Help us in San Mateo County - Summer 2007!

Are You Chamorro or from a Polynesian Communities (like Samoan, Tongan and Native Hawaiian)? A&PI Wellness Center Needs Your Help Collect Health Surveys in Bay Area Polynesian Communities!

In the third decade of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the San Francisco Bay Area remains one of the epicenters of the epidemic amongst Asians and Pacific Islanders (A&PIs).

As of 2004, an estimated 7,317 A&PIs in the U.S. had been given a diagnosis of AIDS. Among these individuals, 86 percent were men and 14 percent women. A total of 73 percent of all AIDS cases involving men have reported gay or bisexual activity.

The Bay Area has the largest growing A&PI population in the country yet few culturally appropriate HIV services exist. This gap is coupled with the need for increased leadership & acceptance around HIV & sexuality within the A&PI community.

The FLARE project’s vision is to increase access and utilization of HIV services among Asian & Pacific Islander communities by strengthening the capacity of A&PI serving organizations in Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

Learn How You Can GET INVOLVED in Your County Today!

In each of the three counties, a County Collaborative will be established to help guide the implementation of FLARE and to act as an advisory group for all FLARE-related activities. The County Collaborative (CC) is a coalition comprising Asian & Pacific Islander community members, health service providers, stakeholders, and people who are invested in improving services for the A&PI community. Members of the CC will choose the two A&PI groups with which we will conduct a community needs assessment. They will also be responsible for developing an action plan to deliver capacity building services to their county, based on the results of the organizational and community needs assessments.