Help the Homeless activities raise awareness about homelessness in Washington, DC and help residents understand the importance of supporting efforts to prevent people from becoming homeless, provide housing for people who are homeless now, and provide supportive services to support homeless persons.

Building Futures is partnering again this year with Ideal Academy Public Charter School in northwest Washington, DC, which provides quality education to students from preschool through high school.  At least two Mini-Walks are scheduled for students at Ideal Academy, with October 21 tentatively set as date for the first Mini-Walk.  The Mini-Walk educates students about solutions to homelessness and teaches them the value of giving back to their community from an early age.  At the same time, students participating in the Mini-Walk generate Help the Homeless donations to support Building Futures programs.

Building Futures is making Help the Homeless activities its top priority for fall fundraising.  Funds raised during this event will directly support Daffodil House, our newest property with 30 units.  At least half of the new residents of Daffodil House will be homeless individuals moving in newly renovated apartments directly from shelters, transitional housing, or other temporary situations.  Daffodil House will provide permanent homes they never need to leave, plus supportive services to help them rebuild their lives.

Please join us for the Help the Homeless walk on November 21 down on the National Mall by registering today!

• The William S. Abell Foundation provided $100,000 and ongoing technical assistance supporting the permanent financing of the property.  The grant will cover accessibility modifications to the front entrance and first floor apartments, offices, and common areas that will enable persons using wheelchairs to make full use of these areas.
• The District of Columbia’s Neighborhood Investment Fund provided $224,425 to cover predevelopment costs.  The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development coordinates this grant.
• The Enterprise Foundation’s Green Communities program provided $10,000 for green improvements at Daffodil House, to increase energy efficiency, reduce environmental impacts of development, and incorporate sustainable materials.

“These grants demonstrate broad community support for Daffodil House,” stated Steve Seuser, executive director.  “We’re especially grateful for this important financial support during difficult economic times.  It shows our funders understand that extremely low-income people living with HIV/AIDS are at even greater risk now.  Each of these grants funds an important aspect of development at Daffodil House.”

Businesses, individuals, foundations, and other organizations are invited to join us in the important work of developing Daffodil House.

“At least 70 homeless individuals living with HIV/AIDS are lined up to move out of shelters and into completed units at Daffodil House,” noted property manager Maritza Perez-Falero.  We’re working diligently to finish apartments, and we could especially use skilled or semi-skilled volunteers to help us with construction.  We’re also seeking contributions to cover construction materials and labor.  If you think you’d like to help, please contact us.  Over 200 people have volunteered so far.  Or can you join us on Saturday, Nov. 21 for Fannie Mae’s Help the Homeless walk as a walker or sponsor?”

Contact us to find out more about supporting Daffodil House.

“Our route this year includes fun stops in Tenley Circle, Eastern Market, and Hains Point and helps riders discover more of the city,” remarked Valerie Robertson, president of the ride’s nonprofit sponsor Brother to Brother, Sister to Sister United (BBSSU).  “We’ve ramped up our outreach before, during, and after the ride to increase our impact on the surrounding communities.  We’ll be handing out HIV/AIDS prevention materials at several public places along the route, including our pit stops and several Metro stops.  The ride alerts the community to the serious nature of  HIV/AIDS in D.C.”

The registration fee for riders and volunteers is only $35 through July 31 and $50 beginning August 1.  Then riders need to raise just $100 in donations, which are passed along to the beneficiary organizations.  The two beneficiary organizations for the 2009 ride are the Women’s Collective and Building Futures.  Both organizations work on the front lines serving persons living with HIV/AIDS.

“This is a ride that is possible for many people to complete, especially compared to the 4-day AIDS Rides from North Carolina to D.C. in years past,” commented Randall Myers, vice president of BBSSU.  “It’s a supported ride, not a race.  Everyone rides at their own pace.”

To register for the ride as a rider or volunteer or for more information, go to www.1day1ride1cause.org.  Raffle tickets for two round-trip tickets on Southwest Airlines are also available for $20 each at 1day1ride1cause.org/shop/shop.htm.

On June 5, this enthusiastic crew from Fannie Mae's Investor Channel volunteered an entire day clearing out apartments and painting.

This year on July 3, the official Independence Day holiday for many people, you can help make independence more of a reality for 30 individuals or small families living with HIV/AIDS in Washington, DC. Could you spend part of your day at Daffodil House as a volunteer cleaning out or painting vacant apartments to get them ready for new residents? Half of our new residents will be homeless, so they’re eager to make a fresh start by living more independently in their new homes.

