A3D orientation session materials

AIDS Awareness & Action Day
Wednesday, February 18
Olympia, WA

7:00 a.m.– 9:15 a.m. Bus transportation
All "CHINOOK" company buses will have an "A3D" sign posted in the front wind shield.

Departures:

7 a.m. Everett Station 3201 Smith Ave - 1 bus

7:30 a.m. Seattle: Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Client Services Building, 1002 E Seneca, Seattle 98122

Please check-in before boarding the bus in the Seneca Conference Room on the lower level of the building, entrance through the parking lot. 3 buses will leave from this location.

8:00 a.m. Tacoma Mall, Krispy Kreme, 4302 Tacoma Mall Blvd, Tacoma, WA 98409 .

The Everett bus will pick up the Tacoma group on its way to Olympia.














8:45 a.m. Registration Begins at United Churches in Olympia

9:30 a.m. Morning program
Location: United Churches 110 11th Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501, or 11th & Capitol Way.













11:00 a.m. Lunch boxes distribution

11:20 a.m. Group march to the Capitol

11:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Meet with your State Legislators!

3:00 p.m. Closing Ceremony
Legislative Building: State Reception Room
http://www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/capitoltour/reception.htm





















3:45 p.m. Buses board to leave Olympia
Winged Victory Monument
http://www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/capitoltour/WingedVictory.html

For a map of the entire legislative campus, please visit:
http://www.ga.wa.gov/images/campus-map.pdf

What’s at stake this year?

2009 is a critical year for HIV/AIDS advocates. Washington State Legislature, faced with a $7 billion budget deficit, is proposing to cut HIV/AIDS care and prevention services by $7M. It’s up to us to make sure our elected officials understand the impacts these cuts will have on our community!

1. HIV/ADS Care Services (EIP) – 13.2% cut = $3M
2. Nutrition Services in Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap Counties, 200+ PLWHA at risk of losing weekly food deliveries – eliminated = $0.5M cut
3. Prevention Programs – 10% cut = $1.5M
4. Bailey Boushay Adult Day Health program = $1.1M cut
5. Nursing home services for Medicaid patients: Rosehedge, Bailey Boushay = a loss of $60,000 - $290,000 per year

Total cuts: $7,000,000


How to prepare for the visit with your legislator?

1. Know your legislator:

Personal
Hobbies, Family
Hometown, Background

Political
Partisan Affiliation
Demographics of District
Legislative Interests

Go to http://www.leg.wa.gov/ for State Elected Official, or google for latest news about the legislator. To find out who your legislators are, call the legislative hotline at 1.800.562.6000.

2. Know the Issue:

Statewide, HIV rates have been stable in recent years. From 2002 to 2006, the annual number of new HIV diagnoses ranged from 566 to 586, producing an average annual rate of 9.3 new cases per 100,000 Washington residents.

By Exposure: Between 2002-2006, 76% of new HIV diagnoses among males were associated with male-to-male sexual contact (either MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) or MSM/IDU (Intervenous Drug Users). Nearly half (48%) of new HIV diagnoses among females were attributed to high-risk heterosexual contact. Two new cases were determined to be the result of prenatal HIV exposure that occurred within Washington State.

By Sex: Eighty-five percent of all HIV cases diagnosed between 2002 and 2006 were male. The distribution of new diagnoses between males and females has remained stable in recent years.

By Race and Ethnicity: During 2002-2006, 63% of all new HIV diagnoses were white, non-Hispanic. Non-Hispanic Blacks (4% of the general population) accounted for 15% and 37% of all male and female cases, respectively.

By Age: Seventy-six percent of 2002-2006 new HIV diagnoses occurred among adults ages 30 and older. The proportion of cases being newly diagnosed at ages 40 and older has increased in recent years.

New HIV diagnoses under age 25 are increasing statewide with a sharp rate increase outside of King County

For HIV/AIDS in Washington fact sheets, visit: http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/HIV_AIDS/Prev_Edu/factsheets.htm

3. Know the Issue: What's At Stake (see above)

4. During the Meeting

Be on Time
Introduce Yourself
Explain the problem
Make the case for restoring funding
Support it with data – share fact sheet
Include real-life stories
Be specific about what is needed - State Desired Vote or Action
Be Friendly and Civil
It’s OK to Say: “I Don’t Know, but I will get back to you on that one”
Restate Desired Vote or Action
Encourage Action — Get a Commitment
Leave packet
After the Meeting
Send a Thank You Note
Send Any Follow-Up Info
Don't forget the L.A.s!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What time does AIDS Awareness & Action Day end?
A: It depends on the time of your final legislative visit. Expect to be done by 4pm


Q: Where does the day begin?
A: See event flier – back page lists address of the church we’ll be meting at. No parking in the church parking lot. Plenty of affordable (quarters only) parking available within 2 blocks.


Q: I’m driving down. Where do I park and how do I get to the church?
A: Driving to Olympia:

Take exit 105 from I-5 North,
or exit 105A from I-5 South,
follow signs to the Capitol.

For more info about parking and visiting the Legislature, go to: www.leg.wa.gov/WorkingwithLeg

Q: Do I need to schedule meetings?
A: In most cases we will have scheduled three meetings for you: with your Senator and your two Representatives. You will receive this schedule at registration in Olympia. The meetings will usually be only 15 minutes long – a test in the art of brevity!


Q: What should I wear?
A: A suit is not required, but many people in the past have opted for this look. Dressing nicely is important, so please wear at least business-casual attire. Avoid blue jeans and t-shirts. Do wear comfortable shoes as quite a bit of walking is involved. Please bring an umbrella in case it rains. Remember that you will need to incorporate a t-shirt into your outfit.














Check out how these participants incorporated their A3D t-shirts into their outfits.

Q: What else can I do to prepare for February 18?
A: The more you know, the better an advocate you will be. You can learn a bit about your legislators online at http://www.leg.wa.gov/. Follow the links to both the Senate and House of Representatives and find out more about them. If you are a person living with HIV, you can think about how you might briefly tell your senator or representative how state funding (EIP, EHIP, ADAP, etc.) helps you and what would happen to you if these funds were no longer available. If you’re the friend or family member of someone who lives with HIV, talk to them and ask them about this. If you believe that HIV prevention helps keeps you or your loved ones HIV-negative, think about how you would tell a legislator how state Omnibus funds pay for HIV prevention and education efforts in your area that you think are effective and important.

Q: What else can I do?
A: If you haven’t already, please sign up to receive alerts that generate, with a few clicks of the mouse, email messages to your elected officials. Type http://www.cannetwork.net/ and away you go. Simple and fast!Ask your friends who can’t attend AIDS Awareness & Action Day in Olympia on February 18 to call their legislators on that day to tell them how much they care about ensuring that AIDS care and prevention efforts are funded at the highest possible level. You can give them the phone numbers as you do your research as described above.