June 2006

In this issue:

1. Intro – MN AIDS Walk report
2. What’s new at MAP – MAP night with the Minnesota Lynx
3. This month’s volunteer opportunities – Twin Cities GLBT Pride, Tuesday Niters
4. Upcoming volunteer opportunities – Core Training
5. Did you know? – MAP AIDSLine update
6. MAP staff recommends – recommendations from Kate Nelson

Intro

Minnesota AIDS Walk a success!

Thanks to everyone who helped make the 2006 Minnesota AIDS Walk such a powerful event! Ten thousand people helped us get close to our $600,000 goal! This wouldn’t have been possible without over 500 volunteers, whose enthusiasm and incredible hard work made the day run smoothly. Please visit the MN AIDS Walk website to see pictures of a few of these dedicated volunteers, as well as other scenes from Walk Day.

What’s new at MAP

Minnesota AIDS Project night with the Minnesota Lynx

 The Lynx, Minnesota’s WNBA team, is having a great season.  On June 18, you can enjoy an exciting game while helping MAP!  For this game against the Phoenix Mercury, $5 from every ticket sold through their special offer will benefit MAP.  Lower-level ticket prices range from $20 - $40.  To make sure your ticket is included in this benefit, you must purchase it through Bill Rodgers at 612.673.1687

Lynx vs. Mercury
Sunday, June 18, 5 pm
Target Center, Minneapolis

This month’s volunteer opportunities

Twin Cities GLBT Pride

Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25 – Loring Park, Minneapolis. Volunteer to staff the MAP AIDSLine booth at the Pride Festival in Loring Park. Volunteers will be scheduled in two-hour shifts. Shifts are almost full, so hurry and contact Jessica to sign up. Because volunteers are there to answer questions about HIV and MAP, we ask that anyone who has not attended an HIV 101 session at MAP attend a brief training here, either Wednesday June 21 at 6 pm or Thursday June 22 at noon. Of course, all volunteers are invited and encouraged to attend one of these sessions. We are also still looking for volunteers for the Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade on Sunday, June 25 along Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. Be part of the largest parade in Minneapolis! Volunteer to carry the Every Penny Counts Emergency Assistance Fund rainbow flag and collect funds for this much-needed service. Volunteers arrive at 10 am and finish by 2 pm. No training is required for Parade volunteers. Contact Jessica to sign up!

Tuesday Niters

Now that the special events season is over, we are back to our normal schedule of meeting the second Tuesday of every month. So, join us on June 13 from 4:30 – 7 pm, come when you can and leave when you need to, for this fun drop-in volunteer night. RSVP if you are interested.

Upcoming volunteer opportunities

Core Training

As a MAP volunteer, do your friends turn to you for answers to their questions about HIV?  Are you interested in helping MAP out with community outreach and education events?  Would you like a refresher on HIV basics?  For these reasons and many others, we recommend that all volunteers attend Core Training on Monday, July 10, here at MAP.  Conducted by Lorraine Teel, MAP Executive Director and Becca Robinson, MAP AIDSLine Community Educator, this three hour class covers HIV history, transmission, testing, prevention, and myths vs. facts, as well as providing background on MAP.  To sign up for this free class, email Jessica.

Did you know?

MAP AIDSLine update

Thanks to all the volunteers and supporters who wrote letters and made phone calls, as well as the MAP Public Policy staff, we finally have some good news about the MAP AIDSLine funding situation!  We have procured funds from the Minnesota Department of Health and the Department of Human Services to keep the program going for an additional year.  These funds will not last past June 2007, but this reprieve gives us an opportunity to seek support from other sources.  Although this is not the best-case scenario, we are clearly relieved.  This is definitely proof that our advocates make a difference!  Thanks to everyone who helped get the word out.  Check out our article in Lavender or our Public Policy page for background on how this situation progressed.  To get a better idea of the diverse calls the MAP AIDSLine fields, read some stories from people who have used it.

MAP staff recommends

One of the people working so hard at the Capitol is Kate Nelson, MAP Public Policy Coordinator.  She also works on our community forum series and coordinates the MN-TAP (Minnesota Teens for AIDS Prevention) group.  Here are her recommendations:

Movie

The Squid and the Whale
written and directed by Noah Baumbach.

The Squid and the Whale is set in New York City during the 1980’s.  It is a heartbreakingly hilarious look into one family’s experience with divorce.  This film captures the uncomfortable terrain surrounding divorce in all of its dysfunctional glory. The dialogue in this film is priceless

Book

The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America by Bill Bryson.

The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America chronicles one man’s journey to rediscover his country by recreating trips he had taken as a child.  Bill Bryson pokes fun at cities, small towns and their inhabitants throughout his 38 state road trip.  He delivers an honest and witty depiction of small town USA.  A great read!

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 3, 2007
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