| Letters from The House - July/August 2013 |
MISSING SOMETHING?
CulinArt. Where'd it go? For the past five years, The Wright House Wellness Center has joined with the International Special Events Society of Austin to produce CulinArt, our Annual fundraising Gala. Which has been a wonderful learning experience. But this year, thanks to their great example, we are spreading our wings.
So, come fly with us to Fabulous France! Paris, France, that much-beloved international destination. We'll have street and stage entertainment, heavy hors d'oeuvres evocative of the City of Light and we will continue to keep the accent on the ART. There will be lots to choose from at live and Silent Auctions.
So join us. Consider this your invitation!
Vous voir a Paris!
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NOW WHAT EXACTLY IS IT YOU DO?
We get asked that a lot. It is not always easy to help people understand what we do and why.
So here it is. We are charged with a mission to offer care and compassion to Central Texans living with or at risk of HIV and/or other chronic illnesses and provide resources for support education and empowerment through sustainable means.
Good words. But what do they mean? Our way of creating meaning is to serve our clients through Disease Management and Prevention Programs. 92% of funds go to programs. READ MORE
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CREATING A CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR CLIENTS
The Wright House Wellness Center collaborates with a number of agencies to provide our clients a Continuum of Care. We acknowledge and thank these organizations and the individuals who work tirelessly to assure clients receive services they need to move forward in their lives. To better understand how this works, see A CASE MANAGER'S STORY below.
| ASOs (AIDS Services Organizations) | Non-ASOs (Non-AIDS Services Organizations) |
- AIDS Services of Austin
- ALLGO
- Austin/Travis County HHS - Communicable Disease Unit
- CARE Program - Austin/Travis County Integral Care
- Community Action, Inc.
- David Powell Health Center - CommUnity Care
- OutYouth
- Project Transitions
- The Care Communities
- Waterloo Counseling
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- AGE-Austin Group for the Elderly
- Any Baby Can
- Austin Residence Center for the Homeless
- ARC of the Capital Area
- Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department
- Capital Area Food Bank
- Caritas
- Catholic Charities
- Family Eldercare
- Foundation for the Homeless
- Front Steps
- Good Will
- Helping the Aging, Needy and Disabled of Austin
- Meals on Wheels & More
- SafePlace
- Salvation Army
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A CASE MANAGER'S STORY
This Client has been with us for about 2 years. When he came to us, he was mostly just looking for help with employment, which after 3 weeks of working with him, he was able to find. He later learned he had Hepatitis C so severe his liver was failing and he was placed on a [liver] donor list. With a terminal diagnosis of three years, his outlook was not good. His health went up and down until he was hospitalized for nearly a month with kidney failure and persistent liver issues. We coordinated his receiving dialysis services on release from the hospital and placed him with Doug's House, a Project Transitions facility, for Respite Services. He has been receiving round the clock care and has been adherent to all his medications. After three weeks his specialist says his liver has improved to almost 90% of where it should be for his age and his kidneys are doing great. He is being released from Respite Care and will be returning to his home this coming Tuesday, where he will have home health care until he is able to go back to working and continuing with his life. I was really happy to have served this client and to work with fellow agencies to provide a Continuum of Care. Our client expressed that he felt like he has been given a total do-over on life. We continue to assist and are working on obtaining permanent housing.
-Henry Perez, Case Manager
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PASSION!
 Our Board is passionate about the mission of The Wright House. They love to tell people about what we do and they translate their passion into finding funding for that work. This month, we feature Susie Ingram of Gallagher Benefit Services. With all her business connections, Susie is particularly active in finding corporate sponsors for our events.
And she is really busy right now, with Midnight in Paris coming up. Thanks to corporate sponsors such as Susie brings in, our annual event is a great introduction to new donors as well as a welcome back to those we already know.
We put Susie Ingram in the spotlight and thank her for all her work with our corporate donors.
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YOU TALKIN' TO ME? 
No. We're not quoting Robert Di Niro in Taxi Driver. We really are talkin' to you! Please, please listen. The US Preventive Services Task Force now recommends screening for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). That does not mean just those at high risk.
One-time screening is now suggested for all adults born between 1945 and 1965. A recently observed 3-fold increase in a particular cancer is related to HCV infection 20-24 years earlier.
Hepatitis C virus is...
- the most common chronic bloodborne pathogen in the US.
- a leading cause of complications from chronic liver disease.
- the principle cause for most transplants when end-stage liver disease results from infection.
So we're talkin' to you - and your parents and your grandparents. Talk to them. Talk to your doctor. Today.
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HEPATITIS - It's a real thing y'all - it affects us all. Sunday, July 28th was World Hepatitis Day (WHD). I received the following information from the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) in my email inbox last week and thought, "Everyone needs to know this."
