COMMUNITY BRIEFS
Wednesday is a day to be aware of AIDS. The AIDS Project Los Angeles, APLA, will join community-based organizations, medical clinics and health departments across the country to support National Latino AIDS Awareness Day by providing a range of HIV and AIDS-related public services and activities this week.
While various Latino organizations across Los Angeles County will be offering free services — including HIV counseling, testing, and education — throughout the week, the APLA will officially kick off the special day with a breakfast and community gathering of Latino political and community leaders, and service providers.
In the U.S., AIDS is the leading cause of death due to disease among male Latinos ages 24-44. Latinos account for 13 percent of the U.S. population and 20 percent of persons living with AIDS. In Los Angeles County, that figure rises to 38 percent.
To combat those increases, the APLA, one of the nation’s largest AIDS service organizations, provides direct services to more than 10,000 men, women and children living with HIV or AIDS in Los Angeles County. Services include prevention education, food banks and nutrition education, professional dental care, housing assistance, mental health counseling and case management.
The breakfast will begin on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Plazita Olvera in Pueblo de Los Angeles at 533 N. Main St. in Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.apla.org.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 14, 2003. Read the original PDF.