april 2014 living positively - victory programs · 2014-04-14 · 5 boston living center special...

LIVING

POSITIVELY

In this issue: Cooking Matters Classes Coffee Shop Computer Classes Alcohol & HIV: A Complex Relationship The New Latino Group- G.L.e.M. And LOTS MORE!

April 2014

boston living center 2

Special Events……………………………………………….................................5.6

Staff spotlight................................................................................................7

Meals Program HIV/AIDS & Healthy Living……………………………………………………8

Monday Dinner……………………………………………………………......9 Tuesday - Friday Lunch………………………………………………………..9

Programs for Members

L.I.F.E. Program® (Learning Immune Function Enhancement)……………10

Healthy Relationships………………………………………………………...11 Bridges for Life Program……………………………………………………..12 Thriving……………………………………………………………………….13 BLC POP............................................................................................................13 Latino Group………………………………………………………….............14 3rd Thursdays at the Boston Living Center Health Workshop……………..14

Ongoing Activities at the BLC Beaded Jewelry Class………………………………………………………...15 Crochet Group………………………………………………………………..15 Cyberspace Computer Classroom & Instruction……………………………15 Walking Group………………………………………………………………..15 Language Exchange Table…………………………………………………...16 Friday Flick……………………………………………………………………16 Open Art Studio……………………………………………………………....16 Collage Class.....................................................................................................16

Member Support New Member Welcome & Orientation...........................................................17 Chat Before Dinner..........................................................................................17 Spirituality Group............................................................................................17 Consumer Advisory Board...............................................................................17

Holistic Services Massage...........................................................................................................18 Reiki..................................................................................................................18

Member Information Member Services Staff Directory....................................................................19 BLC Member Hours ........................................................................................ 19 Editor in chief Eli Feliciano

Table of Contents for Programs & Activities

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Mission statement

Boston Living Center Mission Statement

To foster the wellness of all HIV positive people and respond to the changing needs of the

HIV/AIDS community. Through peer leadership and support, we strive to enhance and enrich the

lives of our members by providing education, treatment information and support services with

the goal of empowering members to live productive lives

and participate within

Peer Support Team Peer Leaders help other members empower themselves and develop effective strategies for living healthy lives. Peers Leaders can relate to you and your situation because they are also members who have “been there, done that.” Peer Leaders are trained to actively listen, as well as provide you with encouragement, knowledge, & emotional support. To connect with a peer leader stop in the Member Services office.


Community Pharmacy

Our neighbors at Community, A Walgreens Pharmacy are hosting the Medication Adherence table located in the art studio. Please stop by for FREE blood pressure screening,

pill boxes and blisterpacking details, and sign up for in-pharmacy vaccinations. Ask the pharmacy any questions regarding current and evolving

treatment options, disease state and medication side-effects management and adherence strategies. These services, as well

as many others will be available to you every other Monday during dinner and alternating with every other Wednesday

during lunch. We at Community, A Walgreens Pharmacy are very proud to be working with VPI and BLC in helping people “Get,

Stay, and Live Well”

FREE CONFIDENTIAL

EDUCATION AND SCREENINGS FOR STI’S, HEPATITIS C, & HIV

EVERY 2ND Monday FROM 4pm- 7pm in the Community Pharmacy EVERY 3RD Thursday FROM 11 am– 2pm in the Counseling Room located on the 2nd floor of the BLC


Special Events

Class is FREE - Sign Up Today!

THURSDAYS 2:30-4:00

HERE AT THE BLC March 27-May 1

Please sign up at the front desk

Cook Healthy Food that Tastes Good on a Budget Get a free bag of groceries each week Learn how to make healthy recipes and easy foods and

snacks with a chef Nutritionist can answer your nutrition questions Take a trip to the grocery store to learn to shop for healthy

and affordable food Meet other adults in class and share ideas for eating

healthy

Get more food for

your money

Prepare food in healthy and

delicious ways


Special Events

Social afternoon for women and girls living with HIV

Location: at the BLC

Date: Tuesday, April 29th

Time: 2:30pm-4:30pm

Snacks/Beverages: sweet treats, snacks, hot

coco and coffee bar, tea and juice

Entertainment: Karaoke and Bingo with

prizes!

