Fifth Annual Family Health Street Fair June 29th!

Video from last year's Family Health Street Fair Amethyst Women's Project is excited to announce our Fifth Annual Family Street Health Fair in commemoration of National HIV/AIDS Testing Day on June 29, 2012. We are pleased to invite you to join us and other organizations that will be setting up tables at this event. If you are interested in setting up a table, please see our attached flyer and registration form below.  Early registrants will be accommodated with a table and chair, all other agencies will be responsible for bringing their own table. The Street Fair will be open to the entire community in an effort to promote HIV prevention, treatment and education. This event is not to be missed!!! Come with family and friends and enjoy great food, music and entertainment, while getting tested for HIV, Hep-C, STIs, etc.-- ALL FOR FREE! We look forward to seeing you! If you would like to register to table at the event, copy and paste the information below in an email or click here for a PDF of the Registration Form to be filled out and returned to Melisa Garber at mgarber@awp-ci.org or fax: (718) 996-1756. Please make sure to send your registration in ASAP as tables are limited! Amethyst Women's Project's Fourth Annual Family Street Fair National HIV/AIDS Testing Day Friday, JUNE 29, 2012 Registration Form  Name: _______________________________ Title: _________________________________ Organization:___________________________ Address: ______________________________ City ____________State _____ Zip Code _______ Telephone: _________________ Fax: ___________________  Email: ___________________ Website: __________________ ___Yes, register me for the National HIV/AIDS Testing Day. ___Yes, We would like to set up a Table at your Event ___ No, I am unable to attend, but will be sending a representative     DIRECTIONS BY SUBWAY: By Train take the D, F, Q Train to Stillwell Avenue. Walk to 20th Street and Mermaid Avenue.  From Battery, Verrazano Bridge Belt Parkway East to Exit 6 (Cropsey Avenue) make a right on Cropsey, go straight up 4 lights to Mermaid Avenue and 17th Street, make a right to W 20th and Mermaid - find parking

Art Exhibit on May 17th!

National Women's Health Week & Hepatitis Awareness Month

Join us for our event in recognition of National Women's Health Week and Hepatitis Awareness Month!

We will have free give-aways and snacks to all those who participate in the 1-mile walk on the Coney Island Boardwalk!

Educational Workshop Series for Spring 2012!

Amethyst Women’s Project is pleased to extend an invitation to participate in our upcoming Community Educational Workshop Series. 

The Workshop Series will be conducted over a three month period (10 weeks) educating participants on HIV/AIDS, Safer Sex, STDs, Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse, Street Outreach, Communication Skills, and special interest categories.  With consistent attendance, you will graduate from the series with a Certificate of Completion. This is an extremely rewarding experience from which, I’m sure, you will benefit a lot.

The first Community Educational Workshops Series session will be held on Tuesday, March 13^th, at the YWCA located on the third floor of 3001 West 37^th ST at Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224.  This orientation will introduce you to Amethyst Women’s Project’s programs and services as well as an introduction to the rest of the Educational Series.  Sessions will take place Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, from 10:00AM to 1:00PM with a free continental breakfast provided to participants. The entire series will go from March 13^th till May 18, 2012, culminating with a graduation ceremony on May 24, 2012.

Please make sure to fill out a registration form (see below) and email, mail, or fax it back to Amethyst Women’s Project. It is important that we have your information so we can reserve a space for you before it’s too late.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Community Educational Workshop Series, please contact Peer Coordinator Melisa Garber by phone at 718.333.2067, or email at MGarber@awp-ci.org. 

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2012!

Amethyst Women’s Project sponsored their annual commemoration of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 in collaboration with the Coney Island Cathedral. Presentations, free HIV testing and STI screenings were offered to everyone in the Coney Island community, in addition to prevention education, music, games, raffles, free food, and a moving testimonial from a woman impacted by the HIV virus. Dissemination of public health literature and materials was provided by Amethyst Women’s Project and a number of partner agencies who set up information tables at the event. Overall the event was a huge success with 60 attendees and 17 individuals getting tested for HIV, with 6 being screened for STIs. 

We'd like to personally thank all the collaborating agencies and community members that assisted us in reaching this wonderful outcome. We look forward to working together again soon.

Pictures:

Peer Outreach Educator, Sandra, greeting people as they arrive

Program Manager, Manuel Dominguez, spoke about health disparities and how the Black community is impacted by HIV/AIDS.

