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Monthly E-Newsletter
for
November
2009
Dear Friends,
We
send our best wishes to you for a Happy Thanksgiving. We are
blessed to work with such wonderful volunteers, donors,
CarePartners, and colleagues, and we are grateful to work
together with you to build a healthier and more compassionate
community…
In
spite of all the challenges we face, we are grateful for all
we have been given, and all that we are able to give back.
We're sending you the following announcements to help keep you
connected and informed about TIHAN and all our happenings.
—TIHAN's
Staff and Board
1. Worlds AIDS Day –
Join a Tucson-Wide Observance
2. World AIDS Day – How
Your Faith Community or Group Can Participate in Commemorating
this Day
3. Fall is Here…and so
is TNT (Tuesday Nights at TIHAN)!
4. Support TIHAN With
American Express GivingExpress Program
5. Teach Others About
HIV/AIDS and TIHAN
6.
Helping Brighten the Holidays for our CarePartners with HIV
7. Volunteer Spotlight
– Soozie Hazan
8. Treasures for TIHAN:
It's Time for the Fun to Start. Join Us!
9. Attend Care and
Support – Training A Special Weekday Evening Training In
November
10. Continuing
Education: the History of HIV/AIDS
11. We're Bonkers about
Ian Biehler!
1.
Worlds AIDS Day – Join a Tucson-Wide
Observance
The World AIDS Day
Committee encourages you to help Tucson celebrate the 21st
anniversary of World AIDS Day on December 1—celebrate how
far we have come in the fight against HIV/AIDS, remember those
we have lost and learn about HIV/AIDS prevention.
Events will take place at
Historic Club Congress, located at 311 E. Congress St.
Festivities will begin at 4pm with multicultural dancing and
music on the outside stage. Inside, Copper Hall will be
transformed into an area of remembrance with speakers living
with HIV/AIDS sharing their stories and informational booths.
The lobby will contain the Wooden Ribbon Project, and the
inside club stage will feature local musicians and theatrical
performances.
Don't miss Positively
Artistic, an art show celebrating the works of artists living
with HIV/AIDS, at the Rocket Gallery, located at 270 E.
Congress, just across the street from Club Congress.
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2. World
AIDS Day – How Your Faith Community or Group Can Participate
in Commemorating this Day
World
AIDS Day is December 1. This year's theme is Universal Access
and Human Rights. TIHAN can provide resources for your faith
community to participate in World AIDS Day. Consider wearing
red ribbons, having a TIHAN representative give a mission
moment, saying a prayer for those living with and affected by
HIV/AIDS, giving a sermon on HIV/AIDS, or staffing a TIHAN
informational table. Contact Natalie Brown, natalie@tihan.org
or 299-6647, with any questions.
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3. Fall is
Here…and so is TNT (Tuesday Nights at TIHAN)!
Join
us every Tuesday night for extended evening hours with walk-in
volunteer projects.
-
Tuesdays
are the nights for any volunteer or potential volunteer to
come and hang out at the TIHAN office for a couple hours
and work on a variety of projects. TNT is a great
opportunity to come out and meet new people or better
acquaint yourself with the ones you already know. TNT will
run from 5:30pm-8:00pm every Tuesday night.
-
Unlike
many of our other volunteer opportunities, no training is
required for volunteers wanting to get involved with TNT.
We would love your help! If you are interested in coming
to a TNT, please contact Katelyn at (520) 299-6647 or at katelyn@tihan.org.
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4.
Support TIHAN With American Express GivingExpress Program
TIHAN
now accepts American Express for all donations and other
financial transactions. But did you know that you can donate
your American Express Rewards Points to help support TIHAN?
GivingExpress®
Online from American Express connects you to important causes
including education, health, human services, and more. Your
dollar donations are tax-deductible and you'll receive an
e-mail receipt from American Express for your records. Your
financial support will enable TIHAN to continue providing
services in support of those living with HIV and AIDS.
Click
here to find out more, then search for Tucson Interfaith
HIV/AIDS Network in the list of participating charities to get
started.
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5. Teach
Others About HIV/AIDS and TIHAN
Learn
the facts of HIV/AIDS at the next TIHAN
Speakers' and Media Training. Teach others what they need
to know to end discrimination against people living with HIV
and stop the spread of the virus.
Give
presentations to volunteers and faith community members to
increase compassion and decrease stigma for HIV/AIDS. All you
have to do is attend TIHAN
Volunteer Orientation, stay up-to-date on HIV/AIDS
information, and be friendly, outgoing, and reliable.
(Volunteers are asked to attend a TIHAN Volunteer Orientation
prior to attending Speakers' Training.)
Our
next Speakers' Training is Saturday, December 5, 9:00am to
5:00pm at TIHAN, 1011 N. Craycroft Road, #301. You will learn
to share the facts about the disease and share your own story
of being affected by HIV/AIDS. The training is $17 and
scholarships are available. Please RSVP by calling 299-6647.
You can contact Natalie Brown, natalie@tihan.org
or 299-6647, with questions.
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6. Helping
Brighten the Holidays for our CarePartners with HIV
For
the past few years, TIHAN and SAAF have partnered to bring
holiday cheer to families living with HIV and AIDS. This event
is a lot of fun and relies upon donated gifts and time to make
sure we can meet the needs of our families. We need gift items
for a small number of young children, and larger number of
teenagers and adults. Some suggested items are board games,
sports equipment, small appliances, books, clothing, blankets,
movie gift certificates, and gift cards.
