STAP Annual Report 2009 (Revised)

annual report

2009 www.stapinc.org

Serving Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga & Tompkins Counties

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Paul Rushanski STAP Board President

John Barry STAP Executive Director

board president & executive director Twenty-five years ago a dedicated group of volunteers founded an organization that would become the Southern Tier AIDS Program. From our humble beginnings with only $50,000 and three staff in donated office space, STAP has become a model of how to manage a public health crisis in rural America. The passion that began this organization continues to inform us today in fulfilling our mission: providing effective and innovative HIV and Hepatitis C prevention education and outreach services to individuals and communities and comprehensive and caring services to people living with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in our region.

Those of you who pay attention to documents like the annual report you hold in your hands know that many of them will mention what a “challenging” year it has been. This is a polite way of noting that we live in a time of unprecedented change for nonprofits like the Southern Tier AIDS Program. This change has resulted in funding cuts of 15% to 20% from some of our largest funding streams through New York State. Challenging indeed!

Despite this reality, we feel hopeful. There are simply too many good things happening here. The outpouring of community support for STAP and people living with HIV continues to astound me. Take our dedicated volunteers as an example. Six hundred and thirty-eight people donated 11,160 hours of time this year.

Donors generously gave $430,000 this year or over 15% of our

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operating budget. Our World AIDS Day celebration raised $3,000 for our sister organization, the Jifahamu Kenya Foundation. Jifahamu provides food, clothing and shelter to children orphaned

by AIDS. While our program growth slowed, it did not stop. We were especially excited this year about beginning a new collaboration with Broome County to create a prison reentry committee. This committee will assist formerly incarcerated individuals returning to our community. While HIV and AIDS will always be the core of what we do here at STAP, both the board and the staff felt it was appropriate to bring our humanity and professionalism to bear on this important issue.

In this report you will see what happens when a community comes together to care for people living with HIV, by donating, volunteering and delivering quality services. You will see the part that you have played in assuring that this, our 25th year, was successful. We are pleased to report that as the changing environment has challenged us, we have continued to use everyone’s gifts to accomplish our mission. People living with HIV have become even more crucial in their roles as board members, employees, volunteers, service designers and donors. This is perhaps the healthiest sign for STAP’s future that people with HIV are steering the ship and we are going in the right direction.

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Brian I was diagnosed with AIDS in 2004 while being outside of the US. Right after I was diagnosed, I entered the hospital with pneumocystis pneumonia. During this hospitalization, my mother died and the doctors would not release me to return home to see her or attend her services. When I was discharged, I suffered a nervous breakdown and was confined to my bed due my health condition for the next two years. During that period I developed a fear of leaving the house, and for the next three years I was housebound except to attend my many doctor visits.

While I was home, I contacted STAP and my first case manager arrived at my door with lots of information about the disease, staying healthy and became my only continuous contact with the outside world. Whenever

I needed service or care, my case manager would make sure that all was taken care of and maintained contact with me throughout each of those periods. Then my medical advocate arrived at my house and opened my world to living and staying healthy with the virus and encouraged me to go to a dinner they called the Friends Dinner, held each week. There I met others who were just like me, in various processes of illness and from them I learned how to begin to cope with the virus. Since that time, I still have trouble getting out of the house, but I have become involved with volunteering for STAP and working with other clients that have concerns about their health, lives and education. STAP drew me out of the darkness, stayed with me through the hardest of times and now, finally, I am able to give back to them.

client services Each client we meet like Brian is living with a complex life-threatening disease that requires a comprehensive approach to care in order to survive and maintain a high quality of life. Clients of the Southern Tier AIDS Program can expect a safe and non-judgmental environment where the staff is committed to collaborating with the client’s medical team to ensure quality HIV/AIDS care.

Whatever clients need to feel well and

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live well is easily accessible, because at the Southern Tier AIDS Program, they’ll also find case management, medical advocacy, specialized housing services, education and assistance with accessing community services such as public benefits and entitlements, medical care, nutrition education, mental health services, substance abuse services, specialized pharmacies, support groups, and community events. five

prevention With the help of peers like Donnie and Tomas STAP’s Prevention Services Team is able to reach out into communities at the highest risk for HIV/AIDS. Together we provide comprehensive sexual health education where it is needed most.

