We know that more than 1.1 million people in our country are living with HIV, but one in five don't even know they are positive.  We also know that the CDC has recommended all Americans between the ages of 13-64 get tested for HIV as part of their routine health care.  Early diagnosis and treatment greatly improves health, extends life and helps prevent the spread of HIV. This Pride month in addition to celebrating the contributions of LGBT people, take part in National Youth HIV Testing Day on June 27th.  

Greetings C2PLA Members and Supporters,

Connect to Protect Los Angeles is proud to announce our partnership with the 2014 Outfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival taking place at the Egyptian Theater March 14th to the 16th.

 Outfest Fusion brings together a diverse population in a shared cultural experience. The festival features 30 short and feature-length films from around the world that reflect a wide array of LGBT stories, as well as panel discussions, special events, and parties. Fusion gives participants an opportunity to see reflections of their own experience and to deepen their understanding of other LGBT communities of color. Nearly 5000 people from across Southern California participate in the festival. Fusion films have included: Pariah, Mosquita y Mari, The Skinny, My Brother the Devil, Fit, Bam Bam and Celeste, Fame and many more!

 To enhance community involvement and ensure the diverse LGBTQ communities of Los Angeles enjoy the festival, we are inviting you - our friends, colleagues and community members to enjoy the 2014 festival along with us. You can visit the Outfest Fusion Screenings webpage for more information about featured films and shorts http://www.outfest.org/fusion2014/.

 Outfest is the leading organization that promotes equality by creating, sharing and protecting LGBT stories on screen. Outfest programs include Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival, Outfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival, Outfest UCLA Legacy Project and Outfest Forward. For over 30 years, Outfest has showcased thousands of films from around the world, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers and protected more than 30,000 LGBT films and videos.

 For more information about Outfest Fusion 2014, please visit the website outfest.org/fusion2014. To purchase tickets to any of the Outfest Fusion screenings, please visit http://www.outfest.org/fusion2014/ or call 213-480-7065. If you mention the code ISUPPORTFUSION, you get $2 off your ticket purchase. #outfestfusion

 Sincerely,

Milton Smith

Project Director

Connect To Protect Los Angeles (C2PLA)

Greetings C2PLA Members and Supporters,

Happy 2014!  We hope your year is off to a great start!    

Our first working group meeting of the year is scheduled for Friday February 28th from 12-3pm.  The meeting will be located at John’s Well Child and Family Center located at 808 West 58th St. Los Angeles, CA  90037. 

As this is our first meeting of the year, this a great opportunity to invite new people to the coalition who haven’t participated in the past. This will allow them to learn about the work that’s happening in our three subcommittees.  At this month’s meeting we will also have a special presentation from The Advancement Project (www.advancementproject.org), regarding their community service and policy research tool called Healthy City.org 

To RSVP for this meeting please visit:   http://tinyurl.com/c2pla-meeting no later than Thursday February 27, 2014 so we can have an accurate headcount for food.

Greetings C2PLA Members and Supporters,

On behalf of the C2PLA Co-chairs and project staff I wish you a Happy and Healthy 2014!  We hope the holiday season brought you great joy, good health, and a renewed passion for creating structural change.  

The New Year brings renewed opportunities to grow, develop and improve our community utilizing our collective energies. 

In the coming weeks, our subcommittees will be meeting for the first time, some with new co-chairs at the helm.  They will be looking at new ways to achieve their structural change objectives or SCOs.  These subcommittee members, along with other members of the larger working group will share their plans and identify their collective goals for a prosperous 2014.

On Friday, Feb. 28, the C2PLA Coalition will host its first working group meeting of year. The meeting will be held at St. John's Well Child and Family Center.  The featured presenter for this meeting will be the Advancement Project.  You can learn more about them by visiting www.advancementproject.org/.  You can also find  the address for the meeting location and time of the meeting by visiting our calendar section.

Your involvement is vital to C2PLA’s success. If you would like more information on how to get involved, or have general questions about the coalition please contact me at milsmith@chla.usc.edu.

May 2014 be a creative, productive, fruitful year full of structural change.  