If
your congregation or group would like to be involved in
donating gifts, or if you personally are interested in
donating a holiday gift, please contact Tami at 449-3339 or tarthur23@comcast.net.
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7.
Volunteer Spotlight – Soozie Hazan
From
Kansas City, Missouri to Tucson, Arizona is a long journey if
you count the miles, but it is a short trip if you fell in
love with Tucson and attended the University of Arizona.
Soozie Hazan did just that.
Arriving
in Tucson as a student, Soozie completed her undergraduate and
graduate work at UA and earned her degrees in education. For
25 years, she taught creative writing and journalism at
several schools in the Tucson Unified School District: Lyons,
Roskruge, and Doolen. She currently is an instructor of
Critical Reading and Developmental Reading at Pima Community
College, Downtown Campus. About 75% of her students are from
other countries, and already have degrees, but wish to enhance
their education. Soozie helps them to do that. She has always
loved teaching, and it is easy to understand why her students
like her. She is a warm, caring, articulate person.
In
addition to her teaching, Soozie owned four Paper Warehouse
stores in Tucson for 15 years. When her son, David, graduated
from Salpointe, she gave up the retail business and
concentrated on teaching, her first love. David also graduated
from UA and is now a banker in San Diego.
When
not teaching, Soozie loves to garden (flowers) and cook and
bake. One of her specialties is matzoh ball soup—yummy!
Soozie
became aware of TIHAN through the untimely death of her
friend's daughter. When Lindi Laws' daughter, Lacey, passed
away, Soozie wanted to honor her memory. She began
volunteering with Treasures for TIHAN and walking with Lacey's
Angels. Soozie is currently on the Human Resources committee
for TIHAN, assists with the "Treasures for TIHAN"
auction, and sometimes helps with Poz Cafe. She is especially
thankful for the leadership of Scott Blades, who she says is a
beacon of light to her and the other volunteers.
Soozie
is a breast cancer survivor, and is very involved in the Beat
Cancer Boot Camp. She also is on the advisory board of CHAI
Circle, a Jewish cancer support group, and serves on the
boards of Jewish Family and Children Services and the
University of Arizona School of Dance. Soozie also is a member
of a women's "leads" group called Key Group.
Through
her faith community, Congregation Or Chadash, a reform
synagogue, Soozie is a liaison to TIHAN, keeping the members
up-to-date with TIHAN's latest efforts, and encouraging her
fellow congregants to become involved in TIHAN.
When
asked why she continues to volunteer at TIHAN, Soozie
remarked, "They just won't let me go!" Obviously,
the feeling is mutual. Soozie enjoys TIHAN and TIHAN realizes
what a valuable asset we have in Soozie and her talents.
Soozie
would give this advice to potential volunteers: "Do it!
You will never regret it. It will be the most rewarding thing
you have ever done!"
—by Valerie Golembiewski
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8.
Treasures for TIHAN: It's Time for the Fun to Start. Join Us!
We
are gearing up for TIHAN's biggest benefit of the year: our
13th annual Treasures for TIHAN live and silent auction! This
is the signature event that raises funds for TIHAN, the
largest privately-funded provider of support services for
people living with HIV/AIDS in the state of Arizona. Not only
is it a fabulous and fun evening with great people, food, and
items to bid on, it's a key part of keeping TIHAN's programs
moving forward!
If
you are interested in serving on the committee, or
volunteering at the event, please contact Katelyn at 299-6647
or Katelyn@tihan.org.
And be sure to save the date for the big event: May 22, 2010—mark
your calendars now!
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9.
Attend Care and Support Training – A Special Weekday Evening
Training In November
The
next Care
& Support Training will be held during three short
evening sessions to accommodate volunteers who have busy
weekends. Join us Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, November
16-18, from 6:00pm-9:00pm at TIHAN, 1011 N. Craycroft Rd.
#301. Training is now FREE and TIHAN
Volunteer Orientation is a pre-requisite. Call the TIHAN
office, 299-6647, to sign up.
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10.
Continuing Education: the History of HIV/AIDS
Attend
a TIHAN
Continuing Education Workshop to learn about the History
of HIV/AIDS. TIHAN and SAAF host monthly
continuing education workshops that are open to all interested
individuals.
Join us on December 5 at 6pm for this month's
workshop. What we are planning to do is take our HIV Timeline
and set it up in the conference room at SAAF after removing
all the tables and chairs. We’re going to ask everyone to
stand by the year that they first heard about/were affected by
HIV/AIDS and then share a bit about that. The workshop
will be held at Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, located at
375 S. Euclid Ave. Look for a survey in weeks to come for a
chance to offer feedback regarding continuing education dates,
times, and topics.
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Ian with Bonkers
11.
We're Bonkers about Ian Biehler!
Ian
Biehler is a dedicated and reliable TIHAN volunteer who
specializes in maintaining TIHAN's database. Ian attends St.
Andrew's Presbyterian Church and began volunteering at TIHAN
in order to give back to the community. He is pursuing a
degree in business from the University of Arizona's Eller
College of Management, and after he graduates in December, Ian
will be pursuing a career as a business analyst. In his spare
time, he enjoys backpacking and being outdoors. Ian began
volunteering earlier this year and has been coming in twice a
week to provide his technical knowledge and input Volunteer
Impact Reports and assist with our database. Ian, thank you
for your dedication and generosity—we are BONKERS about you!
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