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The Alliance for Living, the only AIDS Service Organization in Southeastern Connecticut, got its start on April 15th, 1998, as the result of a merger between the Southeastern Connecticut AIDS Project (SECAP) and the Helping Our People Endure (H.O.P.E.) Foundation, Inc.

We had the chance to talk with Michael (Mike) Rosenkrantz, who has been the Executive Director of this exceptional ASO for all seven-and-a-half years of its existence.

“We offer comprehensive non-medical services to people with HIV or AIDS,” Michael says. “We serve approximately 200 people with HIV and their families, including about 100 children who are affected by HIV.” The mission of the Alliance is to improve the quality of life for people and their families living with HIV/AIDS.

In addition to offering case management, the agency operates a “Living Center,” which is not a place people live but a site where members (clients) come to receive a wide range of services including support groups, fellowship meals, internet access, haircuts, massage and much more. The Living Center includes a state-of-the-art fitness center, which was previously a two-car garage. There’s a children’s room that provides a safe and fun environment for kids while their parents attend functions at the Alliance.

The agency subsidizes 25 units of housing. “Affordable housing is really a big issue in Connecticut,” Mike says. There is also an “Essentials of Life” program which provides food, cleaning and personal hygiene items to members. The Alliance also offers Positively Speaking which is an HIV/AIDS risk-reduction education program that pairs HIV educators with people living with HIV/AIDS.

The agency also provides social and recreational activities for its members. Recently they went on a field trip to the Aquarium in Mystic, CT. This October, members and their families enjoyed a weekend retreat at the Voluntown Peace Farm. Soon, as the result of a grant from “Broadway Cares,” they will go to Manhattan for dinner and a Broadway show. “For many of our members, it will be the first time they’ve had the chance to see a Broadway production,” Mike says.

“We’re all about empowerment,” Mike says. “We want the people we serve to live as full and rewarding a life as possible. We don’t pull people, but we create opportunities for them. I’ve seen so many success stories. For example, two of our members recently started a fellowship lunch. We provide the kitchen and the food, but they have taken the responsibility to make the sandwiches and be here to talk to whoever comes. In our “Positively Speaking” program, I see members who are able to tell their story – take what may have been a very negative experience and turn it into a positive experience. That’s empowerment. When I see those members who are capable go out and get a job or volunteer, that’s empowerment.”

You can contact the Alliance for Living at 860 447-0884. More information is available on-line at www.allianceforliving.org.

Copyright 2010, Positive Health Publications, Inc.

This magazine is intended to enhance your relationship with your doctor - not replace it! Medical treatments and products should always be discussed with a licensed physician who has experience treating HIV and AIDS!