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About | Overview of HIV/HCV Resource Center
Our Office
We are located at 2 Blacksmith Street in Lebanon, New Hampshire, directly behind Steve's Pet Shop and next to the Rivermill complex. Our hours are Monday - Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm. Appointments outside of regular business hours are available for client convenience.
Our staff and volunteers are always ready to assist you with any questions or concerns you might have whether it is over the phone, during a scheduled appointment, or during a walk-in visit. In addition to meeting our staff members, you can also help yourself to the wide variety of resources in our office, including free condoms (both male and female), a series of magazines created for HIV-positive individuals (including POZ and HIV Positive magazines), and informational brochures on a wide variety of subjects related to HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.
Our Mission
The mission of HIV/HCV Resource Center is to support and empower those whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C to live fully and with dignity and to stop the spread of these diseases through education, information, and understanding. Our goal is to interrupt and decrease the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C and to provide care and services to individuals infected and affected by those diseases.
Our Services
HIV/HCV Resource Center offers a full range of supportive services to people with HIV and AIDS as well as Hepatitis C, living in Windsor and Orange Counties of Vermont and Sullivan and Grafton Counties of New Hampshire. We also provide education and prevention information through the region. Additionally, we advocate for progressive public policy. All of our services are free and confidential.
HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C Education and Prevention
At a time of increasing rates of HIV and Hepatitis C infection among young people, ACoRN strives to stop the advance of the viruses by offering prevention information to schools, civic organizations, and the general public. Our goal is to empower individuals to reduce their risks of contracting or spreading these viruses. A comprehensive array of free materials about HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted diseases are available in the our office. Our prevention and outreach activities cover a range of topics and settings, including:
- Health Fairs
- Panel presentations with HIV positive speakers
- HIV 101
- Medical issues related to HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis C
- Personal HIV/Hepatitis C risk markers and assessment for providers
Confidential and Free HIV and Hepatitis C Tests
HIV/HCV Resource Center uses two types of HIV tests, the OraSure test and the OraQuick test. The test itself is a three minute procedure and is offered with individual prevention counseling; the OraQuick test offers results within 20 minutes, and the OraSure test offers results within two weeks. The test can be performed at our office, or any other appropriate location. It is simple, non-invasive, quick, and confidential. The Hepatitis C test is a blood test. The actual procedure takes 10 minutes, and results are provided in two weeks. Both tests are offered free of charge.
Direct Services
The staff and volunteers of HIV/HCV Resource Center will try to assist and provide services to any individual contacting the office and qualifying for said assistance. If we are unable to directly provide a service, the agency will provide a referral to an agency or provider that can assist the individual.
Syringe Exchange Program
HIV/HCV Resource Center operates a Syringe Exchange Program on Mondays and Thursdays from 2:30pm - 4:30pm out of the Good Neighbor Health Clinic in White River Junction, Vermont. All services offered at the Syringe Exchange Program are free and confidential (including on-site HIV and Hepatitis C tests). This program is funded by the Vermont Department of Health.
Financial Assistance
HIV/HCV Resource Center has a Crisis Fund available to help our clients with short-term financial emergencies. We can also help access local, state, and federal programs to provide our clients with further assistance.
Food
HIV/HCV Resource Center has the ability to help qualified individuals receive assistance with nutritional and dietary needs in two different ways: our food pantry and the DOVE Program. Our food pantry is in-house and available for our clients who are in need of food and other household supples. The DOVE Program is a program that collects and distributes more than 12,000 pounds of food and household supplies to our clients through collaborative efforts with a local church.
Referrals
HIV/HCV Resource Center works in collaboration with many agencies, including Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. We are able to make referrals to other agencies and services within the region. Our agency also has access to the names of doctors, dentists, lawyers and other health providers who are sensitive to the needs and concerns of clients.
Below is a partial list of agencies/programs with whom we partner:
Support Groups
HIV/HCV Resource Center provides referrals to appropriate support groups and will, if there is sufficient interest, develop support groups.
HIV/HCV Resource Center is generously supported by United Way, Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS, the Dorothy Byrne Foundation, Grafton County Human Services, the New Hampshire and Vermont Departments of Health, New Hampshire Center for Non Profits, National Association of People Living with AIDS, and the Hanover and Lebanon Chambers of Commerce.
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