AIDS Group Seeks to Bolster Services

The Ventura County AIDS Partnership is raising money to address the county’s two most underfunded needs in the fight against AIDS--transportation and outreach services.

The Ventura County Public Health Department reports that people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome are evenly distributed throughout the county, but that almost all the AIDS services are in the western part of the county in Ventura.

“This leaves people with HIV and AIDS in Thousand Oaks, Moorpark and Simi Valley with approximately 70 miles to drive for treatment,” said Art McDermott, program manager of the Ventura County AIDS Partnership, a program of the United Way of Ventura County and the local affiliate of the National AIDS Fund, which distributes money to local nonprofit groups.

“If they’re ill and have to go for lab work without transportation, it can be very difficult,” McDermott said. “It is possible to go by bus, but it would take three to four hours each way.”

The AIDS Partnership wants to raise money to fund a new transportation service for people in the eastern part of the county, as well as to recruit and train more AIDS educators to reach sexually active adults and youths in eastern Ventura County.

The AIDS Partnership could distribute as much as $170,000 in 1998, if the 1997 fund-raising goal of $85,000 is met.

“We’ve raised $60,000 so far, but we’re depending on the success of [the] AIDS Walk to help us meet our $85,000 goal,” McDermott said, adding that the National AIDS Fund then matches them dollar-for-dollar to bring the total toward $170,000.

The AIDS Walk will be held Oct. 18 in downtown Ventura. The AIDS Partnership will receive 10% of the proceeds.

Nonprofit agencies that wish to compete for funding to fight AIDS through transportation and outreach services in the east county should contact 485-6288.