Find photos from the moving ceremony here (Photo credit: David Nager/Alliance) -
(New York, N.Y.) — On Wednesday, November 29, Alliance for Positive Change celebrated the 61st graduating class of its Peer training program at a ceremony featuring graduates, families, and friends at its Midtown Central location.
For three decades, Alliance’s renowned Peer training program has provided New Yorkers living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and other chronic conditions with leadership and economic mobility opportunities. NewYork-Presbyterian was the lead sponsor of the graduation. Other generous sponsors included Mutual of America and community partners Aurora Private Wealth, Corporate Synergies, and PPI Benefits Solutions.
Alliance’s Peer program is an intensive 8-week capacity-building and skills training program that harnesses the power of mentoring to help others initiate and maintain healthy behaviors. Participants learn about HIV, hepatitis C, STIs, harm reduction, outreach skills, overdose prevention, and more. Graduates become community leaders who use their lived experience and training to help fellow New Yorkers facing health challenges. Since the first class, Alliance has graduated more than 1,500 Peers.
“Alliance’s Peer training has equipped me with the awesome tools to handle various emotions, situations, and challenges. It has prepared me to be a well-informed advocate for prevention and treatment,” said Cindy S., an Alliance Cycle 61 Peer graduate. “Alliance has reinforced my belief that whatever I aspire to achieve in this organization—and in life—is within my reach.”
Cindy S. Photo: David Nager/Alliance
“We are proud to celebrate our graduates, who worked tirelessly to build their skills and expertise, and who will harness their own lived experiences to support others,” said Brenda Starks-Ross, Alliance Deputy Executive Director/COO. “Peers are truly the heart and soul of Alliance who expand and deepen our impact every day. Their work is a testament to the power of positive change for individuals and entire communities.”
During their training, Peers developed skills to coach and support New Yorkers to overcome health challenges, navigate systemic inequities, and achieve health and well-being. The Peer program connects low-income people to care and support; reduces the burden on under-resourced healthcare institutions; and creates more economic mobility for people who need it most. Each year, these community ambassadors connect with an estimated 15,000 New Yorkers.
About Alliance for Positive Change
Alliance for Positive Change is a leading multiservice organization that provides low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic conditions with access to quality health care, housing, harm reduction, coaching, and our renowned peer training and job placement program that cultivates leadership and economic mobility. Alliance opened in 1991, at the height of the HIV crisis as a welcoming community of transformation and opportunity. Today, we deliver on the promise of positive change with services and resources that equip people to navigate systemic inequities and achieve health and well-being. Learn about all the ways we inspire positive change at www.alliance.nyc.
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