Alliance Voices at Barnes & Noble 2022

Before a crowd of over 50 people, poets Harriet McNeill (a.k.a. Star Heed), Charles Waters, Azeem Khan, IA, and Rosa Velez read poems they have written. The event included readings from, and a memorial tribute to, Alliance poets we’ve lost in recent years.

After a three-year-hiatus from this event, it was great to be back in Barnes & Noble celebrating community, and the transformational powers of art and creativity. More photos of the event can be found HERE.

Alliance Voices Poetry Reading at Barnes & Noble August 2022

Photo: David Nager/Alliance

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.

Alliance for Positive Change Announces New Board Members

(New York, N.Y.)—Alliance for Positive Change, which for three decades has provided low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic conditions with access to quality health care, housing, and harm reduction, today announced the election of three new members to its Board of Directors.

The three new Board Members are: Jennifer S. Gordon, Esq., of Paramount Global, Nick Holmes, MBA, of Microsoft, and Andres Nieto of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. All have begun two-year terms.

“Since our founding days, Alliance has always been fortunate to receive the expertise and knowledge of a committed Board that cares deeply about equity and opportunity,” said Board Chair William Toler. “We are incredibly grateful to welcome Jennifer, Nick and Andres, all whose expertise and passion for change will not only help our organization to grow but for our program participants to experience positive change.”

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—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.

Jennifer S. Gordon, Esq.

Nick Holmes, MBA

Andres Nieto

Portraits of Positive Change: Cycle 58 PREP Graduates Share Their Stories

Alliance’s Peer Recovery Education Program (PREP) Training launched in 1992 and has graduated over 1,500 people. PREP empowers people to learn more about health issues like HIV, safer sex, and substance use, bring prevention messages to their communities, and grow their careers.

The 58th PREP Graduation marked the first in-person graduation ceremony in almost three years and included a special address by Congressmember Carolyn B. Maloney, who was instrumental in securing federal funding for the program.

We spoke with four graduates to learn what motivated them to enroll in Alliance’s Peer program, and what was next for them.

Carmelo Adorno, at graduation, with Jean Pierre-Louis, and Joyce Myricks. Photo: David Nager/Alliance

Carmelo

Carmelo first came to Alliance LES Harm Reduction Center in 2015, to access sterile syringes and other harm reduction supplies and resources. LESHRC Peer Celeste—who values mentorship at Alliance—suggested he do some volunteer work with LESHRC and try to become a Peer.

“I’ve worked in customer service for years, and I’ve worked almost all the time since I’ve been out of prison. I started, but never finished college or my certificates like Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC)” he said. “I wanted to get into the social work field, and share my lived experience, so I could give back to society.”

During Peer training, the class was reviewing different health diagnoses when one classmate began to cry. “I was consoling her, and it made me feel good, useful,” he said. “That’s the way I’m hoping to make people feel when I can use the Peer training. Everyone in these sessions was honest about what afflictions they had, and what they wanted moving forward.”

Barbara Walker. Photo: David Nager/Alliance

Barbara

Barbara has always been open about her HIV status and was interested in sharing knowledge and empowerment with others. She got involved with Alliance as part of her transition back to community life after incarceration through Alliance’s Criminal Justice Initiative. Alliance’s case manager helped her find stable housing, and checking in on her frequently. We have so many specialized programs, we don’t have to refer someone out—we can refer them in.” And he did. Barbara accessed many Alliance programs, including trainings, The Positive Life Workshop, Women Involved in Life Learning from Other Women (WILLOW), and others, absorbing skills and knowledge to share with her community.

Barbara was diagnosed with HIV in 1996, while pregnant with her son. “I felt dirty, poisoned, ashamed. I didn’t hide it, but I didn’t speak about it at first. People looked at me funny, and I came to feel that it was better for me to be open in sharing my story, to tell people about myself, rather than them tell me about me with their preconceived notions,” she said.

Barbara hopes to become a case worker at Alliance or another nonprofit where she can work with people who’ve faced similar challenges.

Brittany Gomez. Photo: David Nager/Alliance

Brittany

One of our two graduation speakers, Brittany was the youngest member of training cycle 58. She was kicked out of her home at 17 and began using drugs, in her words, “chaotically.” Nine years ago, she stopped using.

