FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 30, 2003
Contact: Rob Nixon, Communications Manager
404-874-7926, ext. 16; rnixon@aidssurvivalproject.org

AIDS AGENCIES’ RELOCATION MEANS IMPROVED SPACE FOR SERVICES

New address effective June 16:
139 Ralph McGill Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30308

Several years ago, three Atlanta-area AIDS organizations formed a partnership in order to jointly occupy and manage a single, easy-to-reach location for those who used their services. The three – AIDS Survival Project, Positive Impact, and AIDS Treatment Initiatives – have now secured a new location that will give them more space, with a layout that is more accessible and comfortable for clients, volunteers, and staff.

The agencies will relocate to 139 Ralph McGill Blvd. on June 13 and 14. Doors for all three agencies will be open for business as usual on Monday, June 16. Phone numbers and email addresses remain the same.

The new building, just two doors down from the former location, will also provide improved space for the Bruce Almond Community Room for public meetings and gatherings, and the Center for AIDS and Humanity, a teaching museum and exhibit space established by the three-agency partnership in 2002.

"The Center for AIDS and Humanity will continue as planned, and the amount of space for exhibits will be the same," noted Positive Impact Executive Director Paul Plate. "There are still plans to build the Center’s infrastructure so that eventually it will become an independent entity, but our priority right now during this transition is on client services, as it always has been and should be."

Each agency will gain from the relocation. AIDS Treatment Initiatives will have a more suitable area for its gym facility for clients. Positive Impact adds more rooms that provide a brighter, more comfortable atmosphere for individual and group counseling. And the better configuration of space allows AIDS Survival Project to integrate the Share Project community technology access center into its other programs. There is also room for the organization to expand as it launches the Positive Action Network, its statewide advocacy network and leadership development program, this summer.
The improved space comes with the extra bonus of a decreased square footage rate, making the move not only logistically sound but financially as well.

"We are very excited about the new facilities," Plate added. "Services for our clients will be more comprehensive and more easily accessible. It’s a fun space with really good energy."

The agencies are looking for community volunteers to help with the move throughout the week of June 9 – 14. Anyone interested in lending a hand can call Jeff Smith at AIDS Survival Project (404-874-7926, ext. 20) or Craig Washington at Positive Impact (404-589-9040, ext. 304).