Distinguished Service Award to PreventionWorks!
Presented by GLAA Vice President for Administration Kevin Davis
GLAA 37th Anniversary ReceptionWashington Plaza Hotel
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Greetings, Greetings & Greetings---
I am Kevin Davis, I have the pleasure of serving as GLAA Administrative Vice President. Thank you for supporting GLAA good works.
Our next awardee is truly a life affirming service organization, PreventionWorks!
PreventionWorks! was established in October 1998 to provide needle exchange and other harm reduction services in the District of Columbia.
Its mission is to curb the spread of HIV and other blood-borne diseases among injecting and other drug users, their sexual partners, and newborn children.
These vital activities are conducted most often in a mobile service vehicle.
PreventionWorks! incorporated after the U.S. Congress passed legislation forbidding both the District of Columbia from using its local funds to support needle exchange services and private organizations receiving any federal funds from operating a syringe exchange program, even if funded with private donations. The law was subsequently changed to allow publicly funded organizations to use private funds to contribute to needle exchange. Prior to the recent lifting of the local funding ban by Congress, PreventionWorks! operated a life-saving program for more than nine years solely on private donations.
In 2007 PreventionWorks! Accomplished:
- Provided 1,851 participants with life-saving education, referrals, and sterile needles.
- Distributed 178,891 new, sterile syringes
- Properly disposed of 177,111 contaminated syringes
- Had 10,499 discussions with clients about drug treatment
We in Washington, DC are so fortunate to have such an organization PreventionWorks! committed to providing harm reduction and life affirming services to our citizens.
Please join me in recognizing PreventionWorks! Good works.
It is my honor and pleasure to present PreventionWorks! this GLAA Distinguished Service Award 2008.
