Governor Recognizes 6th Annual Black AIDS Awareness Campaign

Hello Folks!

Governor Granholm recently recognized the 6th Annual Black AIDS Awareness Campaign. Here is the official copy.

          On behalf of the citizens of Michigan, I, Jennifer M. Granholm

          hereby recognize the

               6th Annual Black AIDS Awareness Campaign 

WHEREAS, the health of Michigan citizens has steadily improved over the last decade, however Michigan’s Black citizens are more likely to have poor health and die early from preventable diseases and conditions; and

WHEREAS, the percentage of racial and ethnic minorities continues to grow in Michigan, with Michigan’s Black citizens experiencing a 7% increase since 1980; and

WHEREAS, Blacks represent 14% of Michigan’s population yet 59% of  those living with HIV/AIDS; and Blacks are more than nine times as likely to be infected with HIV/AIDS than whites; and

WHEREAS Michigan’s Surgeon General has called upon various stakeholders to identify populations with disparate health care and outcomes and develop ways to reduce disparities in these populations, and

WHEREAS, Blacks are less likely to receive early care, treatment and appropriate medications and die sooner from HIV/AIDS; and

WHEREAS, The Michigan Department of Community Health is committed to the health and safety of all people and must rise to the challenge of reducing all health disparities, including HIV/AIDS, in communities of color; and

WHEREAS, Continued investment in prevention, care and awareness efforts need to be focused, relevant, and accessible to reach the goal of a Michigan without HIV/AIDS in all populations; and

WHEREAS, The Black AIDS Awareness Campaign provides an opportunity to fight HIV/AIDS in the Black community by encouraging individuals to get educated about HIV/AIDS, get tested and know their test results, get involved in advocating for resources necessary to fight this disease, and get treated if you have tested positive for HIV or been diagnosed with AIDS;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby encourage all Michigan residents to strongly support the “6^th ANNUAL BLACK AIDS AWARENESS CAMPAIGN” and urge all Michigan residents to strongly support this campaign and participate in events that are planned across the State from February 1 – March 15, 2010.

Check out the new photos

Two new sets of photos on Flickr, 1 of World AIDS day the other is the holiday party.

Check it out…CARES has a new website!

The pages you see in front of you are a complete overhaul, not just a simple paint job. And why are we doing this?

Well, we want to tell you about all the benefits of CARES. And we naturally want to give you all the latest info on worldwide HIV research and even promote our local events. But that’s only a start, and frankly, if that’s all this site came to be, it would be a bit one-sided.

It’s our mission to maximize the quality of life for those affected by HIV and to do all we can to reduce transmission rates of HIV, so we also want to hear from you. After all, the issues you live with are the inspiration behind our nonprofit.

You can read and comment on our new blog. We’ll bring interesting weekly posts and maybe even a contest or two. The best way to join in is to grab our RSS feed and add us to your Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube friends list. We’ll do the same and promise to chat with you every chance we get.

“But who’s writing this blog?”

For now, three people will be the primary writers for this blog. Amy Bartell will bring you news and updates about this site. Kelly Doyle will lend her thoughts on what’s happening at CARES and throw in a few quips now and then. Last, but not least, Barbara Sharpe will keep us all up to speed about special events and what happens with your donations.

But that’s not to say others at CARES won’t be a part of the conversation – we wouldn’t be surprised if our workmates join in.

Talk with you soon. Please let us know if you’d like any particular topics covered.

- Amy Bartell