Everyone has been touched by somebody who has been affected by HIV/AIDS. In fact, nearly 7,500 new cases of HIV infections are reported worldwide each day. In the United States alone, someone is infected with HIV every nine and a half minutes. A significant fundraiser since 1990, Dining Out for Life offers a meaningful way to support a worthy cause that suffers from lack of funding. On a single day, nearly $4 Million is raised in the struggle against HIV/AIDS.
On Thursday, April 28, 2011, more than 250,000 people across North America are expected to help raise crucially needed funds for their local HIV/AIDS service organizations by eating in one of the more than 3,500 restaurants in 56 cities that will donate a generous percentage of revenue from meals served that day. In Portland, participating restaurants will donate between 20 to 30 percent of that night’s profits to the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) HIV Day Center and OHSU Partnership Project.
The HIV Day Center is a drop-in center for low income people living with HIV and AIDS. In addition to providing hot meals, they provide counseling, clothing, phones, internet access, showers and acupuncture. OHSU Partnership Project was founded in 1995 to provide services to people living with HIV/AIDS, their families and those at high-risk. They provide HIV case management and prevention counseling to those living with HIV/AIDS and those at high-risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS.
