State Employee giving campaigns are in full swing with the Children’s AIDS Fund International participating in 17 campaigns throughout the U.S.  This year CAFI will participate in six new state campaigns: Washington, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Michigan.  These along with eleven other state campaigns that CAFI has previously participated in make a real difference in our ability to fulfill our mission.   Last year  we received nearly $3,000 from the Maryland State Employees and Retirees campaign–Thank you Maryland State Employees!

We try to attend as many state campaign kick-off events as possible, but with the campaigns spread out across the US it can be difficult, so it is important for us to get your assistance in helping spread the word about CAFI’s participation in these campaigns.  Campaigns usually begin in early fall and run until Dec 1^st, in some states until Dec 31^st.    CAFI participates in the following state campaigns:  Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Your assistance is vital in helping to spread the word about CAFI’s participation in your campaign.

If you know anyone who works in your state government or state university or state run hospital, let them know about the important work CAFI is doing to help limit the suffering of children and families affected by HIV.  Tell them about our website and the information it contains, or better yet forward them one of our emails highlighting our work.  Please contact us to learn more.

I am grateful every day for the opportunity to play my part in the Work of the Children’s AIDS Fund International.  With your help, we have been able to help millions over the last 25 years.   We started early in the AIDS epidemic, and CAFI has developed a wide-ranging impacts with the singular focus of limiting the suffering of HIV impacted children and their families.

Our Focus: Reduce the Suffering of Children and their Families impacted by HIV

As I look back, I am truly astounded at what we have done together.  CAFI has supported more than 1 million HIV impacted children; assisted more than 200,000 HIV impacted families; educated more than 2 million individuals; supported care and treatment for more than 60,000 HIV patients in sub-Saharan Africa; helped gain FDA approval for rapid HIV diagnostics and the ground-breaking Orasure oral HIV test; been engaged in HIV policy from the Ryan White Care Act to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, working with both US political parties on Capitol Hill since President Reagan.

We have worked to provide people with HIV/AIDS access to healthcare ; promote public health interventions (like partner notification)  to help stop disease spread;  facilitate development of diagnostics, treatments and a cure for HIV;  promote early diagnosis (knowledge of HIV status) to help individuals receive the best possible care and prevent infection of others; and advocate compassionate care and support of everyone affected and infected by HIV/AIDS .  Working with individuals,  families and the general public; faith, community and corporate leaders and their constituencies;  national, state and local policy makers in the US and abroad,   CAFI was among the US government’s first 11 grantees (with the American Red Cross, AFL-CIO, and others) to help educate and engage the US public and private sectors in America’s Response to AIDS.

Since the early days, scientific advances have dramatically improved our ability to respond to the pandemic and save millions of lives around the world through prevention, treatment and care programs.   It has been our privilege to participate in those initiatives.

Join us in celebrating our 25^th anniversary, with gratitude for the opportunity to serve so many people in diverse settings and anticipating future goals to make an even greater difference.

The interactive timeline on our website highlights key milestones in CAFI’s 25 year journey to help limit the suffering of HIV impacted children and their families around the globe, all made possible through friends and supporters like you.  The level of impact that we have created together in the past 25 years, gives me courage to know that as we look forward, we can see this challenge through to completion.

With Gratitude,

Anita Smith

President

When Alenda and Juan Valenzuela  recently won the first thing they did was give a good percentage of their winnings away.    Their goal:   to help Junior–an AIDS orphan–with life-saving treatment.

Junior’s father died of AIDS when he was 5, his mother’s death followed when he was 13.   That is when he himself was the first patient at a Children’s AIDS Fund Uganda Kampala clinic when it opened in 2003.  After more than 10 years of HIV/AIDS treatment Junior has major health challenges.

“When my husband told me about Junior’s struggles and his deteriorating condition, I realized that we needed to do something to help him,” Alenda said.  “When the opportunity to help him presented itself we didn’t hesitate to help Junior.”  Throughout his ordeal Junior has maintained an upbeat outlook, writing poetry and stories to help him deal with his illness.

When my husband told me about Junior’s struggles and his deteriorating condition, I realized that we needed to do something to help him

Children’s AIDS Fund International’s (CAFI) ongoing efforts to help HIV impacted children and families appeals to Alenda and Juan and they plan to continue their support  this holiday season by helping other families and children in Africa.   Alenda is particularly interested in the micro-enterprising programs featured on the CAFI website, these are small seed loans given to families and individuals to begin entrepreneurial activities to help feed and support their families.

“We wanted to do more and feel these loans are a great and simple way to help the children and their families this holiday season and hopefully for the rest of their lives,” Alenda said.  “We hope others will take advantage of these programs too.”

I decided to work with CAFI for the same reasons that most people do–It seemed like a good match for me at the time.  But I stayed because of what the organization stood for.  This was an organization that worked with children and families impacted by HIV/AIDS both domestically and internationally.  It was a small organization with a big heart.  I knew immediately that it would be a place where I could do something meaningful to help others in need.  I did not know that it would also change my perspective about a lot of things.  I have come in contact with some amazing people who do so much with so little.  They carry on in spite of what they have to deal with – their illness, the stigma attached to the disease, the reaction of their families and friends, the isolation the disease sometimes brings.  I have found that it really doesn’t matter how a person got the disease.  It matters what they do after they discover that they have it.

We value the people we serve.  They are not just numbers.  They are people whose stories we know and whose hands we’ve held.  They are a part of our CAFI family.

Working with CAFI has shown me the faces of this disease, the men, women and children impacted.  They are no longer abstract.  They have names, families, hopes and dreams for the future.  I have found not only how devastating HIV/AIDS can be, but also how powerless it can be.  It cannot break the strength and resolve of those who choose to continue living and giving of themselves in spite of the disease.

I work with a small group of very dedicated people who have sacrificed a lot to keep CAFI going over the years.  More than 90% of what CAFI receives in funding is spent on services for our constituents. What makes CAFI unique among HIV/AIDS service organizations is the dedication and quiet resolve of the staff, the strength of the people we serve and the trust that we share.  We value the people we serve.  They are not just numbers.  They are people whose stories we know and whose hands we’ve held.  They are a part of our CAFI family. This is why I continue to be committed to CAFI and its dedicated Board of Directors.

Happy 25^th Anniversary CAFI!

Cecelia Cooper

Treasurer & Finance Director

Not only does September herald the arrival of fall, but also the beginning of the Federal and State employee charity campaigns through the country.  These campaigns allow federal and state employees to donate to their favorite charities and are an important fund raising source.  Children’s AIDS Fund International continual involvement in these critical fund raising campaigns began on September 26, 2013 with our participation in the 2013 Maryland Charity Campaign for State Employees and Retirees.   Maryland is only one of the 15 state campaigns in which CAFI participates along with the Federal government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).

These campaigns allow federal and state employees to donate to their favorite charities and are an important fund raising source.

The Kickoff event held at the Herbert R. O’Conor State Building in Baltimore provides an excellent venue for CAFI to meet donors and increase awareness of our programs.  This year’s featured speakers Assistant Chair, Dominick E. Murray, Secretary of Department of Business and Economic Development and Assistant vice Chair, Gloria G. Lawlah, Secretary of Maryland Department of Aging thanked past participants for their support and generosity.   They stressed the need to work together to achieve this year’s campaign fundraising goal of $3,650,00 and highlighted the benefits to the Maryland community from state employee contributions.