Warm Regards,

Milton Smith
C2PLA Project Director 

On behalf of your C2PLA Co-Chairs, we’d like to thank you for making this year’s 2013 C2PLA holiday retreat a great success. Those that were present definitely experienced “VIP C2PLA Style.” The Mayme Clayton Library and Museum was the perfect backdrop to host this year’s retreat.  It had a great energy and welcoming spirit.  We encourage all of you to visit there if you get the chance and please tell others about it as well.  It truly is one of LA’s hidden gems.    For more information about the library and museum visit:  http://www.claytonmuseum.org

 A special thank you to our host Kieta Mutepfa and Dale Madison who made us all feel “very special” throughout the day. We were also very fortunate to have James Moran and Sofia Smith introduce us to Council Circles.  They were a big hit at the retreat.   Additionally special congratulations to our 2013 Key Actor Award Winners:

Visionary -  James Moran, Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center

Strategist - Dave Reynolds, Anti-Defamation League 

Actor - Grissel Granados, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Facilitator - Sofia Smith, LifeWorks (winner two years in a row) 

Content Expert Paulina Zamudio, Division of HIV/STD Programs

Sustainer - Shane Jenkins, Magic Johnson Foundation

Broker - Dave Reynolds, Anti-Defamation League

Mobilizer -Kieta Mutepfa, UCLA Care Center    

Organizer/Manager- Hector Ornelas, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

Spokesperson - Kieta Mutepfa, UCLA Care Center

 Our next large working group meeting will be on Friday February 28th from 12-3pm at St. John’s Well Child and Family Center. 

We've had a very successful year and your contributions during the year made 2013 one of our coalition’s best years yet. Please note with the exception of the Homeless Subcommittee all subcommittees for the month of December will be held via phone only. 

 Wishing you all the happiest of holiday seasons.

December 1st/World AIDS DAY is a day set aside to remember lives lost, to encourage greater understanding of the disease and to celebrate a way forward in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Instead of celebrating, commemorating, educating, and fighting for only ONE day...members of the C2PLA Coalition gather together and support each other ALL year in reducing new infections.

We invite you to join us!

Greetings C2PLA Members and Supporters,

Please join us Friday, December 6, 2013 from 10am to 4pm for our 6th annual C2PLA Holiday Retreat.  This year’s theme is “VIP C2PLA Style.”

 Your C2PLA Co-chairs and members of the Sustainability Subcommittee have been hard at work planning a day full of fun, laughter, and team building as we work to develop our strategic plan for 2014.  

 We will also use this day to celebrate the successes of both the coalition and the individuals who contribute much of their time and effort to keep our work sustainable. 

 A big highlight of the retreat is the presentation of our Key Actor Awards.  These 10 awards honor coalition members who have made substantial contributions by playing one of 10 member roles over the past year.  

 These winners are chosen by YOU.   Please don’t forget to vote for your picks for our 10 Key Actor Awards.  You can do this by visiting www.tinyurl.com/keyactornominees as often as you like between now and November 25th.  

 Please note, votes are completely anonymous.   

To RSVP for the retreat please visit www.tinyurl.com/c2plaholidayretreat no later Wednesday December 3rd.

 Additionally, if you are a newer member of the coalition, or interested in inviting a new potential member, this would be a great opportunity for new people to gain a better understanding of the inner workings of the coalition.  It’s also a great place to network with several members of the coalition.   

 Immediately following the retreat your co-chairs are hosting an optional post retreat “happy hour” at a location to be determined nearby the retreat venue.  

We look forward to seeing you all there!

  Warm Regards,

 C2PLA Project Staff

Greetings C2PLA Members and Supporters,

Happy Healthcare Reform Day!

 Our next C2PLA Working Group Meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 25th, from 12pm to 3pm.  The meeting will be held on the campus of Charles Drew University inside of their lecture hall.  The school is located at 1731 East 120th St. Los Angeles, CA  90059.    Lunch and free parking will be provided.  Please note, this will be our last regular meeting of the year due to our December retreat.

The theme of this month’s meeting is “LA’s Presence at the United States Conference on AIDS.” In addition to our subcommittee updates, we will have a panel of local attendees who will share what they learned and its relevance on Los Angele’s.  This panel will include youth from the leadership institute as well.   

Please RSVP for this meeting by visiting:  http://tinyurl.com/c2pla-meeting no later than Wednesday October 23, 2013 so we can have an accurate headcount for food.  

Attached please find the meeting minutes from our August meeting as well as a copy of the presentation from our last meeting given by the Young Invincibles. 

If you have any additional questions in advance of the meeting, feel free to contact us.  

We look forward to seeing you soon.  

LA is making its presence known at this year's conference.  Several C2PLA members are presenting in workshops and several are taking part in some of the many festivities at the conference.

The purpose of this annual conference, produced by the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), is to strengthen the community-based response to HIV/AIDS by fostering collaborations and building skills, knowledge, and capacity.

This year’s conference, held September 8–11, will focus on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the South. “Overall, the region accounted for 46 percent of all new HIV infections in 2010,” notes NMAC executive director Paul Kawata in a message welcoming conference attendees. “Given the profile of the epidemic in the South, and the region’s resistance to ACA implementation, it is especially critical that we highlight the unique challenges facing those working to combat HIV/AIDS here.”

At our October working group meeting scheduled for Friday, October 25th we will have a special panel presentation with several of the attendees, including youth taking part in the leadership summit.

We look forward to seeing you all there.