Two shifts of up to 25 volunteers each will work on July 3:

• Morning from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Afternoon from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Or if you’re feeling energetic, spend the day with us!  There’s plenty to do, including:

• Painting the walls and ceilings of vacant and already cleaned out efficiency apartments
• Painting handrails in stairwells
• Painting ceilings in stairwells
• Removing carpets, pads, tack strips, bathroom ceramic tile floors
• Removing kitchen cabinets from walls for possible reuse or disposal
• Removing bathroom sinks/vanities and toilets for possible reuse
• Removing plywood subfloors from kitchens
• Removing closet shelves and rods from closets (so we can install closet organizers)
• Removing tub/shower enclosures and disposing of them
• Removing all debris from units and thoroughly cleaning up so our staff can install new floors, fix kitchens and bathrooms, install closet organizers, and make other repairs

You can probably tell from the list that there’s everything from heavy lifting to lighter work.  If you’d like to join us, wear old clothes that protect you while you’re working.  We have gloves and most tools, although more basic tools such as hammers, screwdrivers, and prybars are always welcome.

Please RSVP for the event by emailing Steve Seuser or calling him at (202) 639-0361, x302.  Please include your name, email address/phone number, and whether you’d like to volunteer in the morning, afternoon, or the entire day.  Families and groups are welcome.

Daffodil House is located close to the Columbia Heights metro on the green line.  Complete directions will be provided to volunteers who RSVP.

Large windows bring lots of light into Daffodil House apartments.

Daffodil House crossed a major milestone this week.  Daffodil’s first new residents moved into their new home.  A happy mom and her son are excited to be moving into their home, following their stay in a homeless shelter.  “It’s beautiful — I love it!  It’s wonderful to have your own,” she exclaimed.

Building Futures’ Maritza Falero welcomed them to their new home with a gift basket of cleaning supplies, a variety of household goods, a laundry kit, bath linens, some kitchen gadgets, bath soaps, and herbal teas.  “It’s exciting for me for our first new resident to move in. We’re busy finishing apartments and showing them to new residents, and we’re getting really good responses.”

New apartments at Daffodil House feature new bamboo floors, an all-white ceramic tile bathroom, and closet organizers in its closets.  The D.C. Department of the Environment is donating Energy Star refrigerators and HVAC units, plus new water heaters for each apartment, which will help new residents reduce their energy costs.

Daffodil House's all-electric kitchens include Energy Star refrigerators provided by the DC Department of the Environment.

Building Futures staff plan to finish about one apartment per week over the next few months until all units are completed.

For more information about the efficiency apartments at Daffodil House, contact Maritza Falero at (202) 639-0361, x303.

Volunteers from organizations including Fannie Mae (ERG and HIV/AIDS Committees), Greater DC Cares through its annual Servathon, and Yachad DC (with Congregation Beth-El in Bethesda) have recently removed old carpeting and ceramic tile floors, removed damaged drywall, hauled out old appliances, and painted hallways and stairwells.

These efforts have allowed Building Futures to finish units and begin showing them to new residents. The first new resident is close to moving in. Already, a waiting list of potential residents is growing, and new units are being finished to provide homes for them.  Since half of new residents are homeless before moving in, finishing units quickly is a high priority.

“We’ve received so much support from our community volunteers, it’s been amazing,” said Executive Director Steve Seuser. “When we started out, we had no idea so many groups would come out of the woodwork to help out.”

“We’re putting out a call for financial contributions, in-kind donations, and particularly semi-skilled or skilled volunteers to help us with finish painting, laying bamboo floors, installing ceramic tile in bathrooms, and other electrical and plumbing work. We hope people understand how important stable housing is to our residents, and how important private support is to make Daffodil House a reality during these difficult economic times.”

Read more online about how to get involved, call us at (202) 639-0361, or email us to assist in these efforts.

Washington, DC leads the nation in HIV/AIDS rates, which rival those in sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, large groups of people at high risk of becoming infected or infecting others, believe they are not at risk.

One Day, One Ride, One Cause’s mission is to:

(1) Bring awareness to the community that the District holds the record for newly-diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases in the United States;

(2) Educate the community in preventing the spread of the disease; and

(3) Raise funds for eight (8) HIV/AIDS-related organizations that provide care and services to District of Columbia children, teens, adults and families infected with and/or impacted by HIV/AIDS.

With a minimum of only $100 to raise / donate and a $35 registration fee, riders can make a difference in the lives of children, men and women affected by AIDS in the District and the surrounding community. Ride sponsors challenge individuals to make a difference in their own lives by participating as a rider, crew (volunteer), or contributor in this year’s ride.

