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Positive East is London's largest HIV charity, providing emotional and practical support to those diagnosed with HIV. We provide advice on matters ranging from housing and employment to dealing with stigma and with relationships. Positive East relies on the support of volunteers and kind donations to keep the charity going, and to ensure that everyone who needs support receives it. We need your help to fundraise - by helping us with our collections by encouraging people to donate to us and wear the Red Ribbons for World AIDS Day. Many think HIV has gone away, but sadly this isn't the case. There are 50,000 people living in London with HIV - 10,000 come through Positive East's doors every year. Everyday, HIV stigma affects the lives of those diagnosed. Positive East wants to encourage 1,000 Londoners to wear a red ribbon on World AIDS Day to raise awareness of HIV in London, to combat stigma and as symbol of people living with HIV today. We also hope to raise £1,000 for Positive East's support services, to help give people the support they need to overcome HIV stigma and live full and healthy lives.

Each year, the Holiday Hampers programme creates tailored hampers filled with gifts, food, toiletries and other essentials for some of London’s most vulnerable groups – including families and elderly individuals – during the holiday season. Our 2016 programme donated 680+ hampers, which benefited 1,300+ Londoners – including around 600 children. Hampers are carefully customised to the needs of the recipients, whether for an elderly individual, a single mother escaping domestic violence, or families working their way out of poverty or homelessness. Last year, for example, hampers for young mothers included: soup, dried pasta & pasta sauce, canned fruit and vegetables, biscuits, tea, jam, chocolate, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, a book and a personalised children’s gift, for each child. Our aim is to help these families and individuals feel the spirit of the Holiday Season. Each year, our Community Partners provide anecdotal feedback, as well as thank-you notes, confirming that our hampers are often the only gifts the recipients receive, and the hampers make a real difference in their lives. As a West London Action for Children staff member reported, “The Hampers were the highlight of the Christmas activities for our clients. They made them feel cared for and far less isolated.”