As of 2008, AIDS has claimed more than 25 million lives worldwide, and despite promising medical treatments and increased prevention awareness, the number continues to grow on a daily basis. Let's resolve to do whatever we can in 2009 to finally end the AIDS pandemic. AIDS Community Services has been at the front lines of the battle against HIV and AIDS in Western New York since 1983, and we'll continue to be here until there's a cure. If you'd like more information about how you can help, visit our website.

Have You Ever Wondered?

Have you ever wondered why AIDS Community Services adopted the evergreen tree as a symbol? Well, it's all because of a page in a daily calendar. September 17, to be precise. The calender featured an inspirational quote for each day, along with a short meditation to go along with the quote. The September 17 quote was from a poem by Gilbert Maxwell: There are trees that seem to die at the end of autumn. There are also the evergreens.

The meditation is as follows: among us are people who are like evergreens. They keep hope alive in themselves and radiate hope for the rest of us. They stand tall, sometimes alone, sometimes with others. They tell us that we have choices. They challenge us to be powerful creators of our lives. They refuse to be victims. They build organizations, speak to the press, and sometimes disappear for a while in order to grow strong again. Most of all, they teach us that AIDS is a fightable diseaseand that we are powerful people. They teach us how to love and accept ourselves, that this is our strongest defense. They teach us how to be survivors, evergreens.

Now you know.

World AIDS Day 2008 at ACS