June 19th, or Juneteenth, marks the anniversary of the day in 1865 when enslaved communities in Galveston, Texas learned that the Civil War had ended and that they were free from slavery. The day serves to honor and celebrate Black history, community and freedom, as well as look towards a more just future. Read on for ways to celebrate Juneteenth and honor the holiday’s history.

July 12, 2022 marks six years since the tragic mass shooting at Pulse, the beloved gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Now and always, we remember the 49 people who were killed that night. Read on for opportunities to honor their lives and commemorate Pulse Day of Remembrance.

Saturday, June 8th marks Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2022 (CAHAAD), a day dedicated to supporting Caribbean communities in the US and promoting access to resources and educational materials to treat and prevent HIV. CAHAAD was first observed in 2006, launched by the Caribbean People International Collective and a working group of US organizations. The day also falls during June, which is Caribbean-American heritage month.

On episode 4 of Vibrant, we are honoring HIV Long Term Survivors Day. As we reflect back on the past 4 decades of the HIV epidemic, we want to honor and remember not only those lost to us, but also uplift those who continue to live and thrive in the face of HIV. Joining us today is our Aging Well Program team lead, Jim Clay, to help us do just that!

May 22nd is Harvey Milk Day—This day honors the late activist, his life, and his dedication to fighting discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Milk is remembered as one of the first openly gay men elected to public office in the US and a visionary figure of the LGBTQ+ movement. In Portland, we honor his legacy with SW Harvey Milk Street, which spans a 13-block stretch of the city…

On our third episode of Vibrant, we are diving into the topic of Hepatitis with one of our Prism Health primary care providers, Dr. Ben Sokoloff. May 19th marks National Hepatitis Testing Day, so Dr. Sokoloff is bringing all the hepatitis knowledge to share with you all to make sure you can take charge of your health and be your most vibrant self!

Thursday, May 19th marks National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2022, a day dedicated to reducing HIV stigma in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities and promote prevention, testing and treatment. NAPIHAAD was first observed in 2005 and falls during National Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

May 18th is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, a day to recognize the volunteers, community members, and researchers working to find a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV. Such a vaccine, along with existing HIV treatment and prevention strategies, would help achieve the goal of ending the HIV epidemic. The journey to find a viable vaccine to prevent HIV transmission is 4 decades in the making, but recent progress shows that we may be on the cusp of a breakthrough.

We are excited to be launching a new educational series: Sex Ed 101! From PrEP & PEP, to condoms & lube, to HIV & STI prevention, we are here to cover it all so that you have the tools and resources to take charge of your sexual health. Today’s topic is all about PEP. Not sure what PEP is? Well read on below about this important tool in HIV prevention.

On our second episode, we get the distinct pleasure of sitting down with the veritable Kevin Cook (a.k.a. Poison Waters) to talk about their favorite program at CAP: Camp KC (Camp Kids Connection)! Beyond providing a safe, affirming, stigma-free summer camp experience, Camp KC also allows us to connect with these youth to talk about HIV. So in observance of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day, we hope you will tune in to learn more about this incredible program (and maybe even sign up to volunteer in 2022)!

Last month, Portland City Council officially recognized March 21st – March 25th as LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week. The proclamation was made following a panel of guests from local health agencies, including Cascade AIDS Project, the Equi Institute, Portland Trans Housing Coalition and Quest Center for Integrative Health. CAP was proud to be represented by Public Policy & Grants Manager Jonathan Frochtzwajg and Prism Health’s RN Gender Care Coordinator Lindsey Sipos.

Didn’t get a chance to tune in live to our curator’s talk on March 31st? Well we have a full recap of the event below for your viewing pleasure! Learn more about our 2022 Curator, Tammy Jo Wilson, and her curatorial process for this years live auction works. And with Poison Waters hosting, its definitely worth the watch (or rewatch)!

I was born in 1980 in southern Oregon. We moved to Portland when I was 7. I became sexually active at the age of 12. When I was 13, my mother allowed my 17-year-old boyfriend to move in with me, her, and my brother, sister, and best friend. To this day, I do not understand why my mom allowed this…

March 20th marks the annual observance of National Native HIV & AIDS Awareness Day, a day to address the impact of HIV on Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians and to encourage HIV testing, prevention, and treatment in these impacted communities. March 20th also represents the spring equinox and marks the first day of spring. The first day of Spring was the chosen as the date to celebrate National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day by individuals in the community who had participated in a national survey to determine what day would be most appropriate. It was acknowledged that in many Native cultures across the United States, the four seasons are highly respected because they closely represent the cycle of life.

March 10th marks the annual observance of National Women & Girls HIV & AIDS Awareness day. We wanted to take today to share the powerful story of CAP Client Jessica Gunn. Watch below as Jessica tells us about her experience as a mother and wife living with HIV and how accessing compassionate, affirming care is so integral to ensuring we all can live happy, healthy, loving lives.

Since the late 1980s, Washington state has been a leader in efforts to end the HIV epidemic. Decades later, we’ve inched closer to actually realizing that goal. Much of that progress is attributed to patient access to treatments that reduce or even prevent HIV infection. But the work is far from over.

My name is Hollis Kinner (he/him) and I am CAP’s new Equity and Inclusion Advocate. I am beyond thrilled (and humbled!) to be in this important position and to be part of a nonprofit that’s been a decades-long staple in the region for people living with HIV and AIDS. HIV work has been dear to my heart for several years…

Monday, February 7th marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (#NBHAAD) 2022. This year’s theme, “Progress & Resilience,” recognizes the significant progress Black communities have made in reducing HIV transmission. Yet it also recognizes that racism, discrimination, and mistrust in the health care system ultimately affect whether Black people seek or receive HIV prevention services.

On January 28, Jonathan Frochtzwajg, CAP’s Public Policy & Grants Manager, had the pleasure of joining OPB’s Think Out Loud for an important conversation regarding the current blood shortage affecting our region (and our nation). “The shortage has led to renewed calls for the federal government to lift one specific restriction on blood donations. Currently, if a man has had sex with another man in the last three months, he cannot donate blood. More than 20 U.S. lawmakers, including Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, say it’s time to scrap that policy.”

We are excited to share that we’ll be bringing back the Winter Survival Kits that we’ve done in years’ past at CAP and Prism Health, and will be accepting donations starting today, January 10, for any and all winter survival items (see list below). These items will be collected at Prism Health and the three CAP social service locations in Portland, Vancouver, and Longview through March 18, 2022.