New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has appointed Andi Straus, HVCS’ Executive Director, to be one of five representatives of the Tri-County (Westchester, Rockland and Putnam) region for the HIV Health and Human Services Planning Council of New York. The Planning Council is mandated under Part A of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act. She was appointed for a three-year term. She is on the Executive Committee since she was also asked to be the new co-chair of the Tri-County Steering Committee, sharing responsibilities with Derrick Weekes, an Administrative Director at Westchester Medical Center. Andi is very pleased to be appointed since it means that we will have an active voice in discussions about regional treatment and services for people living with HIV/AIDS.
HVCS’ Andi Straus Appointed to NY HIV Planning Council
January 27th, 2016Gilead Offers Two Trainings on Hep C
January 20th, 2016HVCS will host two trainings on the basics of Hepatitis C infection, transmission and treatment for care managers, service providers, and clients. Amber Pace from Gilead (the maker of several Hepatitis C medications) and a guest speaker will provide a clear-cut, no-medical-jargon version that can be easily understood by all skill levels. A light lunch will be provided.
One training will be held in HVCS’ Hawthorne (Westchester) office, the other in Newburgh.
Attendees MUST RSVP in advance to Anthony at (914) 785-8277 or via email.
Loyal Sponsors Return for the Hudson Valley AIDS Walk/Run
January 13th, 2016As the new year gets going (is it already mid-January??), we’re turning up the heat on preparations for the 2016 Hudson Valley AIDS Walk–and RUN! We’re excited to announce the return of several loyal event sponsors who have made the commitment to helping us end AIDS in the Hudson Valley.
Thanks to Stop and Shop on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie for signing on as our Healthy Snack Sponsor. Employees will be on site that morning with plenty of fresh fruit, water and granola bars for hungry walkers and runners! Stop and Shop also provides financial support.
Welcome back to the Crafted Kup (Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie) as our official Coffee Sponsor! Enjoy free refills of gourmet java from a great local small business.
Superior Sounds returns as our own version of the AV club, providing sound and DJ services. They’re huge supporters of HVCS and we’re huge fans in return.
Last but certainly not least, we welcome longtime supporter Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union as a Walk/Run sponsor. 
They’ve sponsored other events in the past, so they’re still a returning sponsor but NEW to the AIDS Walk/Run!
Now’s a great time to sign up as a walker, a team or as a runner: get a jumpstart on training on our Walk/Run page!
All Together Now…A Photo of (Almost) Our Entire Staff!
January 5th, 2016
A photo of nearly all HVCS staff members, taken at our December all-staff meeting. Photo by Melisa Pendergrass.
HVCS held its semi-annual staff meeting on December 6, 2015 at the Thayer Hotel. These day-long staff retreats allow us to honor each others’ accomplishments, receive training on important agency or topical matters, and do a little team bonding. Nearly every staff member attended, so we were able to take this wonderful shot of (almost) the entire team!
The day also included fun team building activities such as a “Heads Up”-style card game and a domino challenge.
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- Congrats and thanks to the meeting’s staff committee!
2016 is HVCS’ 30th Anniversary!
January 4th, 2016On March 3, 1986, the small volunteer organization that was the Mid-Hudson Valley AIDS Task Force filed for incorporation and recognition as a tax-exempt not-for-profit organization. That group eventually registered a “DBA” or “doing business as” and was known as AIDS-Related Community Services, or ARCS, until 2012. At the very end of that year, faced with proposed changes to Medicaid (which impacted our Medicaid-reimbursed COBRA case management program) and an expanding portfolio of services beyond HIV/AIDS, the agency changed its name to Hudson Valley Community Services or HVCS. Even though we have a relatively new name, our core mission and services remain the same. We believe it’s an amazing feat to have lasted this long, and we’ll be rolling out special initiatives and events throughout 2016. Watch for more details and more information as the year proceeds!
Hawthorne Office Holds Its Annual Holiday Potluck
December 11th, 2015-
- Happy holidays from HVCS’ holiday staff!
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- Janelle and Vanessa begin the “Secret Santa” gift exchange.
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- Lourdes, our longest-serving employee, opens her “Secret Santa” gift.
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- The pile of “Secret Santa” gifts.
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- The dessert table.
On Friday, December 11, 2015, HVCS’ Hawthorne office held its annual Holiday Potluck Lunch. Organized by our office manager Phyllis and a small crew, this delicious and entirely staff-created event brought the entire office together for an hour. This year, staffers set up a “Secret Santa” gift exchange for the first time. Everyone got to mingle, enjoy each others’ home-cooked food, and spread some cheer!
Shopping Online for the Holidays? Support HVCS with AmazonSmile!
November 23rd, 2015
If you love snagging those online bargains on Black Friday or Cyber Monday (Nov. 30), consider shopping on AmazonSmile. It’s the same Amazon, but they will donate 0.5% of your purchase to Hudson Valley Community Services if you start from our custom page: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/13-3322100. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but every donation helps our clients, and it does add up!
All you have to do is shop; AmazonSmile takes care of the rest of the donation.
And of course, please share and tell others to use AmazonSmile to help HVCS (or the charity of their choice).
Kind Knitter Donates 70 Handmade Winter Hats
November 20th, 2015
DYNAMIC DONOR ALERT! HVCS just received a donation of 70 hand-knitted winter hats for our clients in need. Thanks to the amazing Annette for all her hard work–it is greatly appreciated, and our clients will now have something warm to wear to ward off the chill.
Our New ADAP Ad Campaign Kicks Off
November 5th, 2015HVCS received special funding to conduct a comprehensive advertising campaign to raise awareness for our Medical Benefit Specialists, two staffers who work with local residents who are HIV-positive and uninsured or under-insured. The campaign, funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) via the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, consists of a billboard in Kingston, NY; transit shelter ads in lower Westchester County, Spanish language ads in free, widely-distributed Spanish newspapers and websites, and a Haitian newspaper.
The campaign will run through the end of the year, and its goal is to increase the number of people enrolled in New York’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). Our program serves Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester counties. Medical Benefits Specialists can assist with the ADAP application, Medicaid paperwork, referrals for other services, and removing barriers to accessing available resources.
In Ulster County, contact Mary Beth at (845) 339-3281 x17.
In Putnam, Rockland or Westchester counties, contact Ramon at (914) 785-8264.
HVCS’ new billboard in Kingston advertises the Medical Benefits Specialist programs in English and Spanish.
Dutchess & Ulster Health Home Care Managers Get Together
November 5th, 2015Jen Brathwaite, our Assistant Director of Client Services, snapped a few pictures of our Ulster and Dutchess Health Home Care Management team meeting. Every other month, the teams have a “multi-county” Health Home team meeting and as part of the agenda they include team building activities. The staff have given a lot of positive feedback and enjoy these meetings, which are not only fun but also very informative.