• Project VIIBES reaches into local Communities of Color to teach condom negotiation skills and encourage HIV and STI testing.

• The Cube provides a safe and comfortable space for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men to meet, socialize, and learn about ways to empower their community to protect itself from HIV. • Identity is a safe and confidential space for young people who identify as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning to address the unique challenges they face, receive education, and educate service providers about how to serve LGBTQ youth.

Individuals can learn about high-risk behaviors that lead to HIV, Hepatitis C, and Sexually Transmitted Infections, strategies to protect themselves, and be referred for testing.

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Donnie This is how I feel about Project VIIBES and being a Peer Mentor; these words are from my heart.

I truly love the program. It has taught me about me, and how behavior puts us in danger. Helping others puts me in a better state of mind, but seeing and hearing the change in the behavior of the community, is the best feeling you can have. It gives you a purpose.

We need more Peer Mentors, more programs like this.

Thank you Project VIIBES!

Tomas I’m a peer youth educator with Identity LGBTQ youth center in downtown Binghamton.

I became a peer youth educator because I know that being a gay youth is difficult. While discovering my identity I was looking for someone to talk to about my sexuality and other factors in my life that were affected because of my sexuality and this is something that I can help other youth with.

Since becoming a peer youth educator, I have helped Identity with their multitude of dances, field trips and outreach events in the community, which helps make Identity the amazing youth center it is.

While going out is fun, most often we are just hanging out and relaxing at our youth center where we not only have discussions on educational topics and different aspects of the LGBTQ community, but also have fun playing on our multiple game systems, ping-pong, using our computers and watching movies on our big screen T.V.

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financial report July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009 REVENUE Other Revenue 1% Comprehensive Medicaid Case Management 13%

NYS AIDS Institute 53%

Public Support/Donations 15%

Other State/Federal Grants 18%

Other Revenue Public Support/Donations NYS AIDS Institute

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Comprehensive Medicaid Case Management Other State/Federal Grants

Other Revenue Comprehensive Medicaid Case Mgt Public Support/Donations Other State/Federal Grants

NYS AIDS Institute

1% 13% 15% 18% 53%

Public Support/Donations NYS AIDS Institute

Other State/Federal Grants

Program Services Development Management & General

79% 7% 14%

EXPENDITURES

Management & General 14% Development 7%

Program Services 79%

Program Services

Development

Grants and Program Service Revenue NYS AIDS Institute NYS Office Alcoholism/Substance Abuse Ryan White Title II Housing Opportunities/People with AIDS Comprehensive Medicaid Case Management Other Revenue Total Grants

1,551,441 119,919 294,952 119,921 381,767 18,873 2,486,873

Public Support Donations and Fundraising Direct Client Support Total Public Support Total Support & Revenue

416,426 16,624 433,050 2,919,923

Program and Support Services Client Services Education/Prevention Services Volunteer and Other Services Direct Financial Assistance to Clients Administration/General Operations Development Total Expenses

887,045 1,038,716 143,916 170,432 387,982 196,341 2,824,432

Management & General

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By Kelly Alice Wood Bulkeley Four-time AIDS Ride for Life rider, STAP board member, Ride for Life Committee Member, and cycling fanatic Why do I ride in the AIDS Ride for Life? This is a simple question with more than one answer. As I stare at photographs and movies of Rides for Life past, the spectrum of reasons come flooding back to me as colorfully as the pictures that flash on the screen.

It all began when I was cycling home on a sunny day in 2006 and saw a sign advertising the upcoming Ride for Life.

Over the years, I have lost a friend or two to HIV/AIDS, so I became interested in learning more about what the Ride for Life was all about. Later that evening, after finding more information on the website, I registered for my first AIDS Ride for Life. I had no idea what to expect or just what awaited me on ride day, and little did I know then that I would be completely blown away by the experience. The AIDS Ride for Life changed MY life, and I truly did not anticipate this happening.

“Why I ride.�

And I am so glad that it did.

