Quoted Text

All must work to get out the word about AIDS

    We are writing in response to the June 20 letter from Michelle McClave, Angela Keller and Joe Kerwin that commented on the June 8 Gazette article, “Marchers fight stigma, support AIDS victims,” covering the AIDS Walk sponsored by Circle of Care.
    First of all, we would like to thank these authors for pointing out a factual error in the original article. The article said that Circle of Care, an AIDS ministry of Calvary Tabernacle Church in Schenectady, is working with 30 to 40 children who are infected with HIV. In fact, we are working with 30 to 40 children and adults, who are either infected or affected by HIV, in partnership with the Damien Center of Schenectady.
    We don’t know how many of these children or adults are infected with HIV, simply because we haven’t asked. We are providing emotional and spiritual support to these children and adults, rather than medical care.
    We also want to thank the authors for encouraging churches to get involved in the fight against HIV. We couldn’t agree more! Circle of Care sponsored this AIDS Walk because we feel a calling to get the word out about the threat of AIDS in our community, to help break down the stigma, to encourage people to be tested so that they can protect themselves and protect their loved ones, and to provide support to those infected or affected by AIDS.
    Calvary Tabernacle has been working with AIDS victims and AIDS orphans in Africa for a number of years (visit our Web site at http://www.caltabag.com), and Circle of Care is now bringing these same efforts to our local community. If other churches and faith-based organizations can also “get into the game” in combating AIDS, to augment the fine work being done by the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York and other secular organizations, we can extend their reach and ultimately defeat this deadly virus.
    REGGIE HARRIS
    Schenectady
The writer is ministry leader for Circle of Care.