LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The SHARP Center Helps Fill Information Gap |
Located on South Street just off Old Landing Road in Rehoboth you will find the SHARP Center, a program of the Sussex County AIDS Committee. The center provides HIV/AIDS materials and references for the community, including youth and educators, with its more than 400 book titles, 40 videos, training handbooks, magazines and pamphlets. Most of these materials can be borrowed and viewed at your convenience. All the material can be viewed at the SHARP Center.
The SHARP Center Director is available from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, for any questions and concerns you may have. Questions have ranged from times of local testing sites to concerns about applying for Social Security income. In addition, all questions with answers are anonymously placed in the bi-monthly newsletter so that other persons may also benefit. The bi-monthly newsletter is compiled with the latest information about HIV for anyone infected with or affected by the HIV virus. All the information gathered to produce the newsletter is found within the SHARP Center via books or the internet. The newsletter is offered free of charge to anyone who requests it and it will be mailed in a plain white envelope to ensure confidentiality of the person receiving it. Expect the next copy in October. In addition to resource materials, the SHARP Center provides free internet training, an AIDS 101 class, outreach prevention programs, free anonymous HIV testing, free condoms, and a diverse schedule of workshops for people living with or affected by the HIV virus. The SHARP Center uses the Orasure method to test for the HIV antibodies. The Orasure test is a plastic wand with a cotton pad at the end. The cotton pad is placed inside the mouth between the cheek and gum line for two minutes. During this time the pad is collecting antibodies, not the virus. No blood or needles are required and Orasure is over 99% accurate. The testing is done at the SHARP Center five days a week by appointment. Currently the SHARP Center is recruiting a team of client advocates. These persons would provide one-on-one assistance to clients to help them resolve specific issues in their life (for example, resolving landlord issues, or computer assistance). Each client interaction would be on an as needed basis and would not require regularly scheduled meeting times. The SHARP Center also sponsors a variety of seminars, workshops, and other programs aimed at helping persons in our community affected by HIV/AIDS. For more information about the services provided by the SHARP Center, contact Jeanne at 302-644-1094 or getsharp@dca.net. The SHARP Center is a program of SCAC, the Sussex County AIDS Committee. Primary funding for the center is provided through a grant from the Delaware HIV Consortium. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 9, No. 12, Aug. 27, 1999 |