Agencies, such as Visiting Nurse Service of NY, set up information tables at the event.

Intern, Kailtin O'Connor and Peer Coordinator, Melisa Garber led a game of Community Feud where the attendees were quizzed on their knowledge of HIV transmission

Dr. Blayne Cutler, HIV Prevention Director for the NYC Dept of Health and Peer Coordinator Melisa Garber

For more pictures click here. 

Summary for World AIDS Day on Dec 1st!

Amethyst Women’s Project held their annual event in commemoration of World AIDS Day on December 1, 2011 from 11:00AM to 3:00PM. The event took place at the Iglesia Pentecostal de Jesucristo located on 2102 Mermaid Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224 and was open to the community of Coney Island. The day entailed free HIV testing and HCV/STI screenings along with prevention education, music, games, free food and an exclusive film screening.

The main program began with a opening prayer given by Pastor Linda Watts, followed by some opening remarks from Executive Director, Aida Leon. Peer Coordinator, Melisa Garber, conducted a PowerPoint presentation on the impact of HIV/AIDS globally provided by UNAIDS. Peer Outreach Educator, Ibian Soto, shared her story about living with HIV/AIDS and having her life been saved by Aida Leon and Amethyst Women’s Project, followed by the showing of a remembrance pictorial in honor of community members lost to the virus, which was especially touching to all those present.

After the main program everyone was invited to eat some deli subs while watching the documentary “Still Around,” a compilation of short films concerning HIV/AIDS provided by Outcast Films. Lastly, the Peer Coordinator, Melisa Garber led a “Community Feud” game quizzing the attendees on HIV/AIDS transmission with three lucky winners receiving gift bags and t-shirts for having the right answers.

In total there were 40 individuals in attendance with 20 of them getting tested for HIV, 7 of them getting screened for STIs, and 4 of them received a HCV screening. Overall the event was another great success thanks to the dedicated staff and volunteers of Amethyst Women’s Project.

To see pictures, click here to go to our facebook page.

World AIDS Day - December 1st!

Our Annual World AIDS Day event will be on December 1st! Make sure to join us!

Make sure to RSVP on our facebook event page by clicking here.

AWP's Annual Thanksgiving Event!

We will be holding our annual Thanksgiving event for the homeless of Coney Island on November 22, 2011!
Make sure to come out and help!

You can RSVP on our facebook page by clicking here.

Pictures from NLAAD 2011!

Thank you to all the staff, volunteers, and community members that came out to show their support!
The event was a great success with over 50 attendees and 20 people getting tested for HIV!
To see pictures of the event click HERE.

National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day TODAY!

Join us as we recognize National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day at AWP by discussing how Latinos have been impacted by HIV/AIDS throughout the years and what we can do as a community to put an end to it.
There will be FREE HIV Testing, STI Screenings, and HCV screenings throughout the day, as well as games, prizes, music, and FREE LATIN FOOD!

Vengan a AWP para celebrar “El Día Nacional Latino Para La Concientización Del SIDA”. Aprenda cómo el VIH/SIDA ha impacto la comunidad Latina y lo que podemos hacer para prevenirlo. Tendremos pruebas GRATIS de VIH, ETS, y VHC todo el día. ¡También habrá juegos, premios, música, y comida gratis! Esperamos verlos aquí.

Check out the details of our event on facebook!

Today Is National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day!

 

TODAY is National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Stop by Amethyst Women's Project for a FREE HIV Test from 11:00AM-3:00PM

1907 Mermaid Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11224

Here are some facts from the CDC...

HIV among Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)

View PDF    Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM)1 represent approximately 2% of the US population, yet are the population most severely affected by HIV and are the only risk group in which new HIV infections have been increasing steadily since the early 1990s. In 2006, MSM accounted for more than half (53%) of all new HIV infections in the United States, and MSM with a history of injection drug use (MSM-IDU) accounted for an additional 4% of new infections. At the end of 2006, more than half (53%) of all people living with HIV in the United States were MSM or MSM-IDU. Since the beginning of the US epidemic, MSM have consistently represented the largest percentage of persons diagnosed with AIDS and persons with an AIDS diagnosis who have died. The Numbers New HIV Infections2 In 2006, more than 30,000 MSM and MSM-IDU were newly infected with HIV. Among all MSM, whites accounted for nearly half (46%) of new HIV infections in 2006. The largest number of new infections among white MSM occurred in those aged 30–39 years, followed by those aged 40–49 years. Among all black MSM, there were more new HIV infections (52%) among young black MSM (aged 13–29 years) than any other racial or ethnic age group of MSM in 2006. The number of new infections among young black MSM was nearly twice that of young white MSM and more than twice that of young Hispanic/Latino MSM. Among all Hispanic/Latino MSM in 2006, the largest number of new infections (43%) occurred in the youngest age group (13–29 years), though a substantial number of new HIV infections (35%) were among those aged 30–39 years.