For more information or to sign up: call the BLC, 617.236.1012 x245 (Morrigan), x261 (Lauren)

Or visit the BLC and sign up at the front desk:

29 Stanhope St., Boston

Rescheduled!


Chris Gavin

Hey! I’m Chris! Now that I have your attention, let me tell you a little about myself. I work as the meals assistant at the BLC/Victory Programs. I help run the back of the house and supervise the volunteers. I volunteered for about a year and I loved it! I have worked here for almost three years and still love it!

I have also ran the past two Boston Marathons , raising over $10,000 for the BLC/Victory House. Please hold your applause till the end. But seriously I have had a great experience running it and excited to run it again this year. Fun Fact: When I was young I used to be afraid of thunder and lightning. I used to lock all the windows so it wouldn’t get in. True story.

Boston Marathon Charity Program Monday, April 21, 2014 Our own Chris Gavin, Meals Program Assistant, is running 26.2 miles for the third time on behalf of the Boston Living Center! Please give a shout-out to Chris to show your support!

Staff spotlight


HIV/AIDS & Healthy Living

Alcohol and HIV: A Complex Relationship

People infected with HIV are nearly as twice as likely to use alcohol than people in the general population. Moreover, up to 50 percent of adults with HIV infection have a history of alcohol problems. Understanding how alcohol influences HIV is vital, both in treating those infected with HIV and in stopping the spread of this disease. The link between alcohol use and HIV is complex affecting treatment and disease progression. Research shows that alcohol has numerous effects, both direct and indirect, on how this virus develops and how quickly it causes disease. Alcohol can increase how fast the virus grows, leading to higher amounts of virus (i.e., the viral load) in the body. Those high concentrations, in turn, can increase the spread of the disease. Research suggests that alcohol may interfere directly with ART medications used for HIV, essentially blocking their effectiveness. Moreover, patients who drink are nine times more likely to fail to comply with their medications regimens compared with sober patients. When HIV-infected drinkers fail to take their medications or do not take the correctly, it can lead to a higher viral load and an increasing likelihood that the virus will become resistant to the therapy. People with HIV who tend to drink heavily well into their middle and older years leading to declining organ function and risk for injury. Both excessive alcohol use and infection with hepatitis C virus further enhance the risk. Heavy alcohol consumption (more than six drinks per day) has been linked to heart disease in HIV-infected people. Stopping or cutting down on drinking may help to reduce the risk of heart disease.


Monday Night Dinners 6:00pm - 7:00pm Enjoy a delicious dinner

in the company of other members. Dinners are planned to meet

the specific nutritional needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Tuesday - Friday Lunches 12:00pm - 1:30pm

Enjoy a hot, nutritious lunch in the Dining Room.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE TAKE-OUT YOU MUST PRESENT YOUR BLC ID CARD.

Boston Living Center dining room community agreements:

Be kind and treat everyone with respect and dignity Keep our voice down (use an indoor voice) Keep our eating area clean Take only what we will eat during lunch, leaving some for others Refrain from talking during announcements Not engage in the harassment or bullying of others Take cell phones out of the dining room before answering or

making a call Not roughhouse or fight Keep an orderly line and not cut in front of others Give compliments not just complaints Practice courtesy– saying excuse me and thank you to other

members and to volunteers and staff

Meals Program


Programs for Members The L.I.F.E. Program- Learning Immune Function Enhancement

Engage your mind and body to manage stress and boost your immune system! This is a 13 week interactive course that is held on Tuesdays from 1:30pm - 3:30pm. 1:30pm– 4:30pm Stay tuned for upcoming dates! Topics Include: Learning Healing Techniques Coping w/ Stress Communication w/ Providers Healing from Grief & Depression

Fun incentives and snacks will be provided.

