December 8, 2009

UCSF Program Collecting Gifts for Vulnerable Youth

A UCSF outreach program aimed at reducing the incidence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS among youth is seeking donations of clothing and small electronics to be distributed at its upcoming holiday party.

The program, Connect to Protect, targets at-risk and HIV-positive youth ages 12 to 24 through community mobilization interventions. The program is housed within the UCSF Division of Adolescent Medicine and is part of the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network, a federally funded, multicenter research network.

Nearly 80 percent of the individuals served by Connect to Protect live in transitional housing, and 64 percent are current or former foster youth, according to program director Kevin Sniecinski.

The holiday party will take place on Friday, Dec. 18 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood. It will provide gifts, food and entertainment to more than 75 at-risk, HIV-positive, queer and transgender youth, Sniecinski said.

The party is being hosted by Connect to Protect and its peer-led community intervention component, LIFT Bay Area.

Donations of new apparel and small electronic items can be dropped off at UCSF’s Laurel Heights campus, care of LIFT Bay Area program coordinator Jackson Bowman (41/476-3330) in Suite 245.

The most highly requested items are:

Men’s and Women’s jackets (mostly need smalls and mediums, but also need large to XXXL)
Denim jeans and pants (mostly need Men’s and Women’s sizes 31-36, but also need 38 to XXXL)
Men’s and Women’s shoes, especially athletic or boots (Women’s sizes 7-12, Men’s sizes 8-13)
Blankets, twin size sheet sets, sleeping bags, socks, knit hats, scarves and gloves.
Hooded sweatshirts, unisex (sizes small to XXXL)
Writing tablets and journals, plus pens and colored pencils.
MP3 players, headphones (skullcandy brand preferred), Metro PCS cell phones, Metro PCS gift cards (to help pay outstanding cell phone bills)
Gift cards for movies, Safeway, Starbucks, Jamba Juice,Old Navy, Gap, H&M, iTunes and Visa gift cards with a value of at least $25.

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