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Letters from Our Readers

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

I wanted to share with your readers the work of an organization that truly embodies the spirit of the season—PWA Holiday Charities. Its mission is to raise funds for the betterment of people living with HIV/AIDS throughout the year, specifically around the holidays. In the case of my organization we can attest to the sheer kindness and selfless benevolence of this wonderful organization.

Bering Omega Community Services is a nonprofit health care and social service organization that provides the only services for individuals infected with HIV/AIDS in oral health, residential hospice, and day treatment in Southeast Texas. We also provide housing assistance. All these services are free of charge to underserved, medically indigent HIV-positive individuals.

Each year, PWA Holiday Charities gives a generous donation to our organization for the client’s Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas parties. Through this donation, for each of the three holidays, we are able to have a fabulous hot lunch with all the fixings. Plus at Thanksgiving the clients go home with blankets, and at Christmas, Santa arrives to give the clients each a gift from their individual gift lists. Our clients look forward to these three parties all year long. The expression on each of their faces as they open the special gift that was purchased and wrapped just for them reminds me of why I love fundraising. This is all due to PWA Holiday Charities.

In these tough economic times, we were fortunate to be able to continue to maintain our service delivery levels to more than 2,700 individuals living with HIV/AIDS. But it is organizations like PWA Holiday Charities that allow us to go that extra mile and give the clients something more, and because of them, our clients could count on having a Christmas this year. On behalf of our clients, volunteers, board, and staff, we honor and thank PWA Holiday Charities for all they do.

Carey J. Pope
Manager of Resource Development
Bering Omega Community Services

Corrections

In last month’s “‘Tis the Season” by Steven Foster, a quote was incorrectly attributed to Kay Van Cleave. OutSmart regrets the error.

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