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fundraising My first AIDS Ride for Life experience made me realize, among many things, the importance of giving back to the community. It made me truly consider that while I sit here generally healthy, gainfully employed, with basic needs met and the support of my friends and family, there are people out there not as lucky as myself. Currently, there are more than 40 million people out there in the world living with HIV/AIDS, and New York has the highest number of cases in the United States. Thousands of people die every day from complications of this preventable disease, which affects, and is able to infect, ALL of us. The AIDS Ride for Life allows me to raise awareness of the dire need for help for people living with HIV/AIDS, especially in recent years where patients in the Southern Tier of New York rely on our fundraising efforts in the face of state funding cuts.

The AIDS Ride for Life also gave me the opportunity to meet a fitness goal, and to use my growing love of cycling for a good cause.

Since that fateful registration day in 2006, I have cycled thousands of miles and lost dozens of pounds but more importantly: I have completely changed my lifestyle, and I will never go back to being the person that I was. Thanks to all of the training I have done for each year’s Ride for Life, I have become a happier, more outgoing, more focused individual who truly appreciates what I have and my ability to give some of it back to those who truly need it. I am also a size 6 again, but that is just the icing on the cake!

Through the AIDS Ride for Life, I have met dozens of incredible individuals who, on ride day, showed me such an amazing energy that I

have been profoundly affected since: I have never met such passionate, kind and soulful people. Since then, through my involvement with the Ride for Life and the Southern Tier AIDS Program Board of Directors, I have met more incredible, passionate individuals whom I am truly grateful to know.

Being a rider in the AIDS Ride for Life is an incredible experience in and of itself. The day is full of such support and love that it is impossible not to be uplifted and inspired. Over the years, I have convinced several of my friends to ride, and all of them have agreed that the excitement and energy of the day is truly unforgettable.

There are so many memorable details about the day: the opening ceremony, the rest stop themes, the food, the volunteers, the smiles, the inspirational (and very humorous) signs along the route, meeting new friends, and who can forget crossing that finish line for the first time? There is no better feeling in the world than crossing that finish line knowing you have raised awareness about a disease we are fighting together; raising funds for HIV/AIDS clients in the Southern Tier who truly need our help, and attaining “century cyclist” status.

To this day, I still get choked up when I turn that last corner into Cass Park and see the volunteers cheering for me as I pedal for home.

So why exactly do I ride? As seen on a recent Ride for Life T-shirt, “I ride because I can. I ride because I care.” This fairly accurately sums up why I ride, but I would like to add a slight variation on the theme: I ride because I love to.

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AIDS Ride for Life Total to date: $250,307.08 Riders who raised money: 375 Top teams: $21,954- Outspokin $11,237- Veterinary Bikers $8,925- Gimme!

Top individuals: $8,719- Elizabeth Bixler $2,880- James Orcutt $2,554- David Brumberg Top first time rider: Jenny Payne $2,035

Doggone Fun on the Run Our “Friends Who Bark” came out in record numbers this year! They raised a grand total of $14,500 for the PAWS (Pets are Wonderful Support) program.

Mary Giordani’s dog Mario was crowned King of the 2009 Doggone Fun on the Run. Mario raised $1,090.

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AIDS Walk 2009 Over 800 Walkers donated $63,500!

Top Teams $8,298.75 – Team Robbie $6,686.50 – Team Prevention $2,302.00 – Team Frito-Lay $2,067.08 – Team Kids Who Care Individuals $5,300.00 – Paul Rushanski $3,095.75 – Angela Carro $2,500.00 – Frank Carro

STAP Annual Report 2009 Design & Layout Artspace Design, Artspaceny@Gmail.Com Photography: Erik Vonhausen, Wes Bennett, Angelo Fiori

High School Team Challenge Winner Union Endicott BU House Winner Dickinson Community

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donors Thanks to the generosity of so many people and businesses in the Southern Tier area, we are able to move forward in a responsive, purposeful, and confident way. Thousands of supporters have donated time, resources and their talents to ensure STAP is still able to provide quality, life-sustaining care to our clients and our community. Thank you for caring.

Over $433,000 was donated this past year.

