FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Portland, OR — December 1st marks the 32nd anniversary of World AIDS Day – a time for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS, to show their support for people living with HIV and to remember those who have lost their lives in the epidemic.

CAP will commemorate World AIDS Day by honoring the individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to fighting the epidemic in our community at third annual Heroes of HIV luncheon. Taking place at the Hilton Portland Downtown on December 5th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, the event will honor individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to the fight against HIV in our community. This year’s honorees are:

Myrna Yvonne-Williams

Ms. Williams’ work with HIV/AIDS began in 2003, with a Memorandum of Understanding between The Portland Chapter of The Links and CAP. The first event was an HIV/AIDS Symposium held at Portland Community College, Cascade Campus. Each year, Ms. Williams has facilitated monthly meetings with The African American AIDS Awareness Alliance (A6) in planning meetings with CAP and other organizations in hosting HIV/AIDS events throughout the year. Those events are:  World AIDS Day, The National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, The Balm in Gilead Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, HIV Testing Da and My Friend Who Has AIDS Project, Ms. Williams’ work with A6 has been supported by grants from CAP, The Links Incorporated, the Oregon Health Authority, the NW Health Foundation and Kaiser Hospital Foundation. As a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Ms. Williams has worked within the organization on its HIV/AIDS activities.

Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer

Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer has spent over 30 years working to increase access to health care, reduce poverty, and promote cross-cultural understanding. Advocacy for people living with or impacted by HIV/AIDS is personal for her. In his final months, the Representative cared for her father who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986. He passed 18 months after his diagnosis.

Since she was appointed to the Legislature in 2011, Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer has been a trusted champion for the Cascade AIDS Project. Most recently, she was a chief supporter for two of CAP’s priorities in the 2019 session to modernize Oregon’s HIV/AIDS-related statues to promote accuracy and reduce stigma, and requiring cultural competency continuing education for medical providers in our state. The Cascade AIDS Project is honored to have such a champion for our community in the Legislature and we are grateful for her work to improve the lives the people living with HIV. 

Multnomah County Health Services Center

As part of Multnomah County’s Federally Qualified Health Center, the Health Services Center (HSC) has provided high-quality, patient-centered HIV and primary care services in Oregon since 1990. They are the only Ryan White-funded medical provider in Oregon and currently serve approximately 1,400 people living with HIV in Oregon. HSC utilizes a medical home model to provide team-based care and embraces a harm reduction and trauma-informed approach in all that they do. Their services include primary and HIV speciality care, HCV curative care, nurse case management, behavioral health, medical case management, patient navigation, on-site lab services, Medication Assisted Treatment, and art therapy. 

HSC is also a preceptorship site for the Mountain West AIDS Education and Training Center to train other healthcare professionals and healthcare organizations to integrate high quality, comprehensive care for those living with or affected by HIV. In March 2019, HSC implemented Rapid ART Start as their annual quality improvement project, aiming to get those newly diagnosed with HIV access to HIV medications within 5 days or less. HSC is honored to work collaboratively with an active Client Advisory Council and many community partners to innovatively and efficiently meet the changing needs of our community.

OnPoint Community Credit Union

OnPoint Community Credit Union is deeply committed to standing with great organizations that serve the community we call home. That’s why they chose to partner with Cascade AIDS Project. In 2019, OnPoint supported CAP through the credit union’s Refer a Friend campaign, resulting in a $44,750 donation to CAP. This generous support covered the cost of a full year’s worth of HIV test kits (over 4500), allowing CAP to continue providing free and confidential HIV testing in our community. 

OnPoint and its employees also champion CAP’s work through annual support of our Art Auction, AIDS Walk and Heroes of HIV Luncheon. OnPoint Community Credit Union looks forward to continuing to grow its partnership with Cascade AIDS Project to help advance its mission to empower all people with or affected by HIV, reduce stigma, and provide the LGBTQ+ community with compassionate healthcare.CAP’s mission is achieved through communities and organizations uniting to solve the fight against HIV.

More information about the event can be found at www.heroesofhiv.org.