Bristol’s Mayor’s Task Force on HIV/AIDS commemorated World AIDS Day in Bristol on Dec.1 with the distribution of information packets at Hartford Dispensary’s Opioid Treatment Program on Farmington Avenue.
This targeted effort to provide families in recovery with HIV education and resources has become an annual tradition of the Bristol Mayor’s Task Force on HIV/AIDS.
Worldwide, a press release from the task force reported, there is a goal of ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015, creating the first generation in 30 years of babies born HIV-free. Eighty world sites in 13 countries turned “red” on Dec. 1 to recognize this global effort. In the United States, the Empire State Building glowed with red lights.
The Bristol Mayor’s Task Force, in existence for 25 years, has reached out to the community with a variety of educational programs and an emphasis on prevention and awareness for a broad range of people at risk of infection and helps to provide services for those who are infected and affected.
The Task Force is making an effort this year to collect a list of services, medical, social and spiritual, to assist those affected or infected with HIV. To participate, agencies should complete a survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NHYHXZ7
The Dec. 1 distribution of information at the Hartford Dispensary is specifically geared to the several hundred clients and their families who are always grateful to receive the information, said the press release.
In early spring, the press release said, the Task Force’s annual professional development workshop is offered for medical and social service staff involved in HIV-related care. Later in the spring, a partnership with the Bristol Boys and Girls Club gives youth a yearly opportunity to speak about the difficult issues around HIV with knowledgeable adults. In the summer, the Task Force has a presence at the Rockwell Park event in August. The fall efforts include the annual AIDS Awareness Month Candlelight Vigil, held in October on the Federal Hill Green and this World AIDS Day education effort.
The Task Force meets monthly at City Hall and its members reflect different aspects of the Bristol community. For those interested in local testing sites, they can be found at: http://aids.gov/locator.
For more information about the Mayor’s Task Force, contact Christina Cipriani at (860)589-6433