As we continue to take time to remember past Dignity & Respect champions, let us honor
Alan Jones, June 2010 Dignity & Respect honoree for his work as a prevention counselor with the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force.
In the early ‘90s, Alan Jones lost more than 160 clients and friends during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis. During a time when families were abandoning their own who had been diagnosed, Jones was there to lend support during their darkest days. He was inspired by the struggles people faced when battling AIDS, and took on many personal emotional obstacles as he lost hundreds of AIDS patients that he worked with on a daily basis. Jones stood by them in the face of the powerful and negative stigma that surrounded the disease, and said that while that stigma has somewhat subsided, it still exists, preventing many people from getting tested.
Jones’ work at PATF on Penn Avenue in East Liberty includes providing free counseling, free testing, and lending support to a diverse group of people – each facing a different situation. No matter what situation people face as they come to PATF to get tested, Jones said each and every one of them should be treated with dignity and respect in the face of fear and human struggles.
If you would like to nominate a Dignity & Respect Champion, visit us here. Let us continue to recognize everyone who works tirelessly for inclusion!
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