“Your beliefs become your thoughts, 

Your thoughts become your words, 

Your words become your actions,

Your actions become your habits, 

Your habits become your values,

Your values become your destiny.”

                                     -Mahatma Ghandi

It is for Dr. King’s commitment to equality and benevolence that each year thousands of Americas across the country use today as a day to help one another. This year, AmeriCorps VISTA members Alan Druga and Sarah Caldwell organized Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry’s third MLK Day of Service Donation Drive. On Saturday, January 14th, two dozen student volunteers from Northwestern University and two Bonaventure House residents braved the cold to solicit donations from customers at five Chicago Walgreens stores. In Waukegan, two Harbor residents asked for donations outside a local Walgreens store.

Volunteers outside a Walgreens store brave Saturday's cold temperatures.

The donation drives in Chicago and Waukegan raised over $1000 worth of toiletries for the residents of Bonaventure House and The Harbor. Staff at these facilities try to keep a stock of necessary toiletries for the residents, many of whom have little or no income. The goal is to provide residents with all that comes with a home, not just four walls and a ceiling.

MLK Day of Service by the numbers:

28 volunteers (22 Northwestern University students, 2 Bonaventure House residents, 2 The Harbor residents, and 2 AmeriCorps VISTA members)

6 Walgreens stores

Just some of what was donated…

204 rolls of toilet paper

47 razors

40 toothbrushes

46 tubes of toothpaste

27 bottles of shampoo/conditioner

13 packages of floss

20 boxes of tampons/pads

Altogether, our MLK Day of Service volunteers raised over $1000 worth of toiletries on Saturday – our biggest year yet!

Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry would like to thank Walgreens for allowing us to hold the donation drive at their stores, Northwestern University Norris Center for Student Involvement, which sent us two dozen volunteers, and the four residents who volunteered to help with the donation drive.

If you are interested in becoming involved with Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry, please visit www.bonaventurehouse.org/getinvolved or email info@abam.org. Or, to donate directly, visit www.bonaventurehouse.org/donate.

“Thank you for the support you provide to Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry that gives us the opportunity to give people with HIV homes during the New Year and Christmas holidays…and every day in between. The ABAM family appreciates all you do.”

-Cheryl Potts, Executive Director

Bridget wrote a reflection about World AIDS Day 2011: Stand Against Stigma. The reflection refers to a segment of the event in which several individuals from the community spoke to their experience with HIV and stigma. Bridget’s reflection highlights the themes of each speaker’s story.

A Responsorial Psalm from World AIDS Day

By Bridget Purdome

You can read the reflection and more on Bridget’s website, The Spirit Today.

Special thanks to Bridget for allowing us to post her reflection to our blog, and for her dedication to the spiritual care of all residents of Bonaventure House and The Harbor.

We are always in need of certain items in order to continue providing the best care that we can for residents of our three housing facilities. Your contribution is extremely valuable in helping us to carry out our mission.

Linens (new or gently used)

• Bath/hand towels
• Pillows (must be new)
• Blankets, comforters for twin beds
• Sheets/pillowcases for regular twin and extra-long twin beds

Toiletries

• Toilet paper
• Bar soap
• Pads/tampons
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Dental floss
• Mouthwash
• Shaving cream
• Deodorant
• Shampoo/conditioner
• Men’s and women’s razors
• Skin lotion
• Tissue

Kitchen

• Toasters and other small kitchen appliances
• Gift cards from Jewel or Dominick’s
• Kitchen utensils (including large utensils like tongs, spatulas, etc.)
• Unbreakable, microwave-safe dishes
• Plastic spoons, forks, knives
• Paper towels
• Lunch napkins
• Foil and plastic wrap
• Paper cups and plates
• 28 oz. bottle of Pinesol (brand name only)
• Dishsoap (Dawn, Joy or Palmolive only)
• Brooms and dust pans

Miscellaneous

• USB flash drives
• 500-sheet pack white copy paper
• $5 and $10 gift cards to local businesses
• CTA, Metra or PACE transit cards
• Movie, theater and museum tickets
• Bicycles, helmets and bike locks

Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry appreciates any donation. Visit our website (http://www.bonaventurehouse.org/donate/) for more information on donations. If you are interested in donating, please contact Sarah Caldwell at (773)327-9921 x128 or scaldwell@abam.org.

From the Lake County News-Sun

Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry was lucky enough to participate in three World AIDS Day events this year. Events honoring World AIDS Day are held across the country and the world, and they offer an opportunity for communities to come together and support those who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. In Chicago, Bonaventure House joined with local churches and community organizations for two prayer services.

One, held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, was lead by Rev. Pat Lee, the pastor of St. Joseph’s and Immaculate Conception churches. Rev. Pat Lee is the moderator for gay and lesbian outreach for the Chicago Archdiocese. Rev. Pat Lee and Joe Murray, a parishioner of St. Joseph’s and organizer for the World AIDS Day prayer service, were interviewed by the Chicago Tribune about their participation in World AIDS Day and the Catholic Church’s response to the AIDS epidemic. Rev. Pat Lee is quoted as saying, “Our prayer service is for a cure…It’s a worldwide epidemic that we want to keep on people’s minds.” You can read the Chicago Tribune article here.

