Dear Metro TeenAIDS’ Supporter:

The budding of spring has started in DC and Metro TeenAIDS continues to flourish as it begins a new partnership and receives funding for two of its key programs.

MTA Welcomes Alternate Spring Breakers: During the month of March, college students from the University of Michigan, Elizabethtown College, Michigan State University, University of Southern Florida, and Kent State University came to MTA to volunteer. Rather than taking time to relax during their break, these students participated in Alternate Spring Break (ASB) and dedicated their time to preventing the spread of HIV and reducing the stigma surrounding the virus in DC.

At MTA, ASB students created thousands of safer sex kits and reached hundreds of DC youth through street outreach. ASB participants also planned and facilitated the Monday night Freestyle Youth Center program, talking to youth about their own communities and learning about the youths' lives. One Monday, students from the University of Michigan and Freestyle youth created t-shirts with logos that represented themselves and their communities.

MTA Receives New Funding: Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP) will invest $700,000 over the next two years in Metro TeenAIDS to expand our work in DC Charter Schools. Metro TeenAIDS was one of two organizations selected from 68 applicants.

VPP is a non-profit philanthropic investment organization that helps growing organizations who serve youth of low-income families expand and develop their programs to even more nuanced levels.

MAC AIDS Fund, a subsidiary of Estee Lauder, awarded Metro TeenAIDS a grant to substantially improve citywide services for LGBT youth. The project will analyze existing policies and programs across city agencies around the support they provide to youth and make recommendations for strengthening them. It will also provide capacity building to agencies and organizations about how to improve services for LGBT youth. Finally, in partnership with RAND Corp, we will explore the social networks of young men of color who have sex with men and identify opportunities to increase prevention activities.

Shelly Hundiwal, New Director of Operations Arrives: MTA is pleased to announce our new Director of Operations, Shelly Hundiwal. She is responsible for managing staff training, IT assessments, and space configuration.

MTA Participates in National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, March 10, is a nationwide observance that encourages people to take action against HIV/AIDS and its impact on women and girls. Programs observing the day offer support, encourage discussion, and teach females about the prevention of HIV, the importance of getting tested for HIV, and how to live with and manage HIV/AIDS. MTA will host a women's get together "All Dolled Up." This year's event will be hosted at The Fridge, a local art gallery and music venue in Eastern Market on Wednesday, March 16. "All Dolled Up," will include HIV/AIDS counseling and testing, jewelry making, free makeovers, and a film screening.

Metro TeenAIDS Auction – June 16th, 2011 at the Embassy of Italy! Get out your passport – the 18th Annual Metro TeenAIDS Auction will move to the Embassy of Italy. For more information about sponsorships, item donations and tickets, visit metroteenaids.org/auction.

MTA Cafés: These events bring friends, community members, and local business people together to meet our staff and hear about our programs.  To attend a MTA Café, or to host one for your friends or colleagues, email Colleen Hughes. MTA staff is happy to bring the MTA Café to your workplace or community group.

Calling all Facebook and Twitter Junkies: Metro TeenAIDS is on Facebook. If you are too, please join our Metro TeenAIDS Cause Page. You can join us on Twitter too: click here to follow our updates.

MTA is Part of the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign: Making a donation through your workplace campaigns is a convenient and powerful way to support our work, and we appreciate your help! For the Combined Federal Campaign for the National Capital Area: designate #51570. For the United Way of the National Capital Area (non-Federal employees whose workplace participates in the United Way campaign): designate #8570.

Please support our 23 years of service to Washington, DC:
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Thank you!