For more information about the next cycle of L.I.F.E.® at the BLC , contact : Morrigan Phillips at 617.236.1012 x245 or [email protected], Jeff Webb at [email protected]

Are you a LIFE Graduate? If you are a graduate of a previous cycle of L.I.F.E. & are looking to reconnect with the LIFE program , do some co-factor checking-in, meet up with other LIFE grads & share information and get support? Come join us for LIFE Goes On, a new monthly meet up group for LIFE program graduates. This group meets on the last Thursday of the month from 2-3:30pm in the George Johnson Room. Next meeting will take place on Thursday, April 24th. We’ll have snacks, coffee and raffle prizes plus good conversation, networking and health information. See Jeff Webb or Morrigan Phillips for more information

L.I.F.E goes on…

L I F E



Healthy Relationships

This is a fun & interactive 5 week group for men or women that

will help you build skills to manage the stress of disclosure,

practice assertiveness, AND MORE!

These skills are applied to three life areas: Disclosing HIV status to family

and friends Disclosing to sexual partners Building healthy and safer rela-

tionships

The next cycle for Healthy Relationships for women will

begin on May 7th, 2014

El proximo ciclo de Relaciones Saludables en Español sera para mujeres y comezara el 7 mayo de 2014

To sign-up or learn more about this cycle, please contact:

Morrigan Phillips, Prevention & Education Coordinator

617.236.1012 x245 or [email protected]

Receive a $25 gift card for coming to ALL 5 groups

and other incentives will be given out weekly!

Bridges for Life Program A great way to start the day!

Monday - Friday, 9:30am - 12:00pm -Open to all members Bridges is a drop-in medication adherence program, with a harm reduction focus, for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Groups address the factors that impact medication adherence with topics including mental health issues such as depression and anger management, substance use and recovery, medical/health issues and homelessness. Bridges offers a way for participants to gain support and information and to learn new coping skills. Members also choose to attend the group each day of the week, or on the day that particularly addresses the issues that are most relevant.

Topics explored: Monday ...... Gearing up for the Week Tuesday ...... Relating to Self and Others Wednesday My Body, My Health Thursday .... Moving on up Through HIV and Recovery Friday .......... Burning Desires

Breakfast is from 9:30am - 10:30am (only) Group starts at 10:30am - 12:00pm (no entry after 11am) For more info contact: Larry Kessler 617.236.1012 x238 or [email protected]



The Boston Living Center

Prisoner Outreach Project

Letter writing and outreach to fellow HIV+

people and BLC members currently locked-up in

Massachusetts jails and prisons.

Writing a letter takes just 15 minutes!

Meetings of BLC POP are held on the

3rd Tuesday of the Month.

Next meeting will be held in the dining room on

Tuesday, April 15th from 1:00pm - 2:30pm

BLC P.O.P


Thriving The 2nd and 4th Monday s of the month– April 14th and 28th , 4:30pm-6:00pm Thriving is a bi-weekly support group for and by women who have been living with HIV/AIDS for 15 or more years. It is peer co-facilitated and is ongoing and open to all women who are long-term survivors and are members of the BLC. For more information about Thriving and/or to sign-up, contact Tonia Hines at 617.236.1012 x241 or [email protected], or just stop by the BLC.


Grupo de apoyo en Español para nuestra comunidad , abierto a mujeres y hombres, donde puedas informarte y compartir experiencias vividas relacionadas con el VIH. Con el proposito de tener una vida mas saludable y mas prductiva!

Todos los segundo y cuarto miercoles del mes a las 1:30pm en la biblioteca del BLC

Proxima reunion: miercoles, 9 y 23 de abril

Para mas informacion vean a Eli Feliciano, Peer Navigator

o llamen al 617-236-1012 x250

Thursdays at the Boston Living Center Joins us in the new year for another year of 3rd Thursdays!

Upcoming topics: April: Hep C & HIV with Fenway Health May: Domestic Violence in the LGBTQ community With The Network/La Red

3rd

Programs for members

G.L.e.M. (Grupo de Latinos en Movimiento)


Ongoing Activities at the BLC

Cyberspace Computer Room Mondays 2:00pm - 7:45pm Tuesdays 12:00pm - 5:45pm Wednesdays 12:00pm - 5:45pm Thursdays 12:00pm - 5:45pm Fridays 12:00pm - 4:45pm

New to computers? Learn to navigate Windows in our workshops: Basic Email Skills: Wednesday, April 2nd

Google Drive: Monday, April 28th & Wednesday, April 30th Space is limited. Sign up at the front desk. Have a computer question? Stop in and meet with one of our Cyberspace volunteers! Check the calendar posted on the door to Cyberspace for current volunteer schedule.

