/AIDS. SFAN's mission on this upcoming World AIDS Day will be to demonstrate
that our strength is in our diversity. Because of this, we can fight
discrimination, provide more care to more people and prevent this disease from
taking more lives.
In 2004-2006, SFAN served as co-chair of the annual Miami-Dade National Black
HIV/AIDS Awareness & Information Day NBHAAID, celebrated on February 7th
each year. In 2007, we will assume the role again. NBHAAID is co-funded and
sponsored by the Community Capacity Building Coalition (CCBC), a coalition of
national organizations funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) through the National Minority AIDS Initiative. CCBC provides
capacity-building assistance to community-based organizations and stakeholders
involved in HIV/AIDS, a coalition of local AIDS service organizations
partner with community organizations and businesses to create awareness of
HIV/AIDS and to encourage prevention.
SFAN plays a vital role in the organizing committee of the SIDA Ayer, Hoy,
Manana Annual Conference (AIDS: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow). This conference
is organized by leaders of the Hispanic community from the different agencies
that provide services to people infected and affected with the HIV/AIDS epidemic
in South Florida. The goal of SIDA Ayer, Hoy, Manana is to provide the Hispanic
community with state-of-the-art information on HIV prevention, education and
treatment, so that people infected and/or affected can make well-informed and
healthier decisions. This is a yearly event.
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