Marilyn Wilson of AIDS Services of Austin joined us to tell us more about the oldest and largest community-based non-profit serving HIV and AIDS.
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AIDS Services of Austin
Marilyn Wilson of AIDS Services of Austin tells us more about the organization.
 
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WILSON: AIDS Services of Austin is where people that have HIV or AIDS can come, and we help them seek medical care, we get them into care, we have a food bank, a dental clinic, capital area legal project, but we also have prevention and education where we go into the community to teach healthy behaviors. That way people that are in the community know what they need to do to protect themselves from HIV.
NEWS 8: I read 4,800 people in Central Texas that are living with AIDS.
WILSON: It’s about 6,000 is what we are expecting now with the new CDC numbers, and it’s 10.2 percent annual growth where people continue to find out, 20 percent do not know that they are positive and that are infected currently. So, our goal is not only to stop the spread of infection with HIV, but it is also to have everyone get tested so they know their status. It should be one of those things that come just like you hear so much with breast cancer and get mammograms, it should be just as easy as that. You have to get tested, know your status, take care of yourself, that way you can live your life longer with managing your disease.
NEWS 8: I think right now we are dealing with a culture that where we are seeing people living with HIV and AIDS, it’s a different mentality.
WILSON: It’s a very different mentality and one of the hard parts is that they are still living alone because of this stigma with HIV and AIDS. So, as a culture, we haven’t progressed as quickly as science. Science has really come a long way regarding it, making it a more manageable disease. Although, if not managed carefully, it can take your life.
NEWS 8: So, Marilyn, it’s the holiday season. What can AIDS Services of Austin expect in their little stocking?
WILSON: Well, we love volunteers. We can’t do what we do in the community without volunteers for the food bank. We need voluntary attorneys for Capital Area AIDS Legal Project. We have a big event coming up, VIVA, which supports those and they can volunteer to do fundraising events if they prefer something along those lines. Also, donations are great. Clients really like gift cards, just straight gift cards from HEB goes such a long way; otherwise, space heaters and blankets. These are the type of things that when you’re at home and you are cold and you need a blanket, so do your clients. So, it helps. Every bit helps.
NEWS 8: It sounds like such an easy list to do and something so simply as gift cards that would go such a long way.
WILSON: Absolutely.
