Matthew 25’s Prevention Team uses innovative techniques to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. Condom kits are distributed to area bars to help promote safer sex. The prevention team also offers confidential HIV testing in numerous outreach locations.

Thanks to our collaborative efforts with our tri-state community, we have been able to broaden our prevention and outreach efforts. By this, I mean we have been able to complete over 650 free HIV tests throughout the area in 2007.  We’ve expanded our services by offering testing in more accessible, non-clinical and confidential settings and at more convenient times including nights and weekends. 

We have distributed more than 21,000 of our safer sex kits throughout the area. This tells us that people are finding them more accessible. We have expanded our distribution sites to over 30 locations throughout the tri-state. This is all due to the great efforts of our prevention team, our wonderful volunteers and the area organizations. 

We have participated in at least 20 health fairs, conducted numerous HIV-101 educational trainings, and participated in several area functions. We have presented on the statewide levels in Indiana and Kentucky at annual conferences on the services we offer. We have conducted interactive educational courses with area nursing, pharmacy, social work and medical students in an effort to bridge the gap of bringing prevention into clinical care. 

We have also been active with national conference participation and presentation on successful HIV prevention efforts as well as holding events such as National Black HIV Awareness Day, National HIV Testing Day, the AIDS Walk, and World AIDS Day. We are heavily involved on the statewide and national levels in advocating for services for those individuals infected and affected by HIV. Prevention Director, Gary Fowler, currently serves as the President for the Kentucky HIV/AIDS Advocacy Group and on the AAHIVM’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) committee. Administrator, Cyndee Burton serves as Treasurer for this organization and the Kentucky Governor’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Cyndee was honored as one of the top ten Registered Nurses for Excellence in HIV Care in the nation by The Body.com. Adherence RN, Brenda Kreiger serves as President of the Indiana CAB. Nurse Practitioner, Dennis Myers is certified by the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM) and serves on their national policy committee.  The entire prevention team participates with area Collaborative Partners.  We held a very successful meeting with the AIDS Resource Group and the Evansville Black Coalition to continue in all of our efforts in continuing HIV prevention and care services.

Matthew 25 AIDS Services, Inc. has come a long way in just a few years… even over the last 525,600 minutes we are finding that we have been able to greatly increase our visibility and accessibility.  Thank you to the entire community for your continued support of our efforts in the prevention of HIV.

Together we ALL are putting the “UNITY” back into “COMM-UNITY.”