Change is in the airWe love Spring because there is sense of excitement, fresh energy, and new beginnings. So it is here at Face to Face right now. Change is in the air and we are celebrating new opportunities. We have had a couple of changes in our staff. After ten amazing years at Face to Face as our Program Director, Meghan Murphy has taken a new position at our sister agency Food for Thought. She is their new Deputy Director, and we couldn’t be happier for her and for Food for Thought! Heather Myler, long time F2F Benefits Counselor, has stepped up to be our new Care Services Director and oversee the programs that assist our HIV+ clients. And Lorie Violette has been promoted to the position of Prevention Director responsible for our prevention education, HIV testing, and syringe exchange programs. They both come with many years of hands on experience and the full support of our whole team. Dennis Agnos has left his position as our Development Director and we are currently looking to fill that position. We wish Dennis the best and thank him for his many contributions to our work. All of our programs are running strong and are in high demand within our community. There is clear evidence that the services we are providing are working. The number of new HIV cases in Sonoma County continues to decrease; we are successfully assisting homeless clients to move into permanent housing; and we are saving many lives through syringe exchange and overdose prevention. Thank you as always for your steadfast support of our mission of ending HIV in Sonoma County, while supporting the health and well-being of people living with HIV. The two upcoming events raise funds to support our work, so we hope you’ll attend one or both. We promise you’ll enjoy them while contributing to our important work. Warmly,

Rick Dean

Executive Director

April 13 & 14 – Fazioli and Friends – An Afternoon ConcertThe Fazioli is a 10-foot grand piano, a preciousinstrument, perhaps one of its kind in SonomaCounty. The Friends are Ken Piters, Piano;Roy Zajac, Principal Clarinet, Santa RosaSymphony; and members of Scattered Winds, awoodwind ensemble. Together they will make beautiful music in the concert-like great room of a Calistoga home, performing the sonata for clarinet and piano by Francis Poulenc, the Quintet in E-flat Major Major for piano and winds, K4522 by Mozart, and a piece to be announced. Refreshments will be served, along with winefrom Petrified Forest Vineyards. Two Special PerformancesApril 13 & April 142 – 4 PM $50 Buy Tickets

June 8 – Beerfest The Good OneBeerfest-The Good One is an annual tasting event featuring over 50 of Northern California’s best breweries and cideries. Beerfest attracts about 1,500 guests from around CA, and net proceeds from the festival benefit Face to Face.2019 marks our 28th year of Beerfest—it started out as an informal community-driven gathering on the Russian River to raise funds for F2F at the height of the AIDS crisis, and now has become a much-beloved annual event that brings folks from all over the state and continues to raise vital funds for F2F’s ongoing work in prevention and care. (The nickname “The Good One” even came from feedback we received from a fan many years ago who, while exiting the festival said, “You guys are the good one! Beerfest is the good one!” and the name stuck.) VIP tickets on sale nowl: http://bit.ly/2PslEuq orVisit the Beerfest website for more info

Undetectable = UntransmittableThat’s right! People living with HIV who are adherent to their meds and get to and keep an undetectable viral load have no risk of transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative sex partners. We began shouting this universal stigma-reducing message to our local community in all our marketing efforts–from the window signs at our office to our website and on Facebook and in print in The Bohemian. Let’s destigmatize HIV in 2019. Relax – you can enjoy sex without the fear of HIV Visit our website for more info

PrEP Navigation Yes, indeed, there is a pill HIV-negative people can take once a day to reduce their risk of HIV transmission by up to 99 percent. We tested hundreds of individuals at our office in Santa Rosa for HIV, plus many more at the North County Detention Facility and at annual events like Cinco de Mayo and Pride. During our test counseling session we introduce clients to and make referrals for PrEP. PrEP stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and is the strongest shield against HIV transmission. Relax – you can enjoy sex without the fear of HIV Visit our website for more info