For details or to register, go to the One Day, One Ride, One Cause website.

by the Business Roundtable

According to the Business Roundtable Health Care Value Comparability Study, a new measure of the “value” (cost and performance) of the U.S. health care system relative to our competitors’ systems on a weighted scale, the workers and employers of the United States face a 23 percent “value gap” relative to five leading economic competitors – Canada, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and France (the “G-5 group”) – and a 46 percent “value gap” compared with emerging competitors Brazil, India and China (“the BIC group”). What does this “value gap“ mean for our ability to compete in the international marketplace?

Health Care Value and Global Competitiveness

In many important respects, the American health care system is among the best in the world. When it comes to scientific advances, medical technology and the quality of our best doctors and medical institutions, the United States is without peer. But this country’s health care system, in its average performance, is becoming increasingly expensive and burdensome to businesses and families – costs that, without some restructuring of the system, will put the benefits of this amazing medical expertise beyond the reach of an increasing number of Americans.

As a group, employers and workers in G-5 countries spend approximately 63 cents for every dollar we spend on health care. The gap is even wider when we look at the BIC group; they spend just 15 cents for every dollar we spend on health care.

Unfortunately, these spiraling costs may be jeopardizing more than just care.

Faced with a deepening economic crisis, it has never been harder for U.S. companies to compete in the global marketplace. While today’s economic challenges span the globe, companies in other countries may be able to better weather the storm, in part because they get a better “value” on health care – they spend less on health care and their systems keep their workforces healthier than America’s.

• As the Business Roundtable Health Care Value Comparability Study shows, our relatively higher spending and lower return on investment creates a health care “value gap” that places U.S. companies at a significant global competitive disadvantage:

• Higher health care spending in the United States diverts resources from investment in new products, equipment, facilities and jobs needed to keep America competitive in the global marketplace.

The higher spending that should lead to a healthier workforce, strengthening our ability to produce and innovate, currently does not.

Our health care system is actually harming our ability to compete effectively in the global economy.

Amy Cavanaugh
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Washington Blade

Two new studies show the national HIV epidemic is growing — and the numbers are especially bad locally for men who have sex with men.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says Washington has the highest HIV death rate in the country, though the city’s infection rate improved slightly from 2006. The report, released last month, also says 871 new cases of HIV were reported in D.C. in 2007, the most recently completed calendar year the report considered.

Justin Goforth, head of the Whitman-Walker Clinic’s medical adherence unit, said the new data show that “here in D.C., we have an epidemic that’s out of control.”

The report’s sobering findings were expected to be affirmed next week when the D.C. 2008 HIV/AIDS Epidemiological Report is released.

Daniel O’Neill, who heads a new HIV Prevention Working Group at the D.C. Center for gay, bisexual and transgender people, said he was given an early look at the 2008 D.C. data, and that it’s “very grim” for men who have sex with men.

He was recently appointed to the D.C. HIV Prevention Community Planning Group, a part of the D.C. Department of Health HIV/AIDS Administration.

O’Neill said the D.C. report shows HIV infection rates in D.C. were twice as high as New York for 2008. That finding, if true, would represent a major shift from the 2007 CDC numbers, which showed D.C. with a lower infection rate than New York. The local report also reportedly says that 3 percent of D.C. residents over age 13 were diagnosed as HIV positive in 2007, 25 percent of known infections in the District are comprised of men who have sex with men, and 6.5 percent of black men in D.C. and 2.6 percent of white men in D.C. are diagnosed as HIV positive.

The statistics follow last month’s release of the CDC’s report, titled “Cases of HIV Infection and AIDS in the United States and Dependent Areas 2007.” The report includes cases of HIV infection and AIDS reported to the CDC through June 2008.

According to the report, there was a 26 percent increase from 2004 to 2007 in estimated annual HIV/AIDS diagnoses among men who have sex with men. The report says the increase “may represent an increase in HIV incidence” among men who have sex with men, but could “also be affected by increases in testing.”

Among other notable figures in the CDC report are that as of 2005, D.C. has the highest HIV death rate per 100,000 people: 37.1. The next closest was Florida at 9.8. The nation as a whole averages 4.2.

Nationally, the report shows that from 2004 to 2007, HIV diagnoses increased 15 percent in the 34 states that have long-term, name-based HIV reporting. The increase could be due to changes in state reporting regulations, more people getting tested for HIV, instability in the data or an actual increase in the number of new HIV infections. But the report also notes that the annual number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses remained stable from 2004 through 2006, and the 15 percent increase in annual HIV/AIDS diagnoses from 2006 to 2007 accounts for the majority of the increase seen from 2004 to 2007.

