Gratitude On World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day is held on the 1st December every year since 1988. This day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day is important because it reminds the public and Government that HIV has not been cured, and has not gone away – there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight Stigma and improve education. World AIDS Day is opportunity to show support to and solidarity with the millions of people living with HIV, but also an opportunity to give THANKS to the many unsung heroes who have worked for many years to save lives, and continue to do so today, on Vancouver’s Downtown East Side (DTES).
These community-minded individuals may not consider themselves to be heroes, simply doing what needs to get done, but they are and we thank them. Each person in their own way is taking a brave stand against the virus. They are fighting back. They do so, not because they’re seeking glory or accolades, but because fighting back is a means to a healthy community and the survival persons living with HIV.
Every year the Pacific AIDS Network (PAN) organizes a Forum for persons living with HIV/AIDS at its fall conference. The Forum is a chance to problem-solve and develop ideas towards a new yearly group consensus priority for PAN to champion over the next year. One of the 2015 priorities given to PAN from the Forum was to write a thank you letter to the unsung heroes of the Downtown East Side, who have provided lifesaving and supportive care throughout the 30 some years of the epidemic. Read the letter here!
We invite you to display the attached letter at your office or organization. We would also appreciate it if you could forward this post and letter to your contacts, colleagues, and related service users to show our World AIDS Day gratitude.
Send us a tweet with your #WorldAIDSDay message of gratitude @PAN_CBR