Every year on March 10 — and throughout the month of March — local, state, federal, and national organizations come together to shed light on the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls and show support for those at risk of and living with HIV. This year marks the 16th annual observance of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD).

National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NNHAAD) is a national mobilization effort designed to encourage American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians across the United States and Territorial Areas to get educated, get tested, get involved in prevention and get treated for HIV.

On May 25, 2020 Minneapolis police officers arrested George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, after a convenience store employee called 911 and told the police that Mr. Floyd had bought cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. Seventeen minutes after the first squad car arrived at the scene, Mr. Floyd was unconscious and pinned beneath three police officers, showing no signs of life. This was not a new moment or scenario in our nation’s history. Countless Black and Brown bodies have been inappropriately profiled, wrongly accused and lost to police brutality before and after this moment. However, it was those 8 minutes and 46 seconds that sparked a racial awakening and literally took the breath from our nation.

The origin of Black History Month goes back to 1915, when Dr. Carter Woodson founded the Study for African American Life and History (previously known as the Study of Negro Life and History). He introduced “Negro History Week” in 1926 to honor the history and recognize the accomplishments of the Black community in the United States.

As you may or may not be aware, vaccine rollout in Oregon is notably well behind the effort of many states across the US, and the Federal distribution plans have been greatly compromised by our previous administration. The first wave of vaccines in Oregon, known as group 1a, was largely focused on vaccination for healthcare and public health workers. It is believed that in Oregon, that was to be somewhere between 300,000 - 400,000 people. This group alone is more people than we currently have vaccine available in the state. This, paired with a lack of effective state planning, resulted some of the chaotic issues we are now seeing.

We are excited to announce we are offering expanded HIV care services at Prism Health. We know better than anyone how quality care and treatment can help those living with HIV maintain an undetectable viral load, but more than that, we also understand how to navigate and coordinate care that you need to not only live, but to thrive. Our providers work collaboratively with you to help you achieve your overall health goals, and we are committed to providing affirming and stigma free care.

Early voting in Georgia’s special election began on Monday. That means between now and January 5 (the actual day of the election), Georgians will decide not only who is going to represent them in the U.S. Senate, but what the balance of power in the Senate will be—and therefore which sorts of federal policy will be enacted in the coming years. It is an election whose impact will reverberate from Atlanta, to D.C., to here in Oregon and Washington, where federal policy has a concrete effect on how CAP serves our program participants.

Although the pandemic has affected us in different ways, there seems to be little doubt that the average person’s mental health in the United States has declined. At a time when family and friends are normally the closest, this year, they will be farther away. That's why taking a proactive approach to insuring our mental health is more important than ever as we enter the holiday season. With that in mind, we wanted to share a few tips to keep you feeling the seasonal spirit and ensure you have the best virtual holidays this year!

My name is Nicki Turk and I’m CAP’s Director of Housing & Support Services. I have worked at CAP for 14 years, but this year has been unlike any other in my time here. It has been, and continues to be, so incredibly hard. And yet, I’ve never been prouder of the work CAP does for those living with and affected by HIV, and for the LGBTQ+ community.

My name is Déja Fitzgerald (She/Her) and I am incredibly excited to be CAP’s new Equity and Inclusion Advocate. In the past few weeks, I have been often asked why I chose to pursue this particular role with this particular organization. As a Black queer woman, my lived experience serves as the foundation that guides my work as an equity practitioner, community advocate, and educator…

October 15 is National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day - a day aimed to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS in the Hispanic/Latinx population of the U.S. It is a day to draw attention to the disproportionate impact that exists in the Latinx community when it comes to HIV.

Did you know that 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ people aren't registered to vote? And that Black and Latinx people are less likely to be registered than whites? As a health-focused organization, we believe that our community's well-being depends not only on our physical and mental health, but also our "civic health": the ability to influence the policies that affect our health and healthcare. That's why CAP is urging all eligible voters to make sure they're registered to vote and cast their ballots in the November 3 election!

CAP is so very pleased to recognize and celebrate one of our CAP volunteers, Luke Marshall. Luke was one of seven people individual recently recognized by Jiffy Lube International through the “Do More Award”, which seeks to “honor volunteers who use their vehicles to make a difference, whether it is driving a cancer patient to the hospital for treatment or delivering a hot meal to a family in need. By providing these volunteers with a year’s worth of vehicle maintenance services, Jiffy Lube can help keep them on the road so they can continue to Do More.”

We wanted to take a moment to say thank to you all for your incredible support of CAP and AIDS Walk Northwest. AIDS Walk Northwest (formerly AIDS Walk Portland) is a cornerstone event for CAP and helps raise awareness for HIV and AIDS as well as critical funds to support CAP and our Community Partners as we fight to end HIV transmission. Thousands of you rallied over the past few months and helped us exceed our fundraising goal; because of your generous support we raised over $178,000 during this year’s event to support healthcare and HIV services for both CAP and our Community Partners!

Hello Everyone, It’s Tyler TerMeer – CEO of Cascade AIDS Project and Prism Health!

I’m reaching out today with an important update about AIDS WALK Northwest.

As I’m sure you can imagine, we have been keeping a close eye on the wildfires this week and due to the increased smoke and fire safety concerns in our local area, we have made the tough decision that AIDS Walk on September 12th will be a virtual livestream event only.

September 18 is National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day—a day to call attention to the growing number of people living long and full lives with HIV, and to the aging-related challenges of HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care. It also seems like a great time to share with you CAP’s efforts to support the wellbeing of aging adults living with or affected by HIV, and initiatives being undertaken in our larger community.

CAP is excited to announce that registration for the 2020 AIDS Walk Northwest (previously AIDS Walk Portland) is now open! For 35 years, Cascade AIDS Project has called upon thousands of community members, advocates and activists to step up and take a stand against HIV transmission. We take to the streets of Portland to remind everyone that HIV/AIDS has impacted each and every one of our lives in some way.

Thanks to our community, the CAP Art Auction: Reimagined! was a huge success! Together, we raised over $405,000 to support and empower all people living with or affected by HIV, reduce stigma, and provide compassionate healthcare to the LGBTQ+ community & beyond.

CAP is excited to announce that we are currently hiring a full-time Equity and Inclusion Advocate. This position was made possible thanks to a generous grant from The Collins Foundation for $115,000 over two years.

In our last letter, we shared our commitment to providing you with updates on how our system is adapting in the pandemic, and taking the necessary steps to ensure that you have access to the services you need, while staying safe and healthy. You are always in the forefront of our minds, but in these past few weeks, amid community uprisings it becomes even clearer how important it is for us to stay connected.