July 2012 masthead
  

July 2012

ICAN NEWSLETTER 

Find us on Facebook 

IN THIS ISSUE

 

School Supplies for

ICAN Kids

 

ICAN/AHF Merger Progresses

 

ICAN Receives Lee County Heath Grant

  

ICAN Friend Granted Honorary PhD

 

  Fund Raisers Include Dinner and a Show

 

New Education Department Members

 

ICAN Offers Free Rapid HIV Test

ICAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

 Edward M. Kolesar

President

  

Craig J. Ruthsatz

 Vice-President 

     

John M. Lopez
Treasurer
  
Sheila Harris-Schutz
Secretary
 
Corklin R.Steinhart, MD, PhD 

 

Liz Hodges
 
Tom Jordan

 

ICAN
Management
Staff 

 
 
Carolyn Moore

 Executive Director


J. Mitchell Haley
Director of Development 

Dan Mitton
Director of Education
and Prevention

 

Dawn Richardson
Finance Manager

 

Roxanne Smith
Case Mgr. Supervisor

ICAN Ft. Myers Office
2231 McGregor Blvd,
Fort Myers, FL. 33901
(239) 337-2391
 
ICAN Naples Office
3400 Radio Road
Unit 108
Naples, FL. 34104
(239) 261-0096
 
Mike Dias
Naples Office/Case Manager

Funding logos 4

New Education Department Members

Ed department members 

Rachel Santiago and Emmanuel Borbon-Mendez have joined the ICAN Education Department as Community Outreach Educators to assist in community education, testing and HIV prevention services. Ms. Santiago joins ICAN with experience assisting clients in various drug and alcohol related programs, as well as a former position in HIV/AIDS/STD education at Community AIDS Network in Sarasota.  Mr. Borbon-Mendez comes from a background in HIV/AIDS/STD Education through youth based theater programs in Rhode Island and has additional background in the banking industry. They are a welcome addition to the ICAN team and will be providing a valuable resource to the communities of Southwest Florida.

2012 school drive
ICAN Volunteers James Duncan, Debbie Gray and Kevin La Roche prepare to fill backpacks with donated school supplies.

School Supplies Donated for ICAN Kids   

 ICAN launched a school supply drive in June to collect items for the children of our clients so that they can be prepared for the new school year. Our good friends and supporters at Power Purchasing stepped forward with a very generous donation of 75 backpacks and many other donors have already dropped off supplies like pens, pencils, erasers, glue sticks, hi-lighters and more to help stuff the backpacks in time for the first day of school. Items in particular need right now include 3 ring notebooks, ruled 3 hole punched notepaper, pocket folders, pens with blue and black ink and spiral notebooks.

Lee County schools will start on August 8th and Collier County on August 20th. Donations are being accepted at the ICAN Junction on US 41 in North Fort Myers, at the Fort Myers ICAN office on McGregor Boulevard and at the Naples ICAN office on Radio Road. Many of our clients live on very limited budgets and the fact that ICAN supporters help prepare their children with needed school supplies is greatly appreciated.

For more information or to arrange a pickup contact Mitch Haley at (239) 337-2391 extension 211 or email mhaley@icanswfl.org.

ICAN/AHF Merger Moving Along

ICAN AHF logos  

Talks have advanced in the upcoming merger for ICAN and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF). Both organizations have been submitting the required operational and financial documents for review by their respective Boards and ICAN's Executive Director Carolyn Moore has been busy scouting possible locations for the new entity once the process is completed. AHF is planning to enhance the services ICAN currently delivers to its clients and the general public with the addition of a clinical Healthcare Center, a non-profit pharmacy, a mobile HIV testing van and other services. Through AHF, ICAN will become part of a global HIV/AIDS organization that is currently serving over 176,000 individuals in 24 different countries.

Health Grant will Promote HIV Testing in Lee

 

The Education and Prevention Department of ICAN has applied for and received a grant from the Lee County Health Department to provide a condom distribution, outreach and testing program called "Wrap It" to high density minority population areas of Lee County. Instead of waiting for members of those communities to come to ICAN the "Wrap It" program will send professional educators to targeted neighborhoods to teach prevention and promote testing in the battle to control HIV/AIDS. Using part time employees and trained volunteers ICAN, in partnership with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, will conduct monthly mobile HIV testing events in high impact neighborhoods and at-risk communities. The free testing combined with the outreach, prevention, distribution and education programs will strive to ensure that the unseen HIV cases in Lee County are located, identified and referred into treatment. By helping individuals become aware of their HIV status ICAN will be able to directly impact the amount of new HIV cases in Lee County. 

 

Introducing Dr. Hamilton-Ross, PhD 

Donna-Marie Grad
Graduation attendees applauded as Dr. Hamilton-Ross (seated) is granted her PhD. (Pictured L to R) Dr. Ron Bowman, Dr. Nancey Wyant, Dr. Donna Marie Hamilton-Ross and Dean of Students Marcia Brooks

by Carlene Lawrence

One of ICAN's premier volunteers, supporter and friend, Donna Marie Hamilton Ross, was granted an honorary Doctorate degree by Hodges University. Donna Marie has been a student at Hodges completing both Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Public Administration.  During much of this time, she has also been quite ill.  Her illness, however, never slowed her down.  After receiving her Master's Degree last month, she decided it was time she took a step back, and would not be able to continue on for her Doctorate.  One of her professors, Dr. Peter Karastamatis, who had taken Donna Marie on under his wing as his work study, and had spent much time with her, thought this to be a travesty.  He thought, many people in this country receive honorary degrees, mostly celebrities and those who have bestowed large sums of money to educational facilities.  Dr. Karastamatis felt none of these people deserved an honorary degree more than Donna Marie.  So he set forth on a mission to plead his case to the powers that be at Hodges University.  His plea was met with overwhelming support. 

Congratulations to Dr. Donna Marie Hamilton-Ross, PhD.

Fund Raisers Include Dinner and a Show

Jason's Deli
Part of the crowd supporting ICAN at the Jason's Deli "Power of 10" fundraiser included Ken and Kate Gooderham, Jack and Lucy Costa, Diana Willis of Jason's Deli and Carolyn Moore of ICAN

May and June saw two different fund raisers hosted by friends of ICAN that provided entertainment and excellent eating. On May 18th, Theatre Conspiracy presented the play "Love Letters" by A.R. Gurney featuring ICAN's Director of Development, Mitch Haley and his wife Joann in the title roles. The play is one of Gurney's most popular scripts that details 50 years of letter writing between a man and a woman starting in their childhood. Theatre Conspiracy invited nine different couples to perform it over a three week period with 50% of the proceeds going to the charity of the actors choice.

Then on Monday, June 4th ICAN was the first of ten local charities to be the recipient of 10% of all dinner sales at the Jason's Deli "Power of Ten" anniversary celebration. The restaurant is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Fort Myers and decided to give back to the community by choosing local charities to receive a percentage of its Monday evening sales.

ICAN is gifted to have such great corporate friends and supporters who step forward with fun and innovative ways to help our clients.

 

ICAN Offers Free Rapid HIV Test

ICAN is now administering the Clearview rapid HIV test on a daily 
schedule in the Fort Myers office at 2231 McGregor Boulevard. Testing is done on a walk in basis Monday - Friday from 9AM to 5PM or evenings and weekends by appointment. The Clearview Rapid Test system only requires a finger prick blood sample and delivers results within 15 minutes.
For more information or to schedule an appointment call (239) 337-2391.