A LETTER FROM DAVID RICHART, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LIFELONG AIDS ALLIANCE:

Dear Lifelong AIDS Alliance Friends and Supporters,

With spring finally here, it’s always exciting to see flowers emerging and the grass turning green. This spring, Lifelong is proud to announce that we too, are turning green in an attempt to reduce our carbon footprint on this planet while still accomplishing our mission.

This month, we are thrilled to receive a generous donation from David Kumar and his family of 5,000 re-usable grocery bags to use for Chicken Soup Brigade (CSB) client meal and grocery bags. This donation will save thousands of dollars a year in money spent on paper bags as well as helping CSB do their part in helping reduce waste Our clients will be encouraged to bring back their re-usable bag each week so we can keep up the re-use and recycle momentum.

Besides implementing the use of re-usable grocery bags, CSB actively recycles and composts. At the end of 2007, Cascadia Consulting Group assessed CSB’s recycling and food waste composting efforts and concluded that we reduce our carbon footprint so significantly, it is as if 23 fewer cars were on the road for an entire year. Moreover, for the last year, CSB has participated in the Seattle Public Utilities funded project for food waste recycling. A part of this project is reducing carbon emissions by diverting food waste from the garbage and landfill to a systematic commercial composting program.

In addition, Lifelong prints marketing collateral and agency materials exclusively with Windward Communications Group, a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified printer that uses soy based inks. The FSC works to assure consumers that FSC printers use paper that comes exclusively from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. Similarly, at the end of this month, our Annual Report will be posted to our website. In an effort to cut-back on our use of natural resources and paper, we have chosen to produce an electronic PDF version of our Annual Report, which will be available on-line at the end of April 2009.

We also encourage people to recycle clothing and household items they no longer want by donating them to the Lifelong Thrift Store. Items the Thrift Store doesn’t need are donated to other organizations that do need them, such as the Downtown Emergency Services Center. Lifelong also wants you to know that in these tough economic times, shopping at our Thrift Store is sure to not only save you money, but also make you feel good knowing you’re contributing to our effort to go green.

Thanks,
David Richart

CARING FOR PEOPLE:

In honor of National Nutrition Month, Lifelong’s dieticians have been utilizing a new toolkit from the American Dietetics Association with their clients. Clients of Lifelong’s dieticians are now able to take a Lifestyle Patterns Quiz that helps identify what kind of lifestyle an individual lives. Additionally, it helps identify the individual’s nutrition and eating habits, which make it easier for Lifelong’s dieticians to advise our clients about their overall health and nutrition.

PREVENTING NEW INFECTIONS:

Lifelong’s MPowerment youth program has news to celebrate! They currently have 15 active Core Team members, which is twice their average from the past 2 years. These Core Team members are responsible for a significant amount of the design and delivery of MPowerment’s programs and activities. They plan and coordinate MPowerment’s social events, all of which have prevention messaging; design and distribute HIV prevention materials; plan and facilitate social/educational workshops that focus on safer sex, alcohol and other drug harm reduction; write for, edit, produce and distribute their quarterly zine called Censor This!, and do safer sex and alcohol and other drugs harm reduction outreach to their peers at clubs, on the streets, and in their every day life. The work MPowerment does helps prevent new infections in our community.

ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE:

Thank you again! to everyone who participated in AIDS Awareness and Action Day . Your voice made an incredible difference! This was our largest A3D ever, with 325 advocates from 43 legislative districts coming to Olympia on Wednesday, February 18th. A3D may be over, but our fight to maintain HIV/AIDS services in Washington State has just begun. Sign up to receive action alerts through our Communities in Action Network to stay informed and continue to develop your advocacy skills! Be sure to visit our the Lifelong AIDS Alliance Action Blog for important updates and information, and to upload your photos from the day.

CREATING COMMUNITY:

• • • Thank you to all who participated in the 5th Annual Black Tie Bingo at the Grand Hyatt on March 21, 2009! We raised over $50,000 thanks to our attendees’ generosity. A big thank you to our featured client speaker, Stephanie, who spoke about living with AIDS as a single mother and the encouragement she receives from Chicken Soup Brigade.

Special thanks to the 5th Annual Black Tie Bingo sponsors: MOMS Pharmacy - Alaska Airlines - BECU - Sound Community Bank - the Mountain 103.7 FM - the Seattle Weekly - and the Baltic Room.

• • • The 16th Annual Dining Out For Life is on April 30, 2009. On this day, dining out will save a life! This is a great opportunity to have fun with your family, friends and colleagues by dining out at a participating restaurant or volunteering to be a volunteer ambassador.

UPCOMING LIFELONG AIDS ALLIANCE EVENTS:

• • • The Sweet 16th Season of Gay Bingo is underway. You still have four chances to be part of the wildest fundraising event in Seattle. Whether you’re a Gay Bingo veteran or a newbie, this event is fun for everyone 21 and over. The remaining Gay Bingo season schedule:

• April 18 - Gay Paris Bingo: J’adore Gay Bingo
• May 16 - Bling Bling Bingo: Diamonds are Gay Bingo’s Best Friend
• June 13 - Adam and Steve Gay Bingo: My Big Fat Gay Wedding

Tickets are on sale now and selling out quickly! To buy tickets, please email gaybingo@llaa.org, or call the Gay Bingo hotline at 206.323.0069.

The Sweet 16th Gay Bingo Season is presented by: MOMS Pharmacy. Special thanks to Gay Bingo sponsors: Baked in Seattle, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Pyramid Beer, MOViN 92.5 FM and the Seattle Weekly.

• • • Dining Out For Life: On Thursday, April 30th, 2009, dining out will save a life! When you dine out at participating restaurants on April 30, a portion of all proceeds from breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails are donated to Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Don’t live in the Seattle area or travelling on April 30 but still want to participate? Check out the International Dining Out for Life website to see what cities are participating this year.
Make reservations today at your favorite restaurant on the list!

Dining Out For Life is presented by: BECU. Special thanks to Dining Out For Life sponsors: Subaru, Alaska Airlines, Titan Worldwide, Clear Channel Outdoor, the Seattle Weekly, Seattle Gay News, ‘MO Magazine, MOViN’ 92.5 FM, The Mountain 103.7 FM, OpenTable.com, and Yelp.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS:

• • Ongoing: Whole Foods Market Westlake donates 10-cents to Chicken Soup Brigade for every customer who opts for a re-useable bag instead of traditional grocery bags.

• • Wednesday Evenings: From 4:00 p.m. until close on Wednesday evenings Navya Lounge (1333 5th Ave in Seattle) will donate a portion of their happy hour proceeds to Lifelong AIDS Alliance.

• • April 2: Help Juan Alonso celebrate his birthday (and the Art Walk) by making a donation to Chicken Soup Brigade in lieu of gifts. Visit his studio on April 2, 6:00-9:00pm located at 214 1st Avenue South Suite B15. Enter on 1st Ave, and go down the stairway "Underground Shops". Questions? Email juanalonso1@yahoo.com.

• • April 8: Synergy Events presents Bachelor Auction 2009 benefiting Lifelong AIDS Alliance. The auction begins at 8:00 p.m. at Julia's on Broadway in Capitol Hill.

Together We Can Find a Cure.

Thank you!