The Association of Latino Men for Action ( ALMA ) hosted a reception April 20 honoring the new president/CEO of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago ( AFC ) , David Ernesto Munar.
More than two dozen community organizations sponsored the reception. Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, Chicago Department of Health Assistant Commissioner Chris Brown and community activist Rick Garcia were among the attendees.
The Rev. Charles Straight, a board member for AFC, said, "All of us are here because of who David isbecause of his hard work, his dedication, his great commitment to the work of HIV and all that he has done in order to change the course of this disease."
"This is a tremendous opportunity for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago to see David step up and take the helm," said Aaron Baker, chair of AFC's board of directors. Munar most recently served as AFC's vice president.
"This is the 30th year of HIV/AIDS," Munar said, "We're spending the year thinking about what this epidemic has meant in our community ... [ and ] this country."
Munar explained that AFC was considering what needed to be done differently: "The story has changed. For many people its no longer the war they fight." Much to the agreement of crowd, Munar pointed out that there was a dire need to focus on educating youth about the dangers of HIV/AIDS.
Moving forward, Munar noted that AFC's board agreed to move strategic planning toward a national strategy focusing on high-risk communities such as African Americans, Latinos and men who have sex with men. " [ We need to have ] a bigger impact for prevention and care in these communities," explained Munar, "We need to harness everyone's good ideas."
AFC will host a spring luncheon May 2 featuring keynote speaker Dan Savage, founder of the "It Gets Better" campaign. For information about AFC's luncheon visit www.aidschicago.org or call 312-922-2322. S
Photos by Hal Baim; see more photos online at
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