Los Angeles ACTIVISM...City Hall here I come!

Good evening fellow readers and BLOGGERS!

To the right is a picture of Steven Simon, AIDS Coordinator and from the Office of AIDS Programs and Policy (OAPP) and Lil Ole Me... Activist/Non-Profit Volunteer!!

Tomorrow (TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2010) Eeeek, I am going to make public comment for the FIRST time in front of the
ARTS, PARKS, HEALTH AND AGING COMMITTEE at the Los Angeles City Hall.
FEELING A LIL "over my head" but am getting som great honing skills for public speaking from one of my mentors : RICHARD KEARNS...thank you ...so MUCH!!! If you only knew!!!! LOL...ok nervous laugh.

Here's what I have so far:

Good morning...my name is Leland Morrill...This is my first time addressing this Committee
Two fridays ago I attended the HIV/AIDS Elder Advocacy Summit & New Media Training co-hosted by Councilman Bill Rosendahl

********** Richard Kearns from the conference said to say "HI" .*********************

I'm here to express my concerns on budget cuts to the Department on Disabilities with reference to HIV/AIDS Services and The AIDS Co-Ordinators' Office.

PLEASE DO NOT CUT OR FARM OUT A SYSTEM THAT WORKS!

Cutting of funds for the Department on Disabilities undermines the AIDS COORDINATORS OFFICE mission statement of being:

"committed to developing and supporting programs and policies
that
PREVENT
TRANSMISSION of HIV and IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE for people
living
with HIV and
AIDS in the City of Los Angeles"

Just this past weekend I had a PRIME EXAMPLE of using the AIDS COORDINATORS website:
I was able to assist one of my newly HIV diagnosed brothers with changing his HIV Doctor using TWO WEB-LINKS:

• KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION HIV/AIDS INFORMATION
• HIV L.A. RESOURCE DIRECTORY

If the website hadn't been maintained or updated because of budget cuts...ONE newly diagnosed young man may not have been helped.

The Department on Disabilities helps keep us EDUCATED...supplied with up-to-date information helping make informed decisions. Keeping AT-RISK-YOUTH and our CITIZENS from becoming HIV POSITIVE and out of Emergency Rooms.

We do not need our young sons and daughters thinking:

• HIV/AIDS is an old persons' disease
• is curable
• have an "I CAN'T GET IT" mentality
  

IF ANYTHING, THE Department on Disability need to be improved and expanded.
Thank you!