AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts

AIDS Action provides so much to the community… to every member of the community.
They have an anonymous hot line. Staffed by a knowledgeable group of volunteers, you can ask them anything. There are no dumb questions.
They like helping teens. AIDS Action has a program that is targeted to teens called Maria Talks. A hot line and a web site both help teens learn about birth control, STDs, and more. It’s safe and anonymous. Wish they’d been around when I was a teen.
They offer education and advocacy. Have a family member who you are concerned about? Feel like you need legal help? Need to connect with others? Want to help make changes? Want to hear about the latest medical information? AIDS Action can help.
They have a lot fun. There are walks, cruises, dance parties, bike rides, art shows and more. Anyone is welcome to attend. And it’s fun volunteering at the events, too.
They are into shopping. AIDS Action operates Boomerangs in four different locations. Boomerangs are resale/​thrift shops that take donations happily. They are also awesome places to shop. I’ve found brand new books, a gorgeous lamp, a belt I wear all the time and some beautiful plates that everyone admires when I pull them out for parties.
We are very lucky indeed to have this proud, supportive and positive organization working here.

I saw Dorothy W.‘s review of this organization and it reminded me that I had a few 5-​star experiences with AIDS Action as well.
Six months ago, I wrote a term paper about HIV testing in the adult film industry. This was a controversial experience for everyone in my class because I interviewed sources ranging from former porn stars, to pro and anti porn advocacy groups, to Wicked Pictures (whose contact info is not on their website, btw… but it’s listed on Unilocal!), to diagnostics experts.
When I needed to get a good grasp on the types of HIV tests available for low-​cost service, the folks at AIDS Action were amazing. The press guy took my request very seriously and actually took the time to look at their staff to make sure that I spoke with the absolute best person. And the person he found for me to interview was absolutely perfect. And, well, damned if it didn’t make me take my personal sexual health more seriously.
Look, a lot of folks refuse to talk to journalists… and they’re especially reluctant to talk to journalism graduate students. If this group went out of their way just to accomodate me for a class assignment, imagine what amazing things they do for the community who needs their services. As such, since I’m too poor to actually make any donations to them, the least I can do is sing their praises on the internet.

Wayyy back in the early 1980’s I was privileged to meet Larry Kessler, AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts’s founding director. Me? I was just a junior-​level community relations/​advocacy person for the Boston-​area homeless services umbrella organization The Pine Street Inn, Inc., yet Larry and his staff treated me as though I (and more importantly, everyone at Pine Street) was a true colleague in a vital fight. Every time I walked in Larry’s office I got this feeling that I was being received right then and there as someone with something to offer the cause.
Just like countless others who’ve crossed paths with Larry, I was deeply impressed by his compassion, focus, drive, creativity, and hunger for inter-​agency collaboration. And clearly, the word «ACTION» in AAC’s name is no accident — in every dealing I ever had with Larry & Company (my moniker here) the bottom line was ACTION.
So here we all are, so many years later, and AIDS is still very much with us, but/​and/​however, so is the AIDS Action Committee. The work surely is complicated, far-​reaching, and just damn hard, yet it seems 24−7−365 the AAC goes on serving and advocating, and Larry’s guiding spirit remains lithe, vibrant!
FIVE STARS for the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, and that’s putting it far too lightly.

Just one of the many things that makes AAC stand out against other places of volunteer service is that they really take the time to EDUCATE you before setting you to work. They want you to know what you’re talking about, what you’re dealing with, and how best to do it. No big surprise — your elbow grease goes a long way for AAC, but passing on your knowledge is a powerful tool for prevention.
Volunteering at the Nutrition Works food pantry was sincerely a highlight of my life. Donating money can be a little unfulfilling if you never know where it goes. See what it feels like to actually hand over a week’s worth of groceries to a family who really needs it, or give them a turkey on Thanksgiving. If being up close and personal isn’t for you, no worries! AAC has literally dozens of placements for you. What are you good at?

I took a group of students here one year during orientation week. The people at AIDS Action were kind enough to do a presentation before the students began volunteering. As a group we made educational packets (basically pamphlets and condoms) for distribution. Not much work, but it was one less thing to do for the core group of employees.
I loved that the volunteer experience had an educational component to it. I’m unsure if they did that especially for us or if it’s something they do normally, but this is one great organization. I think a lot of the time people volunteer without really knowing how much they’re impacting a community. I strongly support any kind of volunteerism, but I think it’s important that people know how they’re helping an organization or where exactly those fundraised dollars are going.
On the political end, AIDs Action does a great job of updating the community about issues regarding AIDs/​HIV through their newsletters. They also list their upcoming fundraisers and what you can do in general to help out.
Hoorah for the good that they do and their convenient downtown location. :) Not to mention their wide variety of condoms. heh

If you polled all the employees, clients and allies of this agency, you’d see a lot of 5 stars. Being one of them, I can’t disagree! AAC has been around the longest in the fight against AIDS and it’s because they know what’s up when it comes to AIDS, helping people in need and fighting the hard fight when it comes to things like over-​the-​counter access to clean needles, supporting gay marriage, getting increased funding for housing and food for people living with HIV/​AIDS, and on and on… But even cooler still, they make some of the coolest and most eye catching PAs (Public Announcements — see «this is your brain on drugs» as an example, but not done by AAC), some with dirty words and dirty pictures on it!
Incidentally, I have to say that they treat their employees like royalty (in the context of non-​profits) and endorse such kick ass groups as the Derby Dames (see separate review).
Get a job here, volunteer here or just send them money!