Thanks to Our Distinguished Donor Society

$1000+ Jeffrey Buchman Frank & Linda Carroll Robert Fishel Kristen Harding

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$500 - $999 Michael S. Ashford John Barry & Tina Barber Jared & Kimberly Bosket Adam Brumberg Joan Cain Frank & Angela Carro Jeff Coghlan Gary Cole Jean Dykeman Patrick Fowler Hilary Fraser Jeff Fredrickson Sally Freund Grace & Doug Gillogly Edward Gooding Carl & Jean Gortzig Frederick and Fairfax Gouldin Alex Hagen Richard John

Sarah & VJ Lynch Stephen & Andrea Maiklowski Michael Pambianchi Chaplain Betty Pomeroy Marcie Robinson Lawinane Rougean Paul D. Rushanski Ruth Schapiro Ruth & Dick Schapiro Jay Schissell Paul Schleuse Stevens & Linda Shipman Paul Strong Vicki Taylor Cathy Valentino Jerri Wall Carol Warshawsky Jennifer Weinraub

corporate support A Frame Shoppe Ace Security Control AllReady Printing Arnot Health BorgWarner Carriage House Café Cayuga Medical Center Cayuga Radio Group Cayuga Ski & Cyclery College Town Bagels Corner Store Catering Crown Construction CSP Management Dog.com Dominos Pizza Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Excellus Health Plan, Inc. Finger Lakes School of Massage First Niagara Fontana’s Shoes Frito Lay Gesso Foundation

Gimme! Coffee Inc. Glenwood Pines Grooming Tails Guthrie Healthcare System Hickey’s Music Center IBM Employees Iron Design Ithaca Cayuga Optical J & K Plumbing & Heating Co. Just a Taste Kinney Drug Foundation Lane’s Automotive Lockheed Martin Lourdes Hospital Ludgate Farms Lukus Well Lupine Collars & Leads Maguire Michael Libous Salon Myrph’s Dog Training Outback Steakhouse Pepsico Foundation

PETCO Pronto Cucina Rasa Spa Samuel, Son & Co. Schaefer Rittmann Foundation Star 105.7 Starbucks Studio - MD Target The Boatyard Grill The Parlor Cats The UPS Store - Vestal, NY Time Warner Cable Tompkins County Amateur Radio Club Tranquil Bar & Bistro Transformations Hair & Body Trumansburg Rotary United Health Services Vestal High School Visions Federal Credit Union Wendy’s

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Frank and Angela Carro When Robert passed away, we were looking for a way to honor his memory, and when STAP approached us about Robbie’s Pantry, we found our niche. Here was a way to help people out, and do it in a way Robert would have wanted, or would have done. It was a perfect way of keeping Robbie’s legacy of love and compassion alive.

It is so gratifying to know that the pantry was formed based on the needs and suggestions of clients in the program and then named after our son, Robert. Many clients live on fixed incomes and

some are also on disability due to the effects of the virus. Now, because of Robbie’s Pantry, the clients at STAP no longer have to worry about having items that so many of us take for granted, (like soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, toothpaste, toilet paper) and many clients have said they did not know how they would have gotten through the month without the supplies they receive from the pantry.

Doing all the shopping and stocking of the pantry may seem like a lot of work, but it makes us feel good to be able to help others... and more importantly, gives us great comfort knowing that in Robbie’s memory someone’s life might be made a little easier.

volunteers “It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.”

Mother Teresa The Volunteers of the Southern Tier AIDS Program live this thought everyday. It is there when a letter arrives at a client’s home keeping them updated on what is going on. It is there in the friendly voice that says, “How may I help you?” when you call. It is there when a program is being delivered at Identity, or the CUBE, or when a rider crosses the finish line, or a walker arrives back at the park. Last year we logged over 11,000 hours of service from our 600+ volunteers.

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board of directors Paul Rushanski, President Tina Ruocco Dolan, Vice President Grant Best, Treasurer Michele Duffy, Secretary Jennifer Bojdak Kelly Bulkeley Nancy McGowan Pamela Mischen Jamie Cornell Joshua B Ludzki Erik vonHausen Angelo Fiori

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friends who care