| December 10, 2009 | ||||
In Today's In-Brief:
Oh Grandma... What Big Teeth You Have! The holidays are upon us! Let us make some space for the spirit of joy, love and compassion. Although we have experienced uncertainty this year, let us make this holiday season a time to reconnect with our family, friends and love ones. Let’s also renew our philanthropic spirits! At this time of year, when our hearts grow a few sizes (and our wallets are already open for buying gifts), why not make a small donation that will create lasting change in the life of someone living with HIV/AIDS? Why Give Now? Not only does your generosity help make life-changing differences in the lives of HIV-positive people, but it saves lives - literally. Just last month, HIV Law Project won an unlawful eviction case for an elderly woman. Imagine you are a 60 year old widow who has raised several children and has lived in the same apartment for over twenty years. One day, in your mid-forties, you find out you are HIV-positive. You ask yourself, how is this possible? You only had one partner, your life-partner. In your search for an answer you come across the sad statistic that 80% of all newly diagnosed HIV cases in women happen through heterosexual contact. Even women in established marriages can become infected by their husbands. All you can do now is learn to take care of yourself and talk to your children and grandchildren about it. Return now to the present and understand that your landlord is unlawfully evicting you from your home, apparently because of an accidental fire that took place in your apartment. You try to reason with your landlord. After all, you have always paid your rent on time and keep the apartment clean and in good condition. You do not disturb your neighbors and, most importantly, this is your home. You have lived there for twenty years. There is no other place to go. But then it occurs to you that maybe, just maybe, the fire is not the real reason your landlord is trying to evict you. He knows you are HIV-positive and maybe he has been looking for an excuse to get rid of you. What would you do? Who would you turn to for help if you didnot have the financial resources to seek professional legal assistance? Thankfully for this grandmother, there is HIV Law Project. Founded in 1989, HIV Law Project has been at the forefront of legal and advocacy services to low-income HIV-positive New Yorkers, particularly women and people of color. HIV Law Project was successful in securing a winning result for this grandmother. We are happy to tell you that this holiday season, she will have a roof over her head and a home where she can host her grandchildren, family and friends. As you can see, despite some advances, stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS is still pervasive in our communities. HIV Law Project handles nearly 1,000 cases each year addressing a range of critical legal needs for positive people, including housing advocacy and eviction prevention, immigration services and benefits issues. We could not do our work without your support. Your generous response to HIV Law Project's cause is what enables us to keep fighting for the rights and dignity of people living with HIV/AIDS. This holiday season give a gift that changes the community where you live and work. Give a gift of justice and dignity to people living with HIV/AIDS. There is still time to give. Together, we can achieve tangible results. Consider investing $20 for our 20 years of service, but know that a commitment of $100, $250 or even $500 will have a significant impact. We are grateful for any amount. Please donate now by clicking here. Thank you for being an important part of HIV Law Project. *HIV Law Project is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are 100% tax-deductible. BE SURE TO RECEIVE OUR IN-BRIEF EMAILS. MAKE HIV LAW PROJECT YOUR BUDDY! Some Internet Service Providers like AOL, Yahoo! and Hotmail use
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"buddy," "trusted," "safe," or approved list. Please add news@hivlawproject.org to your list so that our messages don't end up in
"junk mail" or the "trash." HIV Law Project |
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"HIV Law Project’s work is carried out within the context of a vision – a vision for a cure for AIDS. 
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“I am an infected woman of color,
who is a mom and a grandma,
and I want to see the end of this epidemic
for everyone’s sake.
HIV Law Project has improved my faith in humanity.”
CWHA Steering Committee Member