The report also breaks down HIV infection rates by metropolitan area. D.C.’s 2007 rate was 34.5 per 100,000 people, which represented a slight improvement over its 2006 rate of 35.8.

The report’s data for cumulative AIDS cases show that through 2007, D.C. was tracking 18,196 AIDS cases and knew of 8,895 people living with full-blown AIDS. The number of total AIDS cases in the U.S. was 1,030,832.

HIV/AIDS experts in D.C. described the numbers as appallingly high, yet unsurprising.

Goforth said he was looking forward to seeing the new D.C. data and comparing it against the CDC data.

“What you’re going to see out of the D.C. numbers is that the epidemic is absolutely growing,” he said. “One in 20 adults in D.C. is [said to be] infected with HIV, but I believe that the new number will be higher than that.”

Chip Lewis, a Whitman-Walker Clinic spokesperson, noted that in 2008, the Clinic confirmed 541 new HIV diagnoses, which represented about 1 percent of all new HIV cases in the United States. He said most of those cases occurred in gay and bisexual men in their late teens and early 20s and those in their late 30s and early 40s.

Adam Tenner, executive director of Metro Teen AIDS, called the raw numbers in the CDC report “astounding,” but noted that it’s tricky to make direct comparisons for D.C. against state data.

“No state is as concentrated as we are [in terms of population],” he said. “Most states have some rural areas, so it’s really apples and oranges to compare the data.”

He said that Metro Teen AIDS provides services that would help the numbers diminish over time. “We feel like the investment in HIV protection for young people … will yield longer term reduced HIV infections,” Tenner said. “When we give young people the knowledge, information and skills, we give them not just the preparation to remain safe during adolescence, but the preparation for a lifetime of decision making. That’s the goal. We have failed young people in D.C. by not adequately educating them about the dangers of HIV.”

Carl Schmid, federal affairs director at the AIDS Institute, said the new data show that “we need to do more and our country needs to do more.”

“We need to do more, we need to focus more on the prevention, we need leadership,” he said. “We need a national AIDS strategy with goals, timetables and resources to make sure we are meeting these goals.”

At the same time, 2008 witnessed great setbacks, particularly in the effort to prevent the virus’ spread. We are seeing the outcome of too many years of neglect, at both the governmental and communal level. In 2008, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its long-awaited study re-examining the size and depth of the U.S. epidemic.

Using new technology that allows researchers to learn more details about individual HIV infections, the CDC discovered, among other things:

• The U.S. epidemic is at least 40 percent larger than previously believed and growing by between 55,000 and 58,000 infections a year;
• Black Americans represented 45 percent of people newly infected in 2006, despite being just 13 percent of the population;
• Men who have sex with men accounted for 53 percent of all new infections in 2006, and young Black men were particularly hardest hit.

In 2006, the latest year for which data is available, 7,426 Black Americans died from AIDS. That number represents a meaningful improvement over the previous year-a decline of 1,253 deaths. But Blacks continue to represent a far outsized proportion of deaths each year. In 2006, Blacks accounted for just over half of all AIDS deaths.

The federal commitment to all areas of AIDS work – prevention, treatment and research – has all but disappeared.  For example,

• The CDC’s annual HIV-prevention budget has never topped $800 million — a fraction of what the U.S. spends on the Iraq war in a week;
• The prevention budget has been cut by 20 percent in the past five years, in real dollar terms;
• The CDC spent just under $369 million on Black-specific prevention and research in fiscal year 2008, or 49 percent of the overall budget.
• Between 2004 and 2008, the discretionary domestic AIDS budget remained virtually flat, while global spending increased by more than 20 percent annually.

While the challenges are great, Black America is perhaps better poised to meet them today than ever before. The new Obama administration has vowed to take action on several fronts, including drafting America’s first comprehensive strategy to direct our efforts. But just as crucial, our community is engaged like never before. From individuals on up to our traditional Black organizations, we’ve accepted the idea that this is our problem and we must find the solution.

In 2006, 16 traditional Black institutions launched the National Black AIDS Mobilization by signing on to the National Call to Action and Declaration of Commitment to End the AIDS Epidemic in Black America. The 16 institutions are not typical AIDS organizations. These groups, many of which have histories that span generations, were founded to meet a wide range of communal needs and concerns; they have now formally added AIDS to their work.

Far more resources and support are required from both public and private funders who seek to impact the AIDS epidemic.

Courtesy of The Black AIDS Institute.