Boston Living Center Invites PLWHAs to Thanksgiving Dinner

Every November, the Boston Living Center (BLC) gathers people living with HIV/AIDS and their loved ones together in thanksgiving to celebrate the joy of life. Now in its 25th year of serving people living with HIV/AIDS, the BLC's most heartfelt tradition lives on. On Tuesday, November 25 at 5:30 p.m. Victory Programs' Boston Living Center will host the Celebration of Life Thanksgiving Dinner at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

"The Boston Living Center's annual joyous Celebration of Life dinner is one of the most beautiful, spirited and important events in our city of Boston," said Victory Programs' President and CEO Jonathan Scott. "Of the near 1,000 attendees -- guests and volunteers -- each has in some way endured loss in the history of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and each participates in giving comfort and support. In the true spirit of celebration, this dinner gathering creates a sparkling room of hope and community. There is no better place to be as we begin the holiday season."

As many as 700 people, those living with HIV/AIDS, and their loved ones, will gather for a full Thanksgiving meal. All of the food, including 500 pounds of turkey and 120 pies, decorations and technology has been generously donated by local businesses and nonprofits, making the event free and open to anyone living with HIV/AIDS in the Commonwealth.

In recognition of the Boston Living Center's 25th anniversary, the annual Peter Daniel Clark Award, given to individuals dedicated to advocating and serving those with HIV/AIDS, will be presented to the BLC's membership for showing what it truly means to LIVE with HIV.

The event will feature entertainment by Lakia Mondale, Verna Turbulence, Michael O'Connor and Woza Moya, and Coro Allegro. Liz Walker, former WBZ newscaster and current minister at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain, will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Other local celebrities and community leaders on hand to serve the Thanksgiving meal include David Brown, Chief Advancement Officer at the Forsyth Institute; Doug Berman and Ray Magliozzi of NPR's Car Talk; Dawn Fukuda, Director of the Office of HIV/AIDS at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health; Matt O'Malley of the Boston City Council; and State Representatives Gloria Fox, Jay Livingstone, Liz Malia and Aaron Michlewitz. The Celebration of Life is Victory Programs' largest fundraiser, raising more than $100,000 to ensure vital HIV/AIDS programming is preserved.

When the BLC was founded in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, those gathered never knew who would be around for their next holiday. Today, guests celebrate the advances in HIV/AIDS medicine and healthcare that allow them the opportunity to live long, healthy lives.

The Boston Living Center (BLC), located on Stanhope Street in Boston's Back Bay, is a nonprofit community and resource center that fosters the wellness of all HIV positive people and responds to the changing needs of the HIV/AIDS community. Through peer leadership and support, the BLC strives to enhance and enrich the lives of its members by providing education, treatment information, and support services with the goal of empowering members to live productive lives and participate within their families and communities. The BLC officially merged with Victory Programs on March 1, 2012.

Since opening its doors in 1975, Victory Programs has grown to 19 housing and health programs across Boston, Cambridge and Topsfield. Each year, Victory Programs serves more than 2,600 men, women and families dealing with homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction and chronic illnesses like HIV/AIDS and provides them with the tools needed to support to healthy, self-sufficient lives.

Join the Victory Programs and BLC for Thanksgiving Dinner at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 25 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

For more information, visit www.vpi.org.