World AIDS Day
The anti-AIDS activist group Gay Men's Health Crisis commemorates the "20th Year of World AIDS Day" today with a salute to volunteers and a situation report.
It notes that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saw a 40 percent increase in new HIV infections in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available, over 2005. I'm no expert, but that doesn't sound like progress to me.
As for voluntarism, the center cites statistics estimating the market value of Americans' all volunteer work at $158 billion annually. No one knows what that figure might be locally, but Greensboro's contributions in the philanthropic field, from United Way contributions to Crop Walk participation, are well documented.
Locally, Triad Health Project, which also depends on -- and is grateful for -- volunteers, is holding its 17th Annual Winter Walk for AIDS on Saturday. You can register online here.
