21st Annual Thurston County AIDS Walk: Sunny in Spite of Funding Cuts

October 5, 2011

The 21^st Annual Thurston County AIDS Walk maintains sunny disposition despite federal cutbacks

by Elizabeth Jenkins

The United Community AIDS Network (UCAN) celebrated its 21^st Annual Thurston County AIDS Walk amidst a crowd of 125 attendants on Saturday, September 24. Arriving at Sylvester Park at 9:30 a.m., participants were welcomed by one of Olympia’s fleeting, sunny autumn mornings and by community members eager to engage in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Attendants encircled the John Rankin Rogers Statue, holding hands, to silently reflect on those who have passed before beginning their walk around Capitol Lake. “[Aids has] affected us in one way or another,” said Matt Shrader, a second year AIDS Walk attendant. “I’m here due to my uncles. They survived the worst of it in the late 80s and early 90s. It’s a miracle they’re still with us, but the fight’s not over.”

Matt Shrader and Jesus Green

In the gazebo, UCAN organizers demonstrated the ease of taking a HIV/AIDS test by using the FDA approved Oral Transudate Swab. There are no needles—only a swab of the cheek and the results in twenty minutes.

“Most transmissions occur because people do not know their HIV status” which is why UCAN offers access to “anonymous, low-cost, rapid oral swab HIV testing,” said UCAN’s Director, Charles Loosen. Although HIV antibodies will appear in oral fluid after infection, the organization wants to emphasize that you cannot get HIV/AIDS from kissing.

The Syringe Exchange Program is another preventative method that Loosen says has done a fantastic job at reducing HIV and hepatitis transmission. The program, which is administered by the Thurston County Public Health Department, offers unused injection devices for used ones.

Of concern to both UCAN and the Syringe Exchange is the recent reduction in state funding.

“There was a substantial decrease . . . for the HIV prevention programs for the 2011-13 biennium, [but] there are many proposals that must be considered by the state legislature and the state governor as the special legislative session approaches in late November,” said Sheri McDonald, the Director of the Thurston County Pubic Heath Dept. In a period when “utilization of injection drugs is increasing,” Loosen says that “a significant local investment” would help sustain the program while the state continues to divest their funds.

UCAN co-located with Stonewall Youth and Partners in Prevention Education in 2010, anticipating a double-dip recession. “We knew that drastic budget cuts were coming, and we began to ask how we could preserve prevention capacity and enhance collaboration,” said Loosen.

They found their answer by taking a proactive approach and co-housing with organizations that address “some of the social determinants of HIV transmission.” Loosen says that this has been a successful collaboration, and the LGBTQ-owned businesses on Fourth Avenue have been an excellent source of support. However, the three organizations would benefit from “members of the general LGBTQ community, not just activists,” engaging and volunteering at their location.

Around 190 people are known to be living with HIV/AIDS in the Thurston County area. UCAN allocates $200,000 to direct medical expenses, $45,000 to nutritional expenses, and $35,000 to direct housing expenses for individuals and families who need their support. Loosen says that despite “incredible economic hardship,” the Olympia community “has done an incredible job of supporting [the organization’s] mission and its clients.”

UCAN, formerly the Olympia AIDS task force, organized twenty-six years ago with a mission to prevent new HIV infections while caring for individuals and families impacted by HIV/AIDS.

The organization’s Medical Case Management Program operates through funding by the Ryan White Act (a Federal program created for low-income, uninsured people living with HIV/AIDS) and through Medicaid. “President Obama recently proposed cuts to Medicaid and we will not know for some time how—or even if—Case Management will be affected,” said Loosen.

In Sylvester Park, Alyssa Castro sat on a bench with her fellow Mason County Teen Council classmates waiting for the event to start.

“It’s a new experience, but I’m excited for it,” said Castro. With many non-profits and social services taking the brunt of government cutbacks, the 21^st Annual Thurston County Aids Walk serves as a reminder that a thriving community is contingent on its residents’ excitement to give something back. Loosen says that he “can’t thank volunteers and donors” enough. “We’ve built something beautiful and it’s deserving of our community’s support.”