Regional Services | Regional HIV/AIDS Connection

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Regional Services

We serve the counties of Perth, Huron, Lambton, Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford in Southwestern Ontario.

Why is Regional HIV/AIDS Connection (RHAC) in your community?

In 2006, an HIV/AIDS community planning report commissioned by the AIDS Bureau at the Ontario Ministry of Health was completed using input from people involved in HIV/AIDS work in London and surrounding counties. The report highlighted the unique challenges and needs of people in rural areas and smaller communities living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Increased stigma and discrimination, transportation to HIV-specific medical services and support and lack of up-to-date HIV education were identified as areas needing attention.

Regional HIV/AIDS Connection is a well-respected AIDS Service Organization (ASO) in Ontario that has led the way in HIV/AIDS advocacy, prevention initiatives, education, and support services for over 25 years. The report identified RHAC (formerly the AIDS Committee of London) as the agency best positioned to begin providing HIV/AIDS services in Perth, Huron, Lambton, Elgin, and Oxford counties in addition to its work in London/Middlesex.

Regional Client Services

  • All of our programs and services for people living with HIV/AIDS are available throughout the six counties we serve.
  • Clients are welcome to come into our London office and meet with the Client Services team. Staff are able to come to you and your community as well.
  • The majority of our programs and services are based out of our London office, however, transportation assistance (volunteer drivers as well as financial compensation for travel) is available for all of our clients.
  • Please contact our Client Services team for information on how to access transportation assistance.

Other Regional Activities

  • Are you interested in receiving an educational presentation for your workplace, school or community organization? We travel widely throughout the six counties to speak on a variety of topics associated with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.
  • Volunteers from all the six counties are needed and welcome. Visit our Volunteer page to learn more.
  • All fundraised dollars from county-specific events will remain in your county to provide important programs and services to local people living with HIV/AIDS. Visit our Host an Event page to learn how to host a third-party event to benefit HIV/AIDS work in your community. You can also make a donation to support the general RHAC mission.

Testimonials

"I have learned so many things and information regarding HIV/AIDS. I have had the honour of meeting people with all different stories of survival. Your agency has shown me that HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence, but a life of many challenges to overcome. I truly feel your agency is what gives me the strength to live each day. Your agency and the great people that make the agency what it is today have truly given people the love, hope and understanding of the life each one of us deserves and for that I thank you." — Client living in Oxford County

"We worked a lot together for a better future" - Regional Client

"RHAC has meant a lot to me both in the past, and in recent years. Since testing positive in 1988, I've lived in a few municipalities, some with AIDS Service Organizations and some without. RHAC (then the AIDS Committee of London) was the first one I accessed back in 1989. They were very supportive at the time and this is where I started attending my first support group. After several more years living elsewhere, I returned to my hometown of Sarnia in 2004. Until recently there were no AIDS services of significance for here. RHAC reached out and took in Sarnia/ Lambton County , as well as a few other surrounding counties. Now I finally have a support organization I can access.
This means a lot to me. I've had the chance to train as a peer support volunteer, allowing me the opportunity to serve the community. I find it rewarding to be able to do this kind of work at the level of involvement I find suitable for myself. With RHAC I also have a support group and I can now network with other PHAs. In Sarnia, with no support organization til now, I had no real chance to meet with other PHAs on a regular basis. Now I have "The Winners Circle" (long-term survivor group) to attend. RHAC has helped me with travel expenses to attend these activities, as well as for my appointments with a doctor, who I actually discovered during the course of my volunteer training. All of this has been invaluable to me." Client living in Lambton County