Volunteers Drive Area's AIDS Task Force
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
FORT WAYNE - When a small group of volunteers became aware of at least one person in Fort Wayne suffering from AIDS in 1985, they weren't sure what to do to help.
So they educated themselves about the disease. They agreed to do that so they could educate the public about the disease. They then provided care coordination for those with HIV and their families.
Thus the AIDS Task Force of Northeast Indiana was born, with the same principles in place today - education and care. About eight or nine years ago, the Indiana State Department of Health mandated the Task Force expand to include 11 counties now including Kosciusko.
The Task Force is Indiana's geographically largest and its oldest AIDS organization. Over the years, a number of other AIDS service organizations in Indiana have modeled themselves on the Task Force's structure, according to Greg Manifold, executive director. And the Task Force always is happy to be a resource for others in the state, he said.
The Task Force has 13 staff members, including 11 full-time and two part-time. Six are case managers who deal with HIV-positive clients and four work in the education arm of the not-for-profit organization.
Volunteers started the Task Force and continue to be an important part of it. Manifold said throughout the year, they have about 75 volunteers who may help transport clients or just work in the office. Others plan special events. Most of the volunteers do come from Fort Wayne, but not all. In one county, Manifold said, a care team from a church provides support for an infected man.
The issue of volunteering is difficult because the Task Force deals with confidentiality, but Manifold said, "We're always interested in talking to people about their availability" and where they can fit in with the organization as volunteers.
In terms of numbers of clients, Manifold said, the AIDS Task Force in Fort Wayne is the third largest AIDS site in the state, with one in Indianapolis first and the second largest in Gary. South Bend is not far behind.
At any one time, the Task Force has 275 active clients. Over the course of a year, the organization may see more than 300 clients, but clients do move on, go inactive or die. In May 2000, the Task Force had 175 clients.
"It has been a steady increase and part of that is a result of people living longer," said Manifold. Persons live longer with HIV because of better medications since the mid-1990s. But even with longer lives, the Task Force wants to help ensure the quality of life for those infected.
As the numbers increase, the education arm of the Task Force becomes more important. There is no vaccine. There is no cure for AIDS. "They're not even on the near horizon," Manifold said. The best means to prevent the disease is education and changing people's behavior.
"Education is really the best way to get the word out there," he said.
The group goes out and offers information at homeless shelters, jails, service organizations and schools.
HIV testing is another service the Task Force offers. In at least every two counties they cover, Manifold said, there's at least one site available for a person to go get tested.
The Task Force uses the OraSureª test that is inserted into the mouth. The test is sent to a lab in Indianapolis and returned in two to four weeks. "The test really measures antibodies to the HIV," said Manifold. The antibodies only are produced by the body if HIV is present. The most difficult part of the testing is waiting for results.
If a person thinks they are at risk for the disease, they should get tested. A person may not have the symptoms of HIV or AIDS for five to seven years after they are infected, but they can carry it and infect others until then. The test, he said, lets them know if they are positive or negative so they can help themselves and protect others from receiving it.
How soon should a person get tested?
"We encourage others to think in terms of six months," Manifold said. If a person hasn't had sex in six months, and their test is negative, they can feel confident they are negative. However, if they've had sex more recently before a test, they should stay away from negative behavior for another six months and get tested again."
Free, anonymous and confidential, HIV testing is available from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the first Monday of every month at the Kosciusko County Health Department, 1000 Med Park Drive, Suite B, Warsaw.
The Task Force offers testing every Monday from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at its headquarters at 2124 Fairfield Ave., Fort Wayne.
Some people still believe it's a gay man's disease. It is not. "It's one of the things we still try to combat in our education programs," said Manifold. Anyone who is sexually active, or engages in behavior where needles are shared (drugs, tattoos), or where there is blood-to-blood contact are susceptible. Increasingly, more heterosexuals and women are becoming infected.
"It's not going to slow down until people recognize it is the behavior that leads to the infection and not the sexual identity," said Manifold.
There has been great improvement in public perception about the disease, he said, but not completely.
Across the country more younger people are becoming infected. Whereas people in their 40s and 50s have a memory of when the AIDS epidemic broke out in the 1980s, the younger generations don't.
"There's just a sense of, 'I can't get it and if I do, it's just a manageable disease,'" said Manifold. What they don't realize is that managing the disease means taking bottles of strong medicine for the rest of their lives.
With providing education, testing and care comes expenses to pay for the Fort Wayne AIDS Task Force. They raise money through fund-raisers, grants, contracts and individual donations.
Their one major fund-raiser, held recently, is the AIDS Walk. This year it raised a gross revenue of $65,000, surpassing its goal. Corporations helped to underwrite the costs of the Walk. The Gay & Lesbian Dinner Dance Oct. 9 donates a portion of the proceeds of the night to the Task Force and has almost since the beginning.
The Task Force has a "major" contract with the Indiana State Department of Health to provide case management and another contract for prevention work, mostly dealing with women, Manifold said.
Grants are heavily applied for and received locally, regionally and nationally. The Indiana AIDS Fund has been supportive with funding, as has Lincoln Financial Group. The Task Force also is an agency of the United Way of Allen County.
"My observation is the funding which probably has declined over the years has been the individual donations," he said. "I would like to see that portion of our monies go up."
