Support Services
Care and Companionship Network (CCN)
The Care and Companionship Network is a buddy program where volunteers offer emotional, social, and/or practical support to a person living with HIV/AIDS. Volunteers set their own schedules with their buddies and make a minimum of four phone calls and two visits a month. Volunteers must complete a personal interview and 16 hours of training, attend monthly team meetings, and report hours monthly.
Massage Therapy
Certified Massage Therapists (CMT) and students volunteer their services to provide AID Atlanta clients valuable health benefits through massage therapy. AID Atlanta coordinates appointments with clients and volunteer massage therapists at the agency, Monday through Friday from 10 am to 7 pm.
Tax Assistance
Volunteers assist individuals who are HIV positive with tax preparation. Volunteers who wish to help in this capacity must be certified to assist with tax preparation.
Pediatrics
Under the direction of the pediatrics coordinator, volunteers provide child care for parents seeing providers at Grady IDP. Volunteers must complete a background check and a TB test. Opportunities to help out are from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.
Community Outreach
Discovery Program
Long-term HIV survivors who model a healthy and successful lifestyle are encouraged to apply for this program. The program serves as an opportunity for newly diagnosed clients to get together in a same sex environment to discuss their experiences, fears, and concerns in a safe educational environment. There are opportunities for volunteer participants and facilitators. Volunteers must be HIV+ and comfortable disclosing status to others in the confidential group setting.
AIDS 101 Committee
Volunteers organize the AIDS 101 Education and Awareness Seminars and participate in the production of each seminar. AIDS 101 volunteers can get involved by helping to prepare for the event, speaking at the seminar, or working as day-of-event volunteers.
African American Women’s Outreach
Volunteers provide HIV/AIDS education and risk reduction/prevention information to the African American community. Volunteers are needed to facilitate safer sex parties, staff tables at community events, conduct workshops at schools, universities, and civic groups, provide testing and counseling in the community, and distribute condoms at special events.
African American Gay Outreach
Volunteers assist with education and support to African American gay and bisexual men around the issues of HIV/AIDS through culturally sensitive programs. Volunteers are needed to facilitate Deeper Love workshops, perform club outreach and deliver safer sex materials, recruit and facilitate Get Your Life Parties, perform testing and counseling within the community, and assist at special events like health fairs and Black Gay Pride.
Gay and Bisexual Outreach
Volunteers provide education and support to gay and bisexual men related to increasing knowledge about HIV/AIDS, personal risk assessment, adopting and maintaining safer sexual practices. Opportunities for involvement include club outreach, delivering safer sex materials to the community, assisting with and facilitating Lifeguard and SPF 101 workshops, and providing testing and counseling in the community. Volunteers also perform Hepatitis vaccination outreach and assist in the clinic with client intakes on vaccination days.
Hispanic Outreach
Volunteers provide HIV/AIDS education and risk reduction/prevention information to the Hispanic community. Volunteers are needed to staff tables at community events, perform testing and counseling, assist with the GA HIV/STI Infoline, and to distribute condoms and information at special events. Volunteers need to be bilingual in Spanish and English to conduct outreach, but may assist with this program in the office if they are not.
Youth Outreach
Also known as A.S.K. U.S., teen volunteers (12-18 years old) provide HIV/AIDS education to their peers and valuable insights to parents regarding effective tools for communicating with teens. Opportunities for doing website outreach are also available through the teen coordinated website www.askusteens.org. Teen volunteers must complete training and attend monthly meetings. The goal is to prevent high-risk behavior and reach out to youth. There are also opportunities for adults to volunteer with our youth projects as well.
GA AIDS & STD Infoline
Volunteers are trained to answer general questions about HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections, and assist with referrals. When not taking calls, volunteers assist with data entry to track the calls to the Infoline. Daytime and evening opportunities are available.
Testing and Counseling
Volunteers assist with administering the Oraquick Advance? HIV Antibody Test and provide prevention counseling. Oral fluid samples are collected unless a consumer requests to utilize a blood sample (blood samples are collected through use of a finger stick). Volunteers must complete an intensive training and shadowing program to prepare them for working with clients. Volunteers are trained on all positions, but are allowed to choose to perform only those roles they are comfortable with. Opportunities to put your skills to work are offered here at the agency as well as at outreach events. Volunteers must complete AIDS 101 and attend the full Counseling & Testing training at AID Atlanta. The class is a 4-day class and is only offered Monday through Thursday from 9-5 at this time.
Speakers Bureau
Volunteers are trained to prepare and present talks on a variety of topics from personal experience to advanced medical overview. Requests for speakers come from businesses, churches, schools, and social groups.
On-Site Support
Office Support
Volunteers assist with office work, data entry, greeting visitors, making phone calls, and a variety of other important projects in our offices. Opportunities to learn various computer programs are available.
Clinic Support
Volunteers can assist in the AID Atlanta clinic performing a variety of tasks from working the desk, performing lab work, and completing client intakes. Skilled and unskilled volunteer opportunities are available as well as student externships.
Volunteer Receptionist
Volunteers assist the agency by answering multi-line phone, greeting clients and visitors, and paging staff. Hours are 9 am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday. This is a great way to get back into the work force and/or learn some new skills! Must satisfactorily complete a background check, be able to maintain a professional and calm demeanor, and be capable of learning a multi-line phone system. Prior receptionist experience preferred, but we will train.
Internships
Students intern with staff to gain valuable work and life experience in social services, fundraising, volunteer administration, education and client services. Undergraduate and graduate positions are available. Interns must commit to a minimum of 20 hours per week for 4 weeks.