Estimated Number of New HIV Infections among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM), by Race/Ethnicity and Age Group, 2006

Source: CDC. Subpopulation Estimates from the HIV Incidence Surveillance System—United States, 2006. MMWR. 2008; 57(36):985–989.

HIV and AIDS Diagnoses³ and Deaths

• A recent CDC study found that in 2008 one in five (19%) MSM in 21 major US cities were infected with HIV, and nearly half (44%) were unaware of their infection. In this study, 28% of black MSM were HIV-infected, compared to 18% of Hispanic/Latino MSM and 16% of white MSM. Other racial/ethnic groups of MSM also have high numbers of HIV infections, including American Indian/Alaska Native MSM (20%) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander MSM (18%).
• In 2007, MSM were 44 to 86 times as likely to be diagnosed with HIV compared with other men, and 40 to 77 times as likely as women.
• From 2005–2008, estimated diagnoses of HIV infection increased approximately 17% among MSM. This increase was likely due to a combination of factors: increases in new infections, increased testing, and diagnosis earlier in the course of infection; it may also have been due to uncertainty in statistical models.
• In 2008, an estimated 17,940 MSM were diagnosed with AIDS in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US dependent areas—an increase of 6% since 2005.
• By the end of 2007, an estimated 282,542 MSM with an AIDS diagnosis had died in the United States and 5 dependent areas.

AWP Participates in the "80 Voices" Campaign with The Maria Project

80 VOICES is a national campaign initiative to give voice to all women who have lost their lives to violence.  In honor of Maria Salazar ~ The Maria Project's 2011 series works to highlight coalitions, agencies, groups and women organizations nationally who work daily to help women, children and their families who have been affected by violence - and to give voice and peace to so many stories that have never been told for the purpose of advancement of this issue. We at Amethyst Women's Project are pleased to be one of those partnering organizations.  

For more information on this campaign effort, please visit www.themariaproject.com.

Be on the lookout as performances will be held in October.

Fifth Annual Family Health Street Fair on June 29th!

Amethyst Women's Project is very excited for our 

Fifth Annual Family Health Street Fair 

on Friday, June 29, 2012, in honor of National HIV Testing Day.

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Numerous agencies are already signed up, so if you are part of an agency that is interested in setting up a table at our event, please fill out this registration form and email it back to MGarber@awp-ci.org.

Amethyst Women’s Project’s Fourth Annual Family Street Fair

National HIV/AIDS Testing Day

Friday, JUNE 29, 2012

Registration Form

Name: __________________________________________________

Title: ____________________________________________________

Organization:_______________________________________________

Address:  ___________________________________________________

City ______________________ State ____ Zip Code ____________

Telephone:  _________________ Email: __________________

Fax:  ________________ Website: ________________

____ Yes, register me for the National HIV/AIDS Testing Day.

____    Yes, We would like to set up a Table at your Event

____   No, I am unable to attend, but will be sending a representative

Please RSVP by fax or email to Tom Quinn at (718) 996-1756 or TQuinn@awp-ci.org ASAP.

For further information call Melisa Garber at (718) 333-2067 or email at MGarber@awp-ci.org.

 
DIRECTIONS BY SUBWAY: 
By Train
D, F, Q Train to Stillwell Avenue.  Walk to 20^th Street and Mermaid Avenue

From Battery, Verrazano Bridge
Belt Parkway East to Exit 6 (Cropsey Avenue) make a right on Cropsey, go straight up 4 lights to Mermaid Avenue and 17^th Street, make a right to W 20th and Mermaid – find parking

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Here are some pictures from past years with 60 agencies tabling and over 650 attendees!

If you have ANY questions, feel free to contact Peer Coordinator, Melisa Garber, via email  or call (718) 333-2067.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Educational Workshop Series Graduation for the Spring 2011 Class!

AWP's Women's Health Week 1 Mile Walk was a great success!

Click here to see pictures!