Persons living with HIV and registered with Client Services at AIDS Vancouver can benefit from the care and support of a team of dedicated volunteers in Support Programs.
Support Programs aim to supplement - not replace - services provided by government and health agencies.

Support Programs aim to:

• reduce isolation and increase social, practical, and other supports
• improve quality of life and help manage illness progression
• increase nutritional knowledge and skills
• enhance capacity to live independently in the community

Care Teams

Trained volunteers work alone or in teams to provide a combination of companionship, practical assistance and personal care to persons living with HIV/AIDS in their own homes. This can include sharing a walk or a cup of tea, assisting with meal preparation, groceries, light housekeeping or laundry. Care Team volunteers can also provide accompaniment to a doctor's appointment, run an errand to the pharmacy, help a Care Team participant to pack in preparation for a move, or provide respite with child minding.

Grocery Program

Knowing that nutrition is of paramount importance to people living with HIV, the Grocery program provides supplemental food to an average of 700 low-income individuals and families living in Vancouver. Thanks to partnerships with local community agencies such as A Loving Spoonful, Positive Women's Network, Portland Hotel Society, Vancouver Native Health Society and The Greater Vancouver Food Bank, grocery patrons can access the grocery 2-3 times per month at one of five locations around Vancouver. At AIDS Vancouver's Seymour Street site, patrons can select from a variety of purchased and donated goods, including canned protein, cereal, milk, eggs, personal care items, and fresh produce.

When is the grocery open?

The Grocery provides services Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 1:00PM-4:00PM. It is closed on MHR cheque issue week and the week after cheque issue (download and print the 2008 grocery schedule).
To access this program, you must be a registered client of AIDS Vancouver and be living on a limited income. See a Case Manager to register or for more information.

Nutrition Education Exchange

NEET (Nutrition Education Exchange Team) volunteers, nutrition students or dieticians, hand out educational resources and food samples, answer questions, exchange recipes, hold cooking demos and nutrition-themed games and contests. An info booth, located next to AIDS Vancouver's grocery, provides a place for grocery patrons to freely discuss issues related to nutritional concerns such as how to manage side effects of medication, poor appetite and weight loss.

Are you interested in learning more about nutrition and HIV? Our library has selected the best books (including some great recipes), journal articles and websites on the subject. Check them out!

How to access Support Programs

Support Programs are available to individuals living with HIV and registered with Client Services. To speak with someone about accessing these programs, please contact the Access Office (604-893-2270), or your Case Manager.
For more information, follow the links above or contact the Support Programs Coordinator at 604-893-2291.

Volunteering

Support Programs at AIDS Vancouver can provide you with wonderful opportunities for you to enhance skills, build friendships, and actively participate in your community. Support Programs also allows you an opportunity to work with diverse populations who will benefit greatly from your unique contribution of energy, compassion, and talent.

For more information about offering your talents and time to the Care Teams, Nutrition Education Exchange Team or the Grocery Team, see Volunteer to find contact information for our Volunteer Resources Program or to submit an application.