The second prayer service was held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. The service included a performance of ‘Aus Tiefer Not/From Darkest Night’. The performance followed a three-part theme where Bonaventure House residents told their stories in three parts, with a musical selection played in between.

World AIDS Day: Stand Against Stigma

A World AIDS Day event was also held in Lake County called Stand Against Stigma: World AIDS Day 2011. Stand Against Stigma had over 200 attendees. The community dinner held beforehand presented an excellent forum for friends and acquaintances to connect and created a real sense of togetherness. Community members took part in the event as speakers, singers, dancers and candle lighters. Possibly the most touching moment of the evening came at the end of the program. The Wish Ceremony involved members of the audience stating their wishes for the coming year and lighting and placing a candle on the AIDS ribbon at the front of the auditorium.

Karen Kowal, Director of The Harbor in Waukegan, was interviewed in the Lake County News-Sun about World AIDS Day. “The most powerful thing about World AIDS Day in Lake County is that people can be around other people who are not only HIV positive, but people who are are supportive of the HIV positive community. It’s important to see there’s a network of support. People really can gain strength from that.” You can read the Lake County News-Sun article here.

The White House on World AIDS Day

President Obama spoke at a World AIDS Day event hosted by Join(RED) in Washington, DC. The President spoke about ‘The Beginning of the End of AIDS,’ the extension of the White House’s plan to combat AIDS. This renewal and reinvestment calls for increases in prevention, working together and sharing responsibility in the fight against AIDS, increasing access to care for Americans living with HIV/AIDS, reducing new HIV infections, and changing policy to reflect these new goals. You can read the ‘The Beginning of the End of AIDS’ fact sheet here.

In his speech on Thursday, President Obama had this to say: “This fight is not over. Not for the 1.2 million Americans who are living with HIV right now. Not for the Americans who are infected every day. This fight is not over for them, it’s not over for their families, and as a consequence, it can’t be over for anybody in this room — and it certainly isn’t over for your President.”

Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry CEO Michelle Wetzel echoed this proclamation. “It isn’t over for the residents, staff, board and volunteers of Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry – not by a long shot.  We’re in this until the end.  We hope you will join us in the fight to end AIDS in America.”

Several community organizations have already joined us in our fight against HIV/AIDS. We would like to take this time to thank the following organizations we worked with for our World AIDS Day events this year: St. Joseph and Immaculate Conception Catholic Churches, AGLO Chicago, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lake County Department of Health, Catholic Charities of Lake County, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. – Waukegan Alumni Chapter, YWCA of Lake County, First Congregational United Church of Christ, and the many individuals who dedicated their time to make these events a success.

You can help us care for people living with HIV by making a donation to the Alexian Brothers Bonaventure House .  You can donate by clicking on our donate now button located on the right side of the page.

Michelle Wetzel, CEO

Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry

Click here to read the Chicago Tribune article.

Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry is participating in three World AIDS Day events this year. Two prayer services will be held at St. Joseph’s Church and St. Peter’s Church in Chicago. These events will include choir and spoken work performances, guest speakers and prayer. In Waukegan, Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry is participating in the event Stand Against Stigma: World AIDS Day 2011. This event took the theme of Getting to Zero and focused on eliminating stigma against HIV/AIDS in Lake County and beyond. Stand Against Stigma will include dinner, singing and dance performances, a panel of speakers on the topic of HIV/AIDS stigma, and prayer. More information about these events can be found at www.bonaventurehouse.org/events. All events are free and open to the public.

Follow Alexian Brothers Bonaventure House on Twitter and Facebook to receive updates and photos from the World AIDS Day events. Check here for a full recap of the events.

ABAM on Twitter

ABAM on Facebook

Volunteers are an integral part of Alexian Brothers Bonaventure House, The Harbor, and Bettendorf Place. As front desk volunteers, they are the face of Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry. They are a saving grace to staff with one too many tasks on their agendas. They lend their talents to tutoring residents in anything from computer skills to public speaking. You can find them on many weekend mornings cutting grass at The Harbor, painting the walls of Bettendorf Place, or scrubbing the kitchen at Bonaventure House. And they do it all out of the goodness in their hearts.

We owe many thanks to our supporters who help see us through these trying economic times. To those who give us donations big and small, from coffee for an event to bed linens for Bettendorf Place, we are greatly appreciative. Supporters attend our events, read our newsletter, lend a helping hand to a resident or staff member in a time of need, and so much more. No act goes unnoticed or unappreciated.

Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry has welcomed many new staff members over the past year. The opening of Bettendorf Place has brought many new faces, all of whom bring with them fresh ideas and excitement. New collaboration are also welcomed and something to be thankful for, as Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry moves into a new phase in its tenure.

Lastly, thanks go to the people whom the Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry is here to serve. Residents give their all every day and bring freshness and energy into each of the three Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry facilities. They are the backbone of all we do. Their positivism and never-ending strength inspire us all to work harder in our lives.

Thank you, and a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!