Inspiration House was one of four homes showcased during the 40th annual Cathedral Antiques Show & Tour of Homes from the Episcopal Church Women of the Cathedral of St. Philip. The show also included lectures and an antiques show. Money raised from the show was donated to H.E.R.O. for Children, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children infected with and affected by HIV-AIDS.

The San Francisco Business Times has published a series of articles on HIV/AIDS recently. This column highlights reasons for optimism in the fight against the disease.

What does love got to do with HIV/AIDS? Let's look at some common reasons why, supposedly in the name of love, we don't protect ourselves against HIV. Why don’t we ask our partners about their HIV status? ''Because I love him,'' or ''because she loves me,'' people often say. Why don’t we use condoms? ''Because I love him (or her).''

An important story about HIV in those over 50. The Washington area has the fourth-highest rate of AIDS cases among U.S. metropolitan areas, while Washington, D.C. itself has the highest rate among U.S. states and territories. Perhaps most surprisingly, in D.C., Maryland and Virginia the highest proportion of HIV and AIDS cases is found among residents in their 40s and 50s. For example, while 3.6 percent of those ages 30 to 39 in the District of Columbia are living with HIV or AIDS, that rate soars to 7.6 percent of those 40 to 49 and 5.9 percent of those 50 to 59.

Thanks to medical breakthroughs, we now know how to stop the passage of HIV from mother to child. This means that no child has to be born with HIV!

This is a great way to combine an awareness campaign with outreach by the faith community. If your parish has engaged in similar efforts, tell us about them in the comments!