BRATTLEBORO — Windham County will mark World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 with a vigil and program at the River Garden, 153 Main St., from noon-1 p.m.
This event is co-sponsored by the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont, the Vermont Department of Health, and CHABHA (Children Affected by HIV/AIDS).
World AIDS Day is celebrated on Dec. 1 each year around the world. It has become one of the most recognized international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.
The Brattleboro program will start at noon with a vigil outside of the River Garden on Main Street. At 12:15 p.m., participants will move inside, where the choir of the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church will provide music. The Rev. Phillip Wilson will speak about the AIDS ministry he supported as Rector of an Episcopal Church in Morristown, N.J., and the Rev. Jean Smith will speak about the work of CHABHA in Africa.
The AIDS Project of Southern Vermont is a regional AIDS service organization that provides direct services to people living with HIV/AIDS, and HIV prevention services to those at most risk in Windham, Bennington, and southern Windsor counties.
Contact the AIDS Project by calling 802-254-4444, visiting AIDSProjectSouthernVermont.org or stopping by the office located at 15 Grove St.
CHABHA raises awareness in the US of the plight of children in sub-Saharan Africa affected by HIV/AIDS and supports community-based projects for these children in Rwanda and Burundi. Contact CHABHA by visiting www.chabha.org.