“This was the first time I felt supported in a safe, learning environment,” says Brittany. “The atmosphere was important for me. No other agency gave me the level of support I got the second I walked through Alliance’s doors. What I didn’t get in middle school, high school, or anywhere else, I got from Alliance.”

Barbara became close with Brittany given their similar childhoods, “even though she’s two decades younger than me,” said Barbara. They encouraged each other throughout the five-week course.

Brittany wants to be a Peer Advocate and help people dealing with substance use, mental health crises, homelessness, and other health-related issues.

Havanna Knight Carey presenting for the class. Photo: David Nager/Alliance

Havanna

Havanna came to our Peer training seeking community and perspective. Havanna identifies as an Afro-Latina transwoman from the Bronx. A strong advocate for transwomen, she’d looked for opportunities to connect more with her community. At Alliance, she joined our Transgender Women Involved in Strategies for Transformation (TWIST) program, and then signed up for our Peer training.

“I was developing my transness, and needed something to help me feel like I was worthy, and contributing to society,” Havanna told us. She’s been frustrated by not seeing women like her in the private sector, where she has worked in retail management, as a certified welder, and in other trades. “Transwomen aren’t seen as worthy of being in leadership, and I wanted to dive into this community here at Alliance, where I can see women of the transgender experience, as well as the need for my perspective.”

Peer training helped Havanna learn about health issues—and about herself. She gained skills to explore her own emotional triggers, as she puts it, “my non-verbal cues—how I react to stress, and anger. My boyfriend sees the change in the way I communicate verbally and non-verbally. Other people see it too.”

“I never thought I could be in social work,” says Havanna, “but I learned so much about getting through to people, hearing their stories. They might not want to be ‘fixed,’ they just want to be heard. Peer training was the first time I really learned to use my listening skills.”

All graduates of the Cycle 58 Peer Training attended every single class. Anecdotes from Cycle 58 showcase the deep bond and moments of levity that they group shared together. Brittany wrote Carmelo a note at the end of the training, saying that she had learned a lot from him and to make sure he always keeps fighting. Barbara recalled a teambuilding experience where her team was asked to do an innovative educational presentation on safer sex. Partnering with Brittany, Charles, and Delon, she made the choice to demonstrate safe condom application on an ear of corn. Everyone loved it.

Learn more at alliance.nyc/path-to-jobs.

Alliance Featured on NYN for HIV Testing Day

Alliance’s Director of community engagement and testing Arianne Watson spoke with NYN Media about our exciting partnership with the national Greater than AIDS partnership to provide more HIV tests.

Throughout the year, but especially during Pride Month, Alliance provides free rapid HIV tests at our offices across Manhattan and Alliance on the Move.

“It’s free at Alliance. It’s a simple finger prick. We provide pre and post-test counseling if any individuals come up positive and we can triage them to care,” said Arianne.

Alliance Issues Statement on Supreme Court's Reversal of Roe v. Wade

We are devastated and enraged by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to strike down Roe v. Wade. Our Supreme Court has stripped us of our human rights, bodily autonomy, and reproductive freedom. Our government has said that women are second class citizens. Americans are allowed to choose whether or not to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but female Americans are not allowed to choose how to manage our own bodies. We can carry guns, but we can’t make reproductive health decisions.

Abortion is healthcare. ​Healthcare is a human right.

We need to stand up, raise our voices, and fight back to reclaim, maintain and sustain women’s freedom to choose, and every American’s fundamental right to access safe and quality healthcare.

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 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 Statement on Uvalde, Texas School Shooting

Alliance for Positive Change mourns the horrific murders in Uvalde, Texas. This tragedy marks the 27th school shooting so far this year. This senseless violence is preventable. We need meaningful gun safety reforms, such as universal background checks and mandatory waiting periods for gun applications. We cannot imagine the unbearable pain that the victims’ families, and the community of Uvalde, are experiencing. We fervently hope that the tears of a nation, and future gun safety reforms in memory of the victims, can bring them some measure of comfort in a time of so much pain.

Alliance Statement on Victims of Buffalo, NY Shooting

Alliance for Positive Change has issued the following statement:

Our hearts are with the Tops Supermarket shooting victims, their families, and with the entire Buffalo community during this unimaginably traumatic and difficult time. Alliance stands with our New York community, and decries racism, violence and white supremacy in all its forms.