Crochet Group Tuesdays - 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th

1:30pm - 3:00pm All are welcome!

Beaded Jewelry Class w/ Sond Tuesdays, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th 1:00pm - 3:00pm Limited space for 6 people BLC Walking Group On hiatus until the Spring


Language Exchange Table

Join us in the Dining Room to increase your Spanish or English conversational skills! Wednesdays– 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th Fridays– 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th 12:00pm - 1:30pm Friday Flick Fridays - 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th

1:45pm- 3:45pm Join us at the BLC for a showing of popular movies. Movie title will be selected the day of.

Open Art Studio Fridays– 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th

1:30pm - 3:00pm Come express your creative self in the art studio!

Collage Class Thursdays - 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th 1:00pm - 3:00pm Join us in the art studio for this fun and creative experience!

Ongoing Activities at the BLC


New Member Welcome and Orientation Thursdays - 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th 10:30am - 12:00pm Bring a letter from your doctor indicating your HIV status, a photo ID, and income verification to become a member. All services at the BLC are free of charge to members. If you are unable to attend group orientation please contact Carmen Rios @ 617.236.1012 x222 for an individual appointment.

Chat Before Dinner Mondays - 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th 5:00pm - 6:00pm Peer Leader Jeff Webb facilitates this informal open forum, to share and discuss any and all topics, with confidentiality for and by all. Come by and discuss whatever is on your mind!

Spirituality Group Mondays - 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th 7:00pm - 8:00pm Join Rev. Bruce , Rev. Geo and Brother Todd to experience ways to be well in Body, Mind & Spirit!

Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) Tuesday, April 8th 1:30pm - 2:30pm The BLC Consumer Advisory Board is a diverse group of men and women living with HIV committed to being leaders in this community. They serve as the voice of BLC membership to staff and as pioneers in creating new programs and vision. The CAB meets monthly to review current programs, policies, and Center issues as well as offer suggestions for change.

Member Support


Holistic Services

Holistic practices create an environment that makes possible intensive healing on the physical, emotional, mental, & spiritual levels.

All members can access these services.

Sign-up at reception.

Massage Massage is available to all members once every two months.

Please sign up at the front desk. Please provide 24hr notice for massage appointment cancellations. No shows will result in a 2 month suspension from massage services.

Reiki Reiki is an ancient Japanese system of healing that means “universal life force”. During a Reiki session, the therapist gently places his hands on the client’s body which allows the energy to flow through the body to relieve stress and reduce pain.

Reiki can be done once a week and it does not affect eligibility for Massage appointments.


BLC Member Hours Mon. 12:00pm - 8:00pm

Tues., Wed., & Thurs. 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Fri. 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Member Services Staff

Carmen Rios- Member Services Manager x222 Danisha Williams- Medical Case Manager x247 Tonia Hines- Member Services Specialist x241 Morrigan Phillips- Prevention & Education Coordinator x245

Please take the time to bring in your current income verification that is no

more than 60 days old. This is required from each member

every 6 months. See Reception or Member Services for a listing of the

income verification documents you may use.

Member Information


The Boston Living Center 29 Stanhope Street Boston, MA 02116

(617) 236-1012 - phone (617) 236-0334 - fax

http://www.vpi.org/boston And don’t forget to...

Want more information on the BLC or an activity?

To get more information about any of our programs or services, ask the Front Desk Staff. They can

answer many questions, as well as tell you with whom you should speak to for more information.

You can reach the front desk at 617.236.1012 x0

For information regarding the BLC Dining Room weekly menu,

call 617.236.1012 x103 or visit www.vpi.org/boston/our-services/

member-services-meals-nutrition

april 2014 living positively - victory programs · 2014-04-14 · 5 boston living center special...

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