...more than 3 million people [are] living with viral hepatitis in the United States...
African Americans are twice as likely to be infected with HCV [hepatitis C] compared to the general U.S. population. Latinos over 40 are 30 percent more likely to be newly infected with HBV [hepatitis B] than their non-Hispanic white counterparts, due to lower vaccination rates. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (APIs) represent half of the estimated 1.4 million HBV-infected persons in the U.S., despite the fact that they only make up 5 percent of the overall population.
What's more, approximately one-third of people living with HIV are co-infected with either HBV or HCV, which can cause long-term illness and death. Viral hepatitis progresses faster and causes more liver-related health problems among PLWH [People Living with AIDS] than among those who do not have HIV. Although drug therapy has extended the life expectancy of PLWH, liver disease-much of which is related to HCV and HBV-has become the leading cause of non-AIDS-related deaths among PLWH.
Of those living with viral hepatitis in the United States, approximately three-quarters are "baby boomers" -- those born between 1945 and 1965.
Are you at risk? You can find out HERE.
Did you know, The Wright House Wellness Center has been serving people living with hepatitis C since 2001 through our holistic/complementary therapies program and case management? We'd love to see these programs continued and expanded to include testing for HCV, support groups and expanded case management services for those living with HCV - but there is such very little public funding for HCV programming.
So, we reach out to our friends and supporters to make this happen. I urge you to make a donation now to support our current programs and help us continue providing much needed services not found elsewhere in the community.
Yours in service,
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The Wright House Wellness Center
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Courtly Activities
The United Court of Austin is the largest non-governmental organizational donor to The Wright House. Its members perform for our benefit. We applaud them and invite you be in the audience for these events.
| | August 1
Lunch 'n Learn: HIV and STIs
(open to those living with HIV/AIDS)
Presented by Lynn Selzer, MS
Sponsored by Gilead
Lunch provided
12:00 Noon @ the Cameron Rd. office
RSVP by July 31 to 512-467-0088
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August 3
*Voting for Emperor/Empress
(Bring a valid Texas ID)
9 am-1 pm @ The Wright House/I35
(come see our new parlor!)
5-9 pm Maria's Taco Xpress, S. Lamar
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October 20
1:30pm @ Republic Square Park
Funds raised by Team Wright House benefit The Wright House Wellness Center clients directly.
| August 3
*In-Town Show
10 pm @ The Red Room
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October 25
Presented by The Wright House
6-10 pm at the Palmer Events Center
Annual Fundraising Fun
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August 9
Out of Town Show
6:30 pm @ the Hilton Airport
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November 16
Surprise Fundraiser
To Be Announced!
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August 10
Coronation XX: "Let's get WICKED!! A stop off on Broadway on the way back to Oz!"
6:00 pm @ the Hilton Airport
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Seeking Newsletter and experienced Operations assistance
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NOW WHAT EXACTLY... continued
Disease Management may begin with Case Management for clients dealing with medical, housing, transportation, or other issues. We want to remove these obstacles so they can focus on taking medications and staying as healthy and self-sufficient as possible. Clients meet with our expert case managers and together arrive at a goal and a plan, then work the plan, moving toward goal. We may give them information. We may take them to the doctor. We may partner with another Agency to resolve a problem like Henry did for one of his clients. We may get clients bus passes, find them housing or guide them through the hiring process when they have unexpectedly lot a job. Whatever it takes to remove barriers to their medical treatment adherence.
Holistic/Complementary Therapies of Acupuncture and Massage, as well as an ongoing HIV Positive Support Group underscore our wellness focus. Holistic therapies help mitigate medical-related pain and emotional stress, delay illness and promote a sense of well-being. Support Group members share information and confidences, emotions and encouragement for fellow clients walking the same path.
The flip side of Disease Management is Disease Prevention. An entirely different animal. People seek us out for Case Management, Holistic/Complementary Therapies and Support Group. But Prevention? We usually need to create the audience to hear that message.
And we do. Our skilled Peer Educators go into the community, where potential program participants live and meet up. They strike up conversations at bus stops, in residential complexes and entertainment venues. They develop relationships and share the value of our programs. They provide Safer Sex supplies and instructions. They connect with businesses in the area and ask them to make supplies and prevention materials available. They give program participants reasons to want to come for multi-week courses created especially with them in mind. Culturally geared for the most vulnerable populations, the programs include culminating activities such as Safer Sex Parties where partners are invited to join the group. 
Do you want to support this work?
Click, call or send a check!
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To offer care and compassion to Central Texans living with or at risk of HIV and other chronic illnesses and provide resources for support, education and empowerment through sustainable means.
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4301-B North IH-35
Austin, Texas 78722
512-467-0088
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