Jeffrey Fashion Cares REALLY Cares, pt. 2
With only a few days before the 18th Annual
Jeffrey Fashion Cares, I can feel the excitement around the city as I've been to several events this week. This year's show is certainly the talk of the town.
Do you know what you're wearing?
I am looking forward to every single minute of the event, from the opening reception to the after party at Opera, but I must admit that meeting Proenza Schouler will definitely be one of the highlights of the evening.
The ticket cost can be steep for some which is one reason Jeffrey Fashion Cares goes all out to deliver the most sensational party for you. Whether this is the only event you attend, or cause you support, I can assure you that it is worth every penny. And your "penny" touches many lives.
Today, I wanted to share the impact that your ticket has on the Atlanta AIDS Fund. Its important to know where [your] money goes and how it affects our community.
ATLANTA AIDS FUND
By Tene Traylor, program officer, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and Mary Spanburgh, director, community engagement, at United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta
Jeffrey Fashion Cares has grown into one of the largest combined AIDS and breast cancer benefits in the country, having raised approximately $9 million. Last year, 90 cents of every dollar raised went directly to the beneficiaries. Those dollars raised are absolutely essential to the work of the Atlanta AIDS Fund, which provides financial support to AIDS serving organizations for advocacy, education and prevention efforts in the Atlanta region.
Through this collaborative funding partnership of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, the National AIDS Fund, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, Fashion Cares and other individual donors, the Atlanta AIDS Fund has invested nearly $10 million to support the efforts of nonprofits doing exceptional work in this area. While the financial support is impressive, it’s the stories from our nonprofits that tell us how events like Fashion Cares are making an impact in our communities.
In December 2009, the Living Room received a $50,000 grant from the Atlanta AIDS Fund. The organization is a housing information, placement and financial assistance agency for low-income people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless due to HIV/AIDS.
Long-time executive director, Nick Danna, recently retired after 10 years and shared with us a story of a young man and woman that came to the Living Room five years ago. The couple came to the nonprofit from their drug treatment program to volunteer as part of their recovery work. They had been in business together with bright professional careers but had fallen victim to a serious drug addiction. This addiction not only led to the destruction of their careers but also to their contraction of the HIV virus.
Today they both serve on the Living Room’s board of directors and are teaching others how to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. One serves on the board of AID Atlanta and was named Volunteer of the Year by AID Atlanta in 2008. The other is vice president of the Ryan White HIV Planning Council, which oversees funding for HIV/AIDS medical care in the 20-county metro Atlanta area.
These are the individuals that the Atlanta AIDS Fund supports through Fashion Cares, and we thank you for helping us reach them.
THANK YOU ATLANTA AIDS FUND
Lets enjoy a few looks from Proenza Schouler's 2011 Resort Collection:
fashionado