Women Alive

About Us

Women Alive has a goal of bringing women affected and infected with HIV/AIDS out of isolation through information, encouragement and emotional support. Project Description: In July of 1993 Being Alive (People with HIV/AIDS Action Coalition), branched off into women specific issues by starting a newsletter. From there, an organization to serve women affected and infected with HIV was founded. Women Alive is a volunteer organization that meets the needs of women who have isolated themselves because of the virus.

Our intent is to get women involved by

1. Volunteering
2. Interacting in support groups
3. Peer support
4. Social support
5. Political reform and activism

Women who have been diagnosed as being HIV+ operate and manage a national women's hotline. The hotline is used by many women who have questions concerning HIV and women's issues. Women are motivated to relate their experiences with HIV in the Women Alive newsletter. The newsletter is intended to inform women on medical issues and to help find other women, who are infected, as a means of support and encouragement. Women also have an onsite treatment advocate who reports on various related therapies, both traditional and alternative. Women are also offered onsite acupuncture and massage as complementary therapy.

Project Results: Women who are actively involved have received self esteem and empowerment in spite of overwhelming odds. Findings and Implications: Women are now able to take control of health issues and other aspects of their lives, through peer support and peer involvement. HIV infected women are able to help other women who have been diagnosed, to make well informed life-changing decisions.

Our Mission

Advocate, collaborate, and educate to improve the health and wellbeing of women of color and their families living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County, targeting physical, mental, emotional, and societal characteristic.

Our Vision

Through our programs we will work to enhance women of color and their families? self management, self governance, and leadership capability in changing local, state and national policy (research and funding) that impacts their lives.

Our work is guided by our vision that all Women

• Deserve equality in healthcare.
• Equal participation and access to programs and services.
• Deserve to have a sense of self worth.
• Have the tools to develop and manage healthy interpersonal relationships that are based upon truth, honesty, and commitment.

Our Values

Women Alive Coalition, Inc. has a commitment to foster the following core values through a collective leadership approach that is based on integrity, innovation, honesty, creativity, and diversity.

We will achieve these values through the following:

• Provide a 'peer-based model' of programs and services.
• Building a gender specific social and clinical model that uses culturally and linguistically relevant approaches that consider the variety of socioeconomic dilemmas faced by women of color and their families.
• Support relationship building, which is driven by passion and the concentration on developing solutions to the problems of combating HIV/AIDS.
• Encourage self-management of the physical and psychological well being by incorporating social and clinical methodology when providing services.
• Create a safe environment based on social, informational, emotional, and appraisal support.

How to Reach Women Alive

1566 Burnside Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90019

Office hours: Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tel.: 1.323.965.1564
Fax: 1.323.965.9886
Hotline: 1.800.554.4876
E-mail: info@women-alive.org
Web site: www.women-alive.org