Agency Details:

AIDSpirit Montana is a not-for-profit group whose purpose is to initiate and support activities for all those affected by this illness.

Description:
AIDSpirit Montana, a non-denominational faith based movement. We seek to raise the level of awareness and compassion for individuals with HIV/AIDS.

Locally, AIDSpirit Montana provides friendship and support to people with HIV/AIDS and their families through such programs as:

Partnership Meals Program
Fundraising events
Christmas gift program
World AIDS Day Prayer Service
Educational presentations
Networking with other HIV/AIDS organizations

Internationally, AIDSpirit Montana through its fundraising efforts and sponsorship program helps to provide:

Educational opportunities for children in Third World countries
Access to food, clothing, shelter and medicines
water

History:
HISTORY OF AIDSPIRIT MONTANA

Following a year of brainstorming sessions Father Tom Beggin, a Catholic priest at Holy Rosary Church in Billings, MT, and a circle of close friends and family in 1994 established the first Board of Directors for AIDSpirit Montana, a 501c non-profit organization.

In the early years, Gays and other individuals infected with HIV/AIDS, faced hatred, bigotry, ignorance, and even isolation from society. This stigma however had the opposite affect on Father Tom, creating in him a passion to educate society and to provide a safe environment for this small but growing segment of society. Hence the following mission statement was crafted and adopted by the AIDSpirit Montana board in 1994 and revised in 2008:

AIDSpirit Montana, a non-denominational faith based movement. We seek to raise the level of awareness and compassion for the victims of HIV/AIDS.

AIDSpirit Montana members promote awareness through education. AIDSpirit Montana also seeks to provide safe environments for gatherings that promote the much needed emotional support for those affected and infected with HIV/AIDS.

With each ensuing year the need for more and more individualized services evolved into many new programs. In 1999, Sister Mary V Maronick, wrote a grant to the Sister’s of Charity Leavenworth requesting $7000 to begin a Partnership Meals Program. Her grant, accepted and funded in October of that same year, provided a stipend for a coordinator, money to supplement the food used by volunteer meal providers, and gas stipends for volunteer drivers.

The spring of 2000 would find Father Tom once again planting seeds that would catapult AIDSpirit Montana from being a local outreach to one with a more global presence. At a monthly AIDSpirit Montana meeting Fr. Tom displayed a copy of a Newsweek magazine featuring the picture of a child in Africa dying of HIV/AIDS and he knew he had to do something to help. Putting his words into action, Father Tom decided to host a garage sale that would net over $200 and become the “First Annual AIDSpirit Montana Garage Sale”.

His actions inspired several members to lead events such as bake sales, an Air Show, creating, crafting and marketing Africa Angel Dolls all in an effort to raise funds. The combined fundraising efforts of these early pioneers would help to establish and fund the International outreach programs of AIDSpirit Montana that center on meeting the vast needs created by the terrible effects of the AIDS pandemic both in the US and in Africa.

In the spring of 2006, Nadine Hart, a Physicians Assistant with St. Vincent Healthcare, attended an AIDSpirit Montana meeting where she introduced Kenny Mwange, a young man she had met while working with sickle-cell and HIV/AIDS victims in Uganda. Due in no small part to her efforts, Kenny was transported to the US where he had received successful surgery to repair his hips damaged by the sickle-cell disease. The two became active members of AIDSpirit Montana where Kenny urged members to sponsor five of his friends in Uganda orphaned by HIV/AIDS so that they could attend school. Several weeks later, Kenny again pled his case for four more of his friends thereby establishing the AIDSpirit Sponsorship program!

Brother Bede Baldry and many other wonderful individuals helped AIDSpirit Montana to establish personal contacts in Africa that would insure that all funds donated would go directly to assist those living with HIV/AIDS and/or their caretakers. A contact with Father Joseph in northern Uganda through the National Catholic AIDS Network put the group in direct contact with four young individuals who would acquire an education with financial assistance from members of AIDSpirit Montana. There are now over 20 children being sponsored insuring that they would be able to attend school and live in relative safety.

Terry Fettig, the presiding chairperson for AIDSpirit Montana in 1997, traveled to Kenya and Uganda to personally meet with the children that are being sponsored by the efforts of AIDSpirit Montana. His maiden voyage would prove to be yet another turning point in the history of AIDSpirit Montana. Terry witnessed first hand the pain, suffering, anguish and despair, that individuals experience everyday in these regions. This suffering is magnified by the persistent lack of clean water (a preventable situation), unsanitary conditions, and the rampant spread of HIV/AIDS. Recording these sad events, Terry returned to the US where he immediately began his campaign to involve others in the quest to reverse the effects of HIV/AIDS and several other devastating diseases.

Terry’s efforts and that of other members of AIDSpirit Montana, would result in securing funds needed to drill a successful bore hole water well that would serve an entire community. In addition, AIDSpirit Montana purchased steel forms used to build bio-sand filters that can be utilized by individual homes to filter 99% of the water borne bacteria found in Africa. On one of his return trips, Terry invited several friends with expertise in water technology and through their combined efforts, drip irrigation was installed, over 40 bio-sand filters were constructed and 1000 new LifeStraws were distributed to children in Africa. Each LifeStraw will allow a child to drink pure water for one full year at a cost of only $10 each.

Leaders such as Father Tom Beggin, Terry Fettig, and Sister Mary V Maronick exude a passion that affects anyone who will listen to their message. AIDSpirit Montana currently has over 25 members who volunteer their time, their heart, their prayers and their energy everyday in an effort to make a change for individuals who have been affected or infected by HIV/AIDS.

We welcome with open arms all people regardless of their age, race, creed, religion or culture to join us in this important ministry

Contact people:

Regina Crawford, Program Coordinator, (phone), (email) Sister Mary V. Maronick, Assistant to the President, (phone), (email) Terry Fettig, Board President, (phone), (email)

Address:

321 Custer Billings, MT 59101 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.aidspiritmontana.org

Last updated on June 29, 2009