From the 601 Coordinator Sherri Doell
In the beginning...
- When AIDS Saskatoon was incorporated in 1986, it was just a small office in downtown Saskatoon with staff and volunteers exceptionally dedicated to providing support to people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
- Our population was mostly gay men.
- Diagnoses to death much shorter in the beginning; we focused on complementary therapies, support groups & palliative care.
- Skilled and highly-trained volunteers formed care teams which went into homes and hospital to care for people who were dying of AIDS.
- The Support Services Coordinator, well-versed in issues around grief and dying, helped plan funerals and worked with Adoption Services to support children who had lost their parent.
- The Emergency Assistance Fund (EAF) was started to help people pay for medications.
Changes on Idylwyld Drive...
- AIDS Saskatoon moved a few times but it was when we moved to Idylwyld Drive that we started to see more street-involved people; staff started a little drop-in corner which quickly grew to take over most of the space.
- AIDS Saskatoon was the first agency in Saskatoon to adopt Harm Reduction as a governing philosophy -- with the emphasis on “meeting people where they’re at” as opposed to simply providing harm reductive tools.
- Soul Food lunches originally started as a small program to provide a “family” type meal. Evening drop-in provided dinner and programming like bowling and movies.
- As the street-involved population grew, response to HIV/AIDS become more of a response to poverty and racism than to homophobia.
- The Bingo Team began as a work program for PHA’s so they could make the allotted amount of money allowed by Social Services and break some of their isolation.
- Bid for Life Art Auction was our major fundraiser for many years, until 2005.
- On Idylwyld, AIDS Saskatoon did lots of work with the Saskatoon Indian and Metis Friendship Centre; the two agencies complemented each other-- we had the washing machine and dryer, they allowed smoking! We had several Christmas dinners for PWAS in their gym.
Right Now
- In January 2006, AIDS Saskatoon moved to our current building at 33rd St. and Ave. F North.
- With a generous grant from M.A.C Cosmetics in 2007, drop in services became a more formalized, and are the heart of everyday life at the agency.
- In 2008, AIDS Saskatoon's library was transferred to the University of Saskatchewan archives.
- In partnership with the Saskatoon Health Region, AIDS Saskatoon began offering needle exchange five days a week as of March 2009.
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