Alliance Continues ONE Condoms Partnership with Custom Condoms

You may have seen Alliance’s safer sex mascot Captain Condom on Instagram or in the community -- but did you know they also have their own custom condom line?

ONE Condoms, the manufacturer of the first condoms to ever receive FDA-approval for anal sex use, donated over 300 condoms with our mascot on the wrapper. The manufacturer also sent hundreds of other safer sex supplies including lip balms, beads, and more, that have found happy homes at outreach events and KIKI Balls.

And a new batch of custom Captain Condom wrappers is headed Alliance’s way this month, fresh from the manufacturer’s Boston headquarters.

“Creative condom outreach directly in communities always inspires us at ONE®,” said Milla Impola, Director of Marketing and Communications at ONE® Condoms. "From social posts and photos, we love seeing how Captain Condom brings smiles, sexual health supplies, and a whole lot of condom conversations to people across New York City.” 

ONE Condoms’ first batch of custom Captain Condom wrappers

Out in the community distributing custom ONE Condoms with Captain Condom

Nongendered superhero Captain Condom was conceived of by a small committee at Alliance, sketched by committee member Ashley Johnson, and brought to life by professional illustrator Gwen Blackman.

“The custom Captain Condom condoms have given people an opening to ask questions about safer sex,” said Guy Williams, Director of Prevention Services. “When they see our team in custom shirts with our cardboard mascot, and then the same images on the condom wrappers that we’re handing out, it really opens the door for conversations on the street from people who otherwise might not engage with us. Captain Condom lets people see the fun side of safer sex, and we appreciate ONE Condoms’ donation of these awesome custom condoms.”

The presence of Captain Condom, in wrapper form, and cardboard cutout, has also helped Alliance’s prevention teams with HIV testing, Williams said.

“Talking about sexual health isn’t always easy. Captain Condom is the sexual health superhero we’ve been dreaming about!” said Impola.

Follow Captain Condom’s adventures on Instagram @CaptainCondomNY, and read more Community Stories of ONE Condoms helping to promote safer sex at https://www.onecondoms.com/blogs/community-stories.

Verywell Health Promotes Captain Condom

Alliance is proud to continue its collaborative professional relationship with Verywell Health, a top 5 health publisher, according to ComScore, and award-winning online resource for reliable, understandable, and up-to-date health information on the relevant health topics. In November, Alliance and Verywell Health connected to create the “Health Divide: HIV” series to share facts, social impact and socio-economic analyses of HIV, featuring intimate profile stories of Eugene Eppes, Ismael Ruiz, Lillian Anglada (for whom our Luis and Lillian Outreach Center is named) and Nicky Bravo.

Since May, Verywell Health has provided pro-bono advertising to Alliance’s safer sex mascot Captain Condom in their effort to reach more New Yorkers to promote a city of safer sex. Alliance thanks Verywell Health for their ongoing support!

Alliance Selected as Jersey City Stop & Shop's Community Bag Program Partner

Reusable Bags for Positive Change: Leading Nonprofit Alliance for Positive Change Selected by Jersey City Stop & Shop as its Community Bag Program April 2022 Partner

For every $2.50 reusable bag sold at the Central Avenue Stop & Shop in April, the supermarket will donate $1.00 to Alliance’s programs for New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic health conditions

 
JERSEY CITY, NJ – This April, Jersey City residents can shop greener while supporting leading Tri-state area nonprofit Alliance for Positive Change (Alliance). Alliance has provided low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic conditions with access to quality health care, housing, harm reduction, coaching, and job training for over 30 years.

Alliance opened at the height of the HIV crisis as a welcoming community of transformation and opportunity. Now, it is receiving support from Stop & Shop’s Community Bag Program after being anonymously nominated as a Stop & Shop’s partner. Throughout the month of April, every purchase of a Stop & Shop reusable community bag at the Jersey City store on 232 Central Avenue will raise $1.00 for Alliance.

“Alliance is proud to deliver on the promise of positive change with health care, housing, harm reduction, coaching, and economic mobility programs that equip people to navigate systemic inequities and achieve health and well-being,” said Dr. Ebony L. Ross, Director of Development and Planning at Alliance for Positive Change. “We are so grateful to have been selected as part of the Community Bag Program and for Stop & Shop's support, as are the more than 5,000 people we serve.”

Stop & Shop’s Community Bag Program reduces consumption of single-use plastics and provides support for local nonprofits like Alliance. Since the first bag was sold on May 1, 2019, the initiative has sold more than 1,610,000 bags, generating needed support for local nonprofits.

“We are excited to have Alliance for Positive Change as the benefitting organization for the Stop and Shop Community Bag Program in the Jersey City Stop & Shop for the month of April! Alliance for Positive Change has such an amazing impact in the community, helping those in need and connecting them to the resources that can have a positive and long-lasting influence on their lives, and we are looking forward to partnering with them during the month of April!” said Melissa Hansen, Stop and Shop Community Bag Program. “It’s our pleasure to support Alliance through our Program, and we encourage Jersey City Heights shoppers to buy reusable bags this month.”

In addition to a wide-array of supportive services, providing consistent access to fresh and healthy food is a priority for Alliance. Alliance hosts weekly nutrition courses and twice-monthly food pantry events at all six of its NYC locations. Alliance’s annual Thanksgiving and Holiday food distribution events provide hundreds of turkeys and fixings and thousands of pounds of chicken, fresh produce, and nonperishables to Alliance program participants and the community. At all food distribution events, Alliance provides free and confidential rapid HIV/HCV tests via Alliance on the Move.

For more information about the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program, please visit stopandshop.bags4mycause.com. To learn about all the ways Alliance for Positive Change promotes community, visit http://www.alliance.nyc.

                                                            ###

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 PATH to Jobs—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—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.