Hi Friend,
Today is World AIDS Day. A day when 5,500 people will die of AIDS. 8,200 will become infected with HIV.
Today is the day that the media, politicians, and everyone else think about AIDS. To them, tomorrow is just another day. But again, 5,500 people will die of AIDS, and 8,200 will become infected. We know the reality is that every single day is World AIDS Day.
Here are some ideas for what you can do to fight AIDS today. But we need you every day of the year, to keep taking action and keep holding politicians accountable for their promises.
Read the new Report Card on Obama's progress towards his campaign promises, and write a letter to the editor in your paper calling for him to keep his promises. Every newspaper across the world will be writing an article today that examines the state of the AIDS epidemic. We need to respond and remind everyone - politicians, the media, our neighbors - that we are losing ground in the fight against AIDS. President Obama promises to change the way we fight AIDS. We need him to keep his promises! Email me if you'd like help crafting a letter, or advice on how to get it published.
Attend a World AIDS Day "Keep the Promise" event near you. Around the world, and across the US, people like you are standing up to call for Obama to keep his promises to fight AIDS. Click here to view a map of the events, then go to the one closest to you. Global AIDS funding, syringe exchange and AIDS housing are all key to ending the epidemic - but we need Obama and Congress to know that we're watching them, and holding them accountable for keeping their promises.
Call or email the White House and tell them to keep their AIDS promises. If you can't make it to an event near you, or there is no event near you, then pick up the phone and call the White House comment line at +1-202-456-1111 and say "I was excited by the election of President Obama because he promised to change the way we fight AIDS. But his first budget did not really increase funding for global AIDS, it did not lift the ban on funding of syringe exchange, and it did not provide funding to expand AIDS housing programs. I'm calling to urge President Obama to change course next year, and propose a budget that includes $7.25 billion for PEPFAR, $2 billion for the Global Fund, an end to the ban on funding of syringe exchange, with no restrictions to limit where they can operate, and an increase in funding for AIDS housing. AIDS is not in recession, and we need the President to act. Thank you." You can also email the President here.
Thank you for what you do to fight AIDS today, and every day of the year. Because it takes action every day, not just on one day, to make sure that President Obama and Congress keep their promises, and we are successful in ending AIDS.
- Kaytee
PS- One more thing you can do - donate to Health GAP! We received a matching grant donor who will give us $25,000 if we raise $25,000 from new donors. We need your help to keep up our work every day of the year. So please, contribute to Health GAP by the end of the year to help us meet our matching grant challenge, and get a tax deduction for your donation.
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