COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITIES TO END HIV
Mission, Vision, and Values
AVOL Kentucky’s mission is to collaborate with communities to END HIV in Kentucky.
Our work strives for:
Increasing the number of people living with HIV who know their HIV status
Reducing the number of Kentuckians with newly acquired HIV
Increasing the number of people living with HIV connected to medical care
Increasing the number of people living with HIV who are virally suppressed
Eliminating disparities in HIV outcomes
Services Overview
The tools available today to fight HIV are more effective than ever. We now know that people living with extremely low levels of HIV will not pass the virus along to others. This “viral suppression” involves many factors, the most important of which is that persons living with HIV remain engaged in medical care and medication adherence. Our housing, support and empowerment services have proven to reinforce and support medical adherence, leading to viral suppression. PrEP, an effective daily pill taken to prevent the transmission of HIV, is becoming increasingly accessible. Through these elements and traditional tried and true approaches like increasing access to testing, advocating condom use, education, reducing barriers, and raising awareness, together, WE CAN End HIV in Kentucky.
Upcoming Event
HeartStrings: Affordable Housing, Healthy Living
When?
Thursday, March 14
Where?
Marriott City Center
Description
Contact Jon@avolky.org for invoicing and scholarship options. HeartStrings 2024 is AVOL Kentucky’s new, early Spring breakfast event highlighting the vital connection between housing and good health. AVOL Kentucky is focused on raising awareness and funding to create new and innovative housing opportunities for individuals facing medical vulnerability, including those affected by HIV/AIDS. Proceeds from HeartStrings will be directed to the Timothea Branham Memorial Housing Development and Assistance Fund. Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack will join us and share his insights as we work together to build momentum and create new hope for our community’s most medically vulnerable citizens. In addition to Dr. Stack’s message, you will hear from individuals whose lives were changed through the recognition that good, stable and secure housing directly correlates to good healthcare outcomes. We will also present our community’s first Housing IS Healthcare Hero Award! We look forward to having you join us – we need you; we have a lot of building to do. Steven J. Stack was appointed Commissioner for Public Health and Chief Medical Officer for the Commonwealth of Kentucky in February 2020, and was subsequently elected Secretary-Treasurer in fall 2020 and President in 2023 of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Dr. Stack is a board-certified emergency physician with more than 20 years of emergency medicine clinical practice and emergency department management experience. Throughout his career, Dr. Stack has served in numerous medical professional association leadership roles. In 2006, he was the first board certified emergency physician ever elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees and in 2015 he served as AMA President. Born and raised in Cleveland, Dr. Stack graduated magna cum laude in classical studies from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He completed his medical education and emergency medicine residency at the Ohio State University and his MBA at the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business. Breakfast starts at 6:30 AM; the program begins shortly after 7 AM.
Individual Ticket: $75
Table of 8: $600
Keynote Speaker: Steven J. Stack, MD, MBA, FACEP
Contact
Jon Parker 859-225-3000 x1026 jon@avolky.org
AVOL was blessed today when Toyota Spectrum members from across the United States and Canada descended on Stonewall Terrace to help with some much-needed Spring volunteer tasks! They were superstars, got a lot done, and greatly helped us. Thank you, Toyota! For being an essential part of the ...community fabric across North America! #toyotaforgood #AVOLforKY #stonewallterrace #GivingHearts
Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky Commissioner of Public Health, will join us for our first-annual HeartStrings, where he will share about the importance of housing as it relates to healthcare. Dr. Stack is a board-certified emergency physician with more than 20 years of emergency medicine clinical ...experience. Throughout his career, Dr. Stack has served in numerous medical professional association leadership roles. Dr. Sack was appointed Commissioner for Public Health and Chief Medical Officer for the Commonwealth of Kentucky in February 2020, walking the people of the Commonwealth through the COVID-19 pandemic. We are honored to hear from Dr. Steven Stack tomorrow at our HeartStrings event at the Marriott City Center! Visit www.avolky.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
Our HeartStrings event will not only create a space to hold dialogue surrounding the need for affordable and adequate healthcare in Kentucky, but it will also honor the life of Timothea Branham through the Timothea Branham Memorial Housing Development and Assistance Fund at AVOL. This fund helps ...maintain our current facilities, leverages new development opportunities, and assists those facing eviction. The Branham Fund is AVOL's version of an affordable housing fund, which allows us to do our part alongside local governments, developers, and the entire industry to achieve adequate housing in Kentucky. Join us on Thursday to be a part of our housing as healthcare initiative!
On March 14, join us for HeartStrings, where we'll discuss:
🏡 Creating healthier, more equitable and stable housing opportunities for all
🏡 Ways to mobilize resources
🏡 Ways to address systemic barriers to housing and healthcare
🏡 Ways to help every individual ...in our community thrive.
Get your ticket today at www.avolky.org!
We'll have the coffee and hot breakfast ready. Join us for HeartStrings next Thursday. avolky.org.
Thank you to our sponsors: Gilead Sciences, Winterwood, Alliance Medical & Home Care, Bluegrass Pace Care, Charles T. Mitchell, Blue and Co., and Mental Health America of Kentucky.
How do we know that quality housing equates to positive healthcare outcomes? Our own experiences at Stonewall Terrace! We've witnessed firsthand the transformative power of providing stable, affordable housing. By locating essential support services onsite, a holistic environment that promotes... the well-being of our residents has evolved. This approach improves their quality of life and is a helpful resource for property managers and landlords, mitigating the risk of eviction and fostering a thriving community. Connecting with other likeminded community leaders to provide this type of housing is crucial. Our HeartStrings event on March 14 will not only discuss healthcare implications in housing, but give you actionable items to help those living with HIV in the Commonwealth. Get your ticket at avolky.org today!
It's been over a year since AVOL Kentucky and Winterwood, Inc. opened Stonewall Terrace, a 26-unit affordable housing development designed for medically vulnerable individuals. This milestone project involved many organizations, including Kentucky Housing Corporation, Lexington-Fayette Urban ...County Government, Hope of the Midwest, and local architects, construction companies, contractors, and craftspeople. Reflecting on our experiences in our first year of operation, we can reaffirm what we've long suspected: Housing IS Healthcare! At our first-annual event, HeartStrings, we will discuss the importance of adequate and safe housing for everyone. Get your ticket at www.avolky.org!
AVOL will honor Commissioner of Housing & Community Development, Charlie Lanter, and AVOL's Associate Executive Director, Tami Damron, for their years of service and dedication.
HeartStrings: Housing Opportunities, Healthy Living! on March 14th, Mariott City Center. Please join ...us.
Recipients of the Timothea Branham Health and Housing Champion Award demonstrate outstanding leadership in promoting inclusive, safe spaces, advocating for affordable housing, and improving access to healthcare services. Their work aligns with AVOL Kentucky's mission to end the stigma surrounding HIV and other chronic health conditions, fostering a more supportive and fairer environment for all community members.