TIHAN - Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network

We of the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network offer our hearts and hands to provide compassionate and non-judgmental service to those affected by HIV/AIDS. Through education and support, we—as individuals and faith communities—work to build bridges, reduce stigma and sustain hope.

We invite the religious community to join us in an informed, sensitive and compassionate response to those affected by HIV/AIDS. We are called to care through education, service and advocacy:

TIHAN administers its practices and programs without discrimination against anyone on the basis of actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender, gender identity, national origin, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, disability, citizenship status or veteran status.

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church
Bodhisattva Institute (Tibetan Buddhism)
Campus Christian Center
Episcopal
Lutheran
Methodist
Casas Adobes Congregational Church (United Church of Christ)
Carondelet Health Care Corporation of Southern Arizona
Catalina United Methodist Church
Church of the Apostles (Episcopal Church)
Church of the Painted Hills United Church of Christ
Congregation Or Chadash (Reform Judaism)
Congregation Kol Simchah
Cornerstone Fellowship
Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Green Valley Community Church (United Methodist)
Lutheran Church of the Foothills (ELCA)
Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Newman Center/St. Thomas More Catholic Parish
Prince Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME)
Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church (ELCA)
Rincon Congregational Church (United Church of Christ)
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church
Santa Cruz Lutheran Church (ELCA)
Shalom Mennonite Fellowship
Southside Presbyterian Church
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
St. Cyril Catholic Church
St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church
St. Mark's Presbyterian Church
St. Mark's United Methodist Church
St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church
St. Pius X Catholic Church
Temple Emanu-El (Reform Judaism)
Tucson Multi-Faith Alliance
Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson
Water of Life Metropolitan Community Church

One of the most vital direct non-medical services which the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network provides to people living with HIV/AIDS is our CareTeams. CareTeams are made up of several volunteers (usually four or five) who are assigned to one CarePartner (a person who is living with HIV or AIDS). Team member take turns meeting with and supporting the CarePartner.

Our CareTeams perform a variety of supportive activities for and with our CarePartners. Some of these are:

Poz Cafe is an opportunity to get out of the house, take a break, meet other positive people and enjoy!

On the third Thursday of each month, volunteers from local Tucson congregations provide a fantastic, delicious and nutritious lunch for people living with HIV. This is followed by time to "hang out", chat, participate in a game or two of bingo, enjoy our raffle of fun and useful gifts or even "shop" in the Poz MarketPlace. People living with HIV and their guest are invited to join in this wonderful opportunity. All attending the cafe are asked to honor the highest standard of confidentiality. A guest may be a partner, spouse, relative, friend or volunteer.

The cafe is open from 11:30am to 2:00pm at St. Francis in the Foothills Church, located at the corner of Swan and River roads. It's a beautiful setting, somewhat away from the hustle and bustle of life in the middle of the city. Limited transportation may be provided, as available.

Free weekly Wednesday breakfast for people living with HIV. Mother Hubbard's warms the stomach and heart. Drop-in for a friendly breakfast with friends. Vouchers are available to CarePartners living with HIV.

Assisting families with the costs of burial and cremation after the loss of a loved one due to the effects of HIV/AIDS. This fund, established in memory of Bill Ellsworth, provides limited financial assistance to offset the costs of burial and cremation.

Offering as-needed assistance and support, ranging from advocacy with case managers and other medical and social service providers. TIHAN works closely with other service providers and social service agencies to advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS, and works to make sure that people living with HIV are aware of the other options for support available in the community.

TIHAN provides emergency financial support to persons living with HIV/AIDS, assisting with living expenses such as rent, electricity, phone, and food costs on an emergency basis. Additional support includes assisting persons living with HIV/AIDS with donations of furniture and other needed household goods donated to the organization. The holidays are made brighter through donations for Thanksgiving and the December holidays for our CarePartners living with HIV/AIDS. HIV+ persons and family members are served as part of our holiday season “family day” for children and parents in which they can chose gifts to give to their loved ones for the holidays, and then a dinner and dance to brighten their holidays as well. Full turkey dinners are delivered to a limited number of CarePartners living with HIV and their families for the holidays, and there is a free Thanksgiving dinner at Mother Hubbard’s Restaurant.

The Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network not only offers compassionate care and support through our CareTeams and healing services throughout the year, but we also offer pastoral care and spiritual support for those who request it.

The Clergy Resource Referral Network is composed of more than 60 area clergy from a wide array of different faith religions and denominations. You do not need to be a TIHAN CarePartner or even someone who is HIV-positive to speak with a member of the Clergy Resource Referral Network. If you are affected by HIV/AIDS and would like to speak with a member of the clergy, we would be glad to put you in touch with a member of our referral network. As with all TIHAN volunteers, there will be no proselytizing, or any attempts made to convert you to that clergy member’s religion.

For more information about the Clergy Resource Referral Network, please call the TIHAN office at (520) 299-6647 or send an e-mail to scott@tihan.org

TIHAN gratefully accepts credit card donations to support our work. You can donate right now by clicking on the link below which will take you to a secured site where you can safely enter your donation information.

If you would prefer, you can call the TIHAN office (520-299-6647) and we will be happy to take your credit card donation over the telephone. Thanks for your support of TIHAN!

In times of trouble, people have traditionally looked to their communities of faith for guidance and support. Today, we have another crisis demanding a response. It is estimated that 1 million people in the U.S. have been infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. That translates to about 1 in every 250 people in the United States.

