Helen Does it Again!

Helen Clark, volunteer extraordinaire, has done it again! Read below to see what this young lady has been up to this summer:

"Helen won both of her events at the 4H Competition: Project Achievement - International - there are 40 project areas, of which International is one, with over 2000 4-Hers competing in one. Helen won 1st!

She also was one of two winners in the state Leadership In Action event. Students submit portfolios about there community service projects - many spring from their Project Achievement work, just like Helen's. She was one of the two state winners and earns a trip to next year's National Conference in Washington, DC - she went this year as one of four state delegates chosen in a stiff application and interview competition! She is so, so excited to be able to go back again.

But the BIGGEST news is she was awarded one of two $1500 grants to continue her leadership project work!!!!! Mosquito nets for kids in Uganda!! This is really coming together!!!! Thanks to Jason Mills, this grant, and all the kids who'll participate, the mostquito nets will be made for the kiddos...so happy about that!

We are exhausted. Tonight is the big banquet with 100s of donors coming. Helen will have at least three groups of donors with which to interact and thank. I hope she can get a nap today as she's getting a little cranky. Pray that she will get a chance to rest and be at her best. She will have great opportunities to talk about AFCA and the mosquito net project in addition to the medical supplies collection work.

Thanks SO much for your work with Helen and me. It's been amazing."

Helen, thanks for caring and thanks for helping our kids. You are an inspiration.

Don't forget the other people

This year has started with a slew of natural disasters, affecting thousands of people. Because of all this suffering, it is hard to decide whom to help. Whatever you do, whomever you help, please be sure not to forget other programs which still count on your support, though!

And, be sure to vet the organizations you help...make sure you know where your donations are going and what they are accomplishing. There is nothing worse than giving because you care just to find out that a LARGE percentage never made it to the people you intended to help. Guidestar.org and other watchdog organizations are good sources to help you figure out these questions.

Thanks for caring!

Anti-retrovirals could halt Aids spread in five years

BBC News reports that anti-retroviral treatments (ARVs) and universal testing could stop the spread of Aids in South Africa within five years, according to Dr. Brian Williams, a leading figure in the field of HIV research based at the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (Sacema) in Stellenbosch.

"We've been using drugs to save lives, but not stop the infection," Williams told BBC. "It's time to look beyond that." He says that if clinical trials started now, all of the HIV positive people in South Africa could be on ARV treatment within five years.

Click here to read the article on BBC.

New Program for AFCA

Change.org recently launched the 2010 Ideas for Change in America competition, and I just submitted an idea that I'd love your support on. The title of the idea is "Launch an Educational and Exercise Program to Teach Children About Africa, AIDS and What They Can Do To Help "

To vote for my idea, all you have to do is click here and you can vote in less than 20 seconds.

The top 10 voted ideas will be presented at an event in Washington, DC to relevant members of the Obama Administration, and then promoted to Change.org's full community of more than 1 million people. So we could have a real impact.

Thanks for the help!

tanya

Our Kids Still Need Us, and We Still Need You

All of our hearts are breaking for Haiti, and rightfully so. But please don't forget our own children who equally need all the help they can get, just to survive, every single day. Please keep your hearts open and continue to help children with AIDS to receive life-saving medicine and emergency supplies.

American Foundation for Children with AIDS has been blessed by the generous donations, large and small, by so many of you over the years. We, especially the kids, are so grateful and hope that you will continue to give what you can to help us keep these children alive and healthy. Without you, we couldn't do what we do.



You can make a donation online to give toward getting medical supplies where they're most needed. Or, if you have other items you wish to donate, you can bring them to us. We always need:

• wheelchairs - pediatric and adult
• blankets and sheets
• toys for the kids are always appreciated

A full list of medical supplies and other things we need is available on our website.

On behalf of the kids, THANK YOU!

"Change (It's Alright)" by Laura Cheadle

"Change (It's Alright)" by Laura Cheadle produced by Nick Cheadle on WellcomeMat

Calling All Climbers for Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up 2010 Events!

This year's Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up event planning is under way. If you're a climber, we would love for to join us once again in our efforts to raise funds to help us save kids lives while doing something you love -- climbing! Save the dates, and spread the word!

CLIMB UP THE 50 - Summer 2010
Climb, hike or run up the highest point in your state.

CLIMB UP KILIMANJARO - September 11-22, 2010
Join a team of climbers as they travel to Tanzania where they will climb up Mount Kilimanjaro while getting to see a bit of the African continent.

CLIMB UP THE WORLD - September 18-19, 2010
Run, climb, hike or cycle wherever you happen to be—no geographical boundaries can stop you from helping children while doing something good for yourself.

CLIMB UP IN CHARLOTTE - November 6, 2010
Run, climb, hike or cycle in and around Charlotte, NC.

We also have a women's climb in 2011!

CLIMB UP KILIMANJARO - Women's Team - February 5-15, 2011
Join a team of women climbers as they travel to Tanzania where they will climb up Mount Kilimanjaro while getting to see a bit of the African continent.

More information, including registration, is up at the Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up website!

We've also posted some Climb Up stories from last year's participants who called it an opportunity of a lifetime and an experience that they will never forget. While fulfilling a dream to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, they helped save the lives of children. What could be better than that?

These climbing/hiking events benefit the American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA). AFCA is a non for profit organization which provides life-saving medicine, nutritional support, humanitarian relief, and medical supplies/equipment to HIV+ children, their HIV+ guardians and HIV+ pregnant women. We work in Sub-Saharan Africa – Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Won't you join us in helping save kids' lives?