Anyone needing more information about the Task Force, AIDS or testing can call toll free 800-417-3085. The Web site is at www.aidsfortwayne.org [[In-content Ad]]
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FORT WAYNE - When a small group of volunteers became aware of at least one person in Fort Wayne suffering from AIDS in 1985, they weren't sure what to do to help.
So they educated themselves about the disease. They agreed to do that so they could educate the public about the disease. They then provided care coordination for those with HIV and their families.
Thus the AIDS Task Force of Northeast Indiana was born, with the same principles in place today - education and care. About eight or nine years ago, the Indiana State Department of Health mandated the Task Force expand to include 11 counties now including Kosciusko.
The Task Force is Indiana's geographically largest and its oldest AIDS organization. Over the years, a number of other AIDS service organizations in Indiana have modeled themselves on the Task Force's structure, according to Greg Manifold, executive director. And the Task Force always is happy to be a resource for others in the state, he said.
The Task Force has 13 staff members, including 11 full-time and two part-time. Six are case managers who deal with HIV-positive clients and four work in the education arm of the not-for-profit organization.
Volunteers started the Task Force and continue to be an important part of it. Manifold said throughout the year, they have about 75 volunteers who may help transport clients or just work in the office. Others plan special events. Most of the volunteers do come from Fort Wayne, but not all. In one county, Manifold said, a care team from a church provides support for an infected man.
The issue of volunteering is difficult because the Task Force deals with confidentiality, but Manifold said, "We're always interested in talking to people about their availability" and where they can fit in with the organization as volunteers.
In terms of numbers of clients, Manifold said, the AIDS Task Force in Fort Wayne is the third largest AIDS site in the state, with one in Indianapolis first and the second largest in Gary. South Bend is not far behind.
At any one time, the Task Force has 275 active clients. Over the course of a year, the organization may see more than 300 clients, but clients do move on, go inactive or die. In May 2000, the Task Force had 175 clients.
"It has been a steady increase and part of that is a result of people living longer," said Manifold. Persons live longer with HIV because of better medications since the mid-1990s. But even with longer lives, the Task Force wants to help ensure the quality of life for those infected.
As the numbers increase, the education arm of the Task Force becomes more important. There is no vaccine. There is no cure for AIDS. "They're not even on the near horizon," Manifold said. The best means to prevent the disease is education and changing people's behavior.
"Education is really the best way to get the word out there," he said.
The group goes out and offers information at homeless shelters, jails, service organizations and schools.
HIV testing is another service the Task Force offers. In at least every two counties they cover, Manifold said, there's at least one site available for a person to go get tested.
The Task Force uses the OraSureª test that is inserted into the mouth. The test is sent to a lab in Indianapolis and returned in two to four weeks. "The test really measures antibodies to the HIV," said Manifold. The antibodies only are produced by the body if HIV is present. The most difficult part of the testing is waiting for results.
If a person thinks they are at risk for the disease, they should get tested. A person may not have the symptoms of HIV or AIDS for five to seven years after they are infected, but they can carry it and infect others until then. The test, he said, lets them know if they are positive or negative so they can help themselves and protect others from receiving it.
How soon should a person get tested?
"We encourage others to think in terms of six months," Manifold said. If a person hasn't had sex in six months, and their test is negative, they can feel confident they are negative. However, if they've had sex more recently before a test, they should stay away from negative behavior for another six months and get tested again."
Free, anonymous and confidential, HIV testing is available from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the first Monday of every month at the Kosciusko County Health Department, 1000 Med Park Drive, Suite B, Warsaw.
The Task Force offers testing every Monday from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at its headquarters at 2124 Fairfield Ave., Fort Wayne.
Some people still believe it's a gay man's disease. It is not. "It's one of the things we still try to combat in our education programs," said Manifold. Anyone who is sexually active, or engages in behavior where needles are shared (drugs, tattoos), or where there is blood-to-blood contact are susceptible. Increasingly, more heterosexuals and women are becoming infected.
"It's not going to slow down until people recognize it is the behavior that leads to the infection and not the sexual identity," said Manifold.
There has been great improvement in public perception about the disease, he said, but not completely.
Across the country more younger people are becoming infected. Whereas people in their 40s and 50s have a memory of when the AIDS epidemic broke out in the 1980s, the younger generations don't.
"There's just a sense of, 'I can't get it and if I do, it's just a manageable disease,'" said Manifold. What they don't realize is that managing the disease means taking bottles of strong medicine for the rest of their lives.
With providing education, testing and care comes expenses to pay for the Fort Wayne AIDS Task Force. They raise money through fund-raisers, grants, contracts and individual donations.
Their one major fund-raiser, held recently, is the AIDS Walk. This year it raised a gross revenue of $65,000, surpassing its goal. Corporations helped to underwrite the costs of the Walk. The Gay & Lesbian Dinner Dance Oct. 9 donates a portion of the proceeds of the night to the Task Force and has almost since the beginning.
The Task Force has a "major" contract with the Indiana State Department of Health to provide case management and another contract for prevention work, mostly dealing with women, Manifold said.
Grants are heavily applied for and received locally, regionally and nationally. The Indiana AIDS Fund has been supportive with funding, as has Lincoln Financial Group. The Task Force also is an agency of the United Way of Allen County.
"My observation is the funding which probably has declined over the years has been the individual donations," he said. "I would like to see that portion of our monies go up."
Anyone needing more information about the Task Force, AIDS or testing can call toll free 800-417-3085. The Web site is at www.aidsfortwayne.org [[In-content Ad]]