AIDS is currently a leading cause of death in the U.S. among people aged 25 to 44 years. And the number of people infected and affected is growing exponentially. The demographics of the disease are changing quickly, with increases in rural areas and among youth, women, people of color and heterosexuals. One in every four new HIV infections in this country are estimated to occur among people under the age of 20. Each hour, two more teenagers become infected with HIV in the United States. There is no known cure, and the treatments developed so far are only partially effective.

In Pima County, Arizona, it is estimated that more than 6,500 people are living with HIV. There is a great need for the people of Southern Arizona to respond with greater compassion, generosity and concern for all affected by HIV/AIDS. And what people are more called to respond than people of faith?

Our communities of faith must be able to deal with the growing number of members who will be seeking support and guidance as this pandemic grows to touch more of our homes, our families, our congregations, our hearts. AIDS is found in every segment of our community, and it affects every faith community. For each person infected there are countless friends, families and co-workers affected.

Many faith communities in the Tucson area are stepping forward to respond to this crisis, discovering that there is tremendous value in gathering together, sharing ideas, supporting each other, and linking people of faith together to respond as one people of care and compassion for those living with HIV/AIDS.

AIDS is a challenge, but it also represents an opportunity for communities of faith to respond with ministries of healing and hope, of concern and compassion. This disease challenges us to be healing communities, to respond from our deeply-rooted belief systems of caring for and affirming the dignity of all people. We are called to reach out with compassion rather than judgment, to foster awareness and education rather than fear, to support and minister to those living with HIV, to comfort the dying and the grieving, to respond in the face of suffering and pain, to act on the tenets of our faith.

Catherine Davis (President)
Dan Uroff (Vice President)
Roger Carmichael (Secretary)
David Cormier, CPA (Treasurer)

Tom Muller, Au.D.
Jill Rich
Casey Sankey
Arnold Valerius, PhD, RN, NE-BC, FNP-BC
David Velenovsky, Ph.D., CCC-A
George Vissichelli

With a wide-ranging background in education, law, counseling, media, GLBT issues, and volunteer management, Scott helped found TIHAN in 1994 as a means of supporting the religious community to address the growing crisis of HIV affecting our community, and the accompanying issues of religious homophobia. With his passion for equality and justice issues, Scott is active in many groups and organizations in community, advocating and working to build bridges of understanding. He has been featured in many print and television stories, and has received multiple community awards for his leadership and contributions.

Scott's position with TIHAN involves overall day-to-day management of the organization, along with working with the board of directors, and development and community relations responsibilities. Scott works closely to support TIHAN staff with their responsibilities.

A lifelong native of Tucson, Meta has a diverse background of social services, volunteer management, business, and marketing. She has a Master’s degree in Social Work, and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. For over two decades, Meta owned and operated her own contracting business and throughout that time has also dedicated her passions as a volunteer with multiple non-profits, and she has been recognized for her leadership abilities and contributions to the Tucson community.

Meta is a lover of nature and active in many outdoors activities. She enjoys traveling, and relishes sharing time with her family. She has been an active leader in the Girl Scout organization. A strong believer in equality for all, Meta brings compassion for humanity to her work and life.

As TIHAN’s Program Manager, Meta is responsible for managing agency programs for people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as training, placing, supporting, recognizing, and retaining volunteers to carry out the mission and programs of the agency. Meta will be working collaboratively with agency staff, agency volunteers, faith communities, healthcare providers, community groups, and social service agencies.

Enid is a recent arrival to Tucson, having spent her professional life equally in England and Chicago. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Religious Studies, with a minor in Women Studies, from Bradley University. Enid has worked in non-profits since 1990 and has provided direct services and strategic leadership to organizations focused on humanitarian efforts, community development, and education. She has focused on ensuring supports and resources are available for underserved and marginalized populations.

Enid started volunteering at the age of nine, and is passionate about giving back to her community and nurturing humanitarian work. Overall, she brings to TIHAN her experience with volunteer management, fundraising, training development, strategic planning, and office management. For fun, Enid enjoys a spirited game of pool, listening to all types of music, and occasionally playing an instrument or two.

As Office and Volunteer Coordinator, Enid will manage TIHAN’s volunteer program and administrative volunteer staff, oversee daily office operations (including maintaining databases, coordinating acknowledgement of donations, maintaining office equipment and systems, and working with vendors), provide program and fundraising support, and perform varied advanced administrative work as required.

Robert Oser is a retired chef with 15 years of experience, including at Canyon Ranch, Sierra Tucson, Conspiracy Café, and Oasis Vegetarian Restaurant. He is the former owner of the Natural Habit Markets in Illinois and has 25 years of experience in health food stores and groceries, mainly in management.

Robert is writing his fifth cookbook and has written hundreds of recipes for magazines and newsletters. He has taught culinary arts for 25 years in health food stores, churches, culinary schools and other schools. Among other projects, Robert is presently an intern for the Community Food Bank Garden, where he teaches culinary classes and demos what to do with your garden harvests. Robert likes to help out teaching and cooking at Urban Fresh in downtown Tucson. He also writes a blog/web page called Hippievegan.com.

As TIHAN's Poz Cafe Kitchen/Menu Supervisor (part-time, 15 hours/month), Robert engages congregational volunteers in providing a healthy, nutritious monthly lunch for people living with HIV/AIDS, ensuring safety and compliance with health department rules and regulations.

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©1998-2013 Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network
A 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization