Holiday News

Hey there happy holiday friends -- We've got lots to share with you!

1. Christmas Hamper Update
2. Calendars for Sale!
3. Research!
a. Same-Sex Intimate Partner Abuse
b. Chronic Illness & Creativity
4. Holiday Hours

1. Christmas Hamper Update

Hamper delivery is over for another year, and once again we've been flabbergasted by your generosity! This year we delivered 61 hampers full of food, personal care items and toys to families in our community affected by HIV. That's up from 55 in 2008. Those 61 hampers went to 168 people -- 55 of whom were children -- for a total of 186 boxes. Now that's a lot of holiday cheer!

Pulling this feat together would have been impossible without the help of our generous donors, and a few friends who deserve special mention:
The Saskatoon Food Bank (who donated turkeys and hams)
St. Mark's Anglican Church & Lakeview Church (who put together complete hampers)
Georgina at Fresh Pack Freezers Ltd (750lbs of potatoes!)
Don at Apollo Machines (Christmas oranges!)
Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers
The Maltman Family
The O'Donnell Family
and unstoppable super-volunteer/donor Darlene.

2. Calendars: The Local Environment of HIV/AIDS

We are very pleased to announce that 2010 calendars are available for sale now at AIDS Saskatoon. The photos and quotes in these calendars come for the people who access services here at AIDS Saskatoon and the 601 Outreach Centre. This summer, a group of researchers at the University of Saskatchewan gave cameras to 19 women and men and asked them to take pictures of the places and things that are important and meaningful to them as they care for and nurture their children while affected by, infected with, or vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and/or Hepatitis-C.

Consider dropping by and picking some up for last-minute Holiday presents. There is a suggested donation price of $10, but if you are able to give more, please do so. If you aren't able to give the full 10, that's okay too. All the money raised will go right back into the 601 Outreach Centre at AIDS Saskatoon.

Big thank you to Pam and Katherine from the HIV and Motherhood project and all the research participants for putting this insightful and meaningful calendar together.

3. Two research studies that deserve your attention...

a. Same-Sex Intimate Partner Abuse

Hello,
The Avenue Community Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity has created an online survey (Community Survey Regarding Same-Sex Intimate Partner Abuse) to help us gain an understanding of people’s experiences in regards to same-sex intimate partner abuse, and the services and programs that would be helpful. We are looking for people who consider themselves to be, or have been, the abusers or the abused within their intimate relationship (dating, common-law, married, or sexual relationships). The information gathered will be kept strictly confidential and will help us to plan programs and services within Saskatchewan.
Please fill out the survey at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/J6WYJXJ
Or find the link to the survey on our homepage: www.avenuecommunitycentre.ca

Online survey ends Friday, February 5, 2010, at 5:00pm.
*Survey information gathered is completely anonymous and confidential*
*Participation in the prize draw is separate from the survey and is optional*

Prizes will be drawn for on February 5, 2010.
Prizes to be won:
One $50 Safeway Gift Certificate
Five $10 Tim Horton’s Gift Certificates
*Prize draw entry is collected entirely separate from survey contribution and will be kept confidential*

I would very much appreciate if you could please pass this advertisement along to your networks, and post the attached poster at your place of work.
Thank you very much,
~Joanne

b. Chronic Illness & Creativity

Hello,

I need your help reaching men with chronic illness who would be appropriate participants for a graduate student research survey. My name is Tara Labuik and I am a graduate student at the University of Saskatchewan.I would like to learn more about the relationship between creative
behaviour and stress in men with chronic illness.

A relationship between creative behaviour and stress in women with chronic illness has been discovered and I am interested in determining whether there is
a similar relationship between creative behaviour and stress in men with chronic illness. My research has been approved by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Saskatchewan and is in the data collection stage.

If you are a male who is 18 years or older and who was diagnosed with a chronic illness at least 2 years ago, I hope you will be able to complete the survey.
If you do not fit this description, please forward this email on to any men for whom this survey might be relevant. There are no known risks associated with participation in this study, and each participant's responses will be kept confidential and anonymous. Participation
is totally voluntary. If you would like to complete the survey, please click on the link below (or cut-and-paste it into your web browser).

https://survey.usask.ca/survey.php?sid=15430

Completion time for the survey will vary from approximately 15-30 minutes depending on your experiences. I urge you to take the survey, even if you have
not been involved in very many creative activities.

Your time and effort are greatly appreciated. I would be happy to answer any questions you have about this study. Please feel free to contact me at
(306)966–5263 or tajesto@yahoo.ca, or my research supervisor, Dr. Jennifer Nicol, at (306)966-5261 or jaj.nicol@usask.ca. We would be happy to provide
more details about this study.

Thank you in advance for considering my request.
Sincerely,

Tara Labuik(BA), Graduate Student
Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
CANADA S7N 0X1

Jennifer Nicol(Phd), Associate Professor
Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
CANADA S7N 0X1

4. Holiday Hours

On Wednesday, December 23, AIDS Saskatoon will host its annual Christmas turkey-bun lunch at noon in the 601 Outreach Centre. We've been cooking turkeys for two days, so it's bound to be spectacular!

AIDS Saskatoon will be closed for the holiday beginning on Thursday, December 24th. We'll reopen with regular hours on Monday, January 4th.

Thanks everyone -- I hope your holiday is bursting with safe fun, comfort and deliciousness!
Happy Holidays! from the staff, board, volunteers and people who access services at AIDS Saskatoon