(New York, N.Y.) — On Thursday, November 14, Alliance for Positive Change celebrated the 63rd graduating class of its Peer training program at a ceremony featuring graduates, families, and friends at its Midtown Central location. View all photos HERE.
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 sponsored the graduation, and Booking.com Cares was a community partner.
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.
“When I came to Alliance’s Peer program, I was looking for a sense of direction, acceptance, community, and positive reinforcement,” said Jose A., an Alliance Cycle 63 Peer graduate. “I found all that and more. I see the staff and Peer Workers helping people every day without judgment and stigma. I am looking forward to helping others who have been through what I have been through.”
“We are proud to celebrate our graduates, who have shown tremendous dedication to developing their skills and expertise, and who will harness their own lived experiences to support others,” said Brenda Starks-Ross, Alliance’s Deputy Executive Director/COO. “Peer Workers expand and deepen our impact every day, showcasing 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.