Dear Friends,

This is a moving – and challenging – time for Desert AIDS Project and our fellow AIDS service organizations around the globe.   Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the first reported cases of AIDS and while we are very fortunate at Desert AIDS Project to be surrounded by a supportive community that makes a difference in the lives of our clients on a daily basis, the disturbing statistics indicate that your support and our work must not languish:

• There are more than 40 million people living with HIV or AIDS worldwide, and nearly 11 million of them live in the United States.
• There are 40,000 new infections every year in America.
• Globally, 2.2 million children are infected with HIV or AIDS, and over 13 million have been orphaned by AIDS.
• Women represent more than one in three new HIV infections and one in four new AIDS cases.
• At least half of all new infections are among young people under the age of 25.

It is imperative that HIV prevention initiatives around the world must dramatically increase.  As members of the global community, it is our responsibility to redouble local efforts and to think critically and more creatively about how to improve the effectiveness of outreach and education so that everyone knows the dangers and risks of HIV as well as ways they can protect themselves, their families, and their children.

This is also a time to celebrate our accomplishments and the tremendous generosity of our friends in the community:

• Our 100 Women major donor program continues to gain momentum and regularly boasts new members – click on the 100 Women link to learn more. You may also learn about becoming a member of Partners for Life by clicking on that link.
• We opened 80 brand new units of affordable housing for HIV-positive individuals in our Rick Weiss Apartments.
• The Riverside County Community Health Agency has begun construction on a new Palm Springs Family Care Center south of D.A.P., completing the Greenburg-Peet Campus.
• From the elegant Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards gala to the grassroots Desert AIDS Walk and Dining Out for Life®, this promises to be our most exciting fundraising season ever. Check the Other Events link for a full schedule of upcoming D.A.P. events.

We at Desert AIDS Project continue to be optimistic about the future and wait eagerly for the day when a cure is discovered and we can close our doors. We also anticipate improving treatment options. Until then, it is critical that we communicate with our federal, state and local representatives and continue to focus them on the need for increased treatment, prevention and research.  We must always remind them that HIV/AIDS remains a national crisis deserving of their undivided attention. 

Desert AIDS Project is proud to be a part of your community and urges you to become involved with us. Whether you are able to donate financial resources or volunteer service, you’ll find few things bring you greater satisfaction than making a difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS.

It is a privilege to be part of an organization that motivates and inspires. We will continue to provide compassionate care and hope until we reach our common goal – a world without AIDS.