LKAPS Vision Statement

The mission of Let’s Kick ASS Palm Springs (LKAPS) is to help people reduce the isolation and stress of living with AIDS Survivors Syndrome. AIDS Survivor Syndrome describes the signs and symptoms of the accumulation of trauma experienced by those who lived through the first two decades of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and dealing with the impact of being or knowing someone more recently diagnosed.

LKAPS accomplishes its mission by providing opportunities for social connection to foster friendships and a sense of community, and by providing HIV & Aging education and advocacy. LKAPS welcomes anyone affected by the HIV epidemic regardless of HIV status, race, gender, age or sexuality, believing that the individual is the best judge of the impact of HIV on their life.

Our three strategic goals:

  1. Bring awareness to the unique challenges of people with AIDS Survivor Syndrome living and aging with HIV, including: isolation and depression; long-term medical issues; co-morbidities and mortality; helping others prepare to die; loss of identity from aborted careers; loss of disability income as they age out; managing on limited income from the inability to complete one’s retirement plan; and living with survivors guilt.
  2. Encourage and increase LKAPS membership and participation with a goal of growing the number of women, transgender, and marginalized population’s members.
  3. Expand volunteer participation opportunities and acknowledgment, including the creation of an LKAPS Volunteer Recruitment & Acknowledgment Outreach Program.

To achieve these strategic goals, LKAPS has identified the following vision initiatives in the areas of social connection, education & advocacy, communications and fundraising:

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SOCIAL CONNECTION INITIATIVES

LKAPS organizes social functions that provide opportunities for connection, participation, networking, friendships and community. Social opportunities currently include monthly potlucks, coffee socials, movie nights, pizza & ice cream nights, and planned annual events such as a Long-term Survivors Day Reception, a Thanksgiving Day Feast and a fundraising gala.

To support social connection, LKAPS envisions

  • securing a dedicated, on-going community/meeting space for social events, meetings, seminars and trainings, drop-in sessions, and storage;
  • offering new events and programs such as an annual fundraising gala, day trips (Joshua Tree, Idyllwild, Big Bear Lake, Temecula Wine Region, LA Museum, San Diego Zoo, Disneyland), discussion groups, a Pets Are Wonderful Support Partnership Program (pet food, pet placement services, veterinary services grants);
  • formalizing and expanding opportunities for member engagement and volunteering; and,
  • providing pathways for suggestions/input such as membership and event guest surveys.

EDUCATION & ADVOCACY INITIATIVES

LKAPS supports education and advocacy to raise awareness of AIDS Survivor Syndrome, survivors’ challenges, and treatment and support needs.

LKAPS envisions

  • expanding educational programs about AIDS Survivor Syndrome and HIV & Aging by increasing the availability of articles, resources, magazine subscriptions (POZ, Positive +), links, conference reports and other materials; providing opportunities to participate in educational and training seminars, conferences, speakers’ bureaus, and fairs;
  • increasing coordinated educational opportunities through collaborations with related community partners (Desert AIDS Project, LGBT Community Center of the Desert, Palm Springs LGBT Community Leadership Council, HARP, PALS, and other community organizations);
  • and advocating for HIV & Aging issues and for treatment and support needs, such as housing/co-housing, mental health, access to healthcare and medications, financial planning, emergency support, and medical research.

COMMUNICATIONS INITIATIVES

LKAPS envisions effectively communicating to all constituents with accuracy, transparency and timeliness. The social connection, education, advocacy, fundraising and communications needs of LKAPS will be accomplished through various communications channels, including the LKAPS website, Facebook pages, Twitter, WIX email distribution channel, and others.

Communications content may consist of flyers, brochures, postcards, posters, web pages, Facebook posts, tweets, emails, press releases, articles, white papers, signage/banners, and other graphics.

FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES

LKAPS envisions developing effective fundraising strategies and tactics to meet these needs. Fundraising needs currently include a dedicated community/meeting space; social event catering and equipment purchase, storage and rentals; outreach activity fees for events such as tradeshows and street fairs; day trip costs; housing and emergency grants; grants for healthcare and prescriptions; and conference scholarships.

Fundraising initiatives include:

  • establishing procedures for foundation grant applications;
  • creating major donor and legacy donor programs;
  • producing fundraising events such as an annual gala;
  • and launching peer-to-peer fund drives.