News

By the end of May 2025 VPWAS will be facing some major changes. This spring we have been successful in retaining our contract with Island Health through STOP HIV for another five years! However there is a moratorium on any funding increases across the province leaving VPWAS struggling with the increased costs of maintaining our office and drop-in, programs and staff. We would like to thank Susan Simo, Manager, Sexual Health and STOP HIV for her unceasing support and advocacy […]

Peer support is the root and cause of who we are. If VPWAS has ever provided you with quality of safety and care, then you know Penny. She showed up decades ago and never left. As our long-term peer navigator, she meets people where they are at, —whether long-term survivors working through issues of aging or the pain of isolation or newcomers and new generations seeking support to organize medical or other social supports, with Penny, you always get the […]

Join women from Victoria and across Vancouver Island and the Gulf Island for VPWAS Positive Women’s Wellness Group. This peer facilitator led group is open to all women living with HIV and or HCV on Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands. Meetings take place twice a month, once in person (during a weekday at VPWAS Drop-in in Victoria) and once via Zoom! (evenings) Please contact Penny for dates and location, at penny@vpwas.org or call 250.382.7927 / 1.877.382.7927 (toll free) […]

VANCOUVER ISLAND PWA SOCIETY (VPWAS)ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2024Reporting back on the financial year ending March 31, 2024 VPWAS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WILL BE HOSTED VIA ZOOM ON WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2024PLEASE EMAIL SUPPORT@VPWAS.ORG OR CALL 250.382.7927 TO RSVP Open to all VPWAS Members NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) TO: THE MEMBERS OF the VANCOUVER ISLAND PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS SOCIETY (VPWAS) (the “Society”) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to the Society Act of British Columbia (the “Act”) and the […]

¿Vives con VIH? Un Navegador de Pares es alguien que está en tu lugar. Con una experiencia de vida similar a la tuya que comprende tu situación, ellos, pueden ayudarte a navegar por el Sistema de Salud mientras apoyan tu  estado de salud y objetivos de bienestar. El programa de navegación entre pares en VPWAS puede ayudarte a conectar con apoyo social, de salud y de otro tipo en un entorno seguro y amigable. Contactate con un Navegador de Pares […]

Summer is here and we have a few changes to the drop-in hours at VPWAS to accommodate staffing and staff vacations. VPWAS SUMMER Drop-In HOURSMonday to Thursday 10am – 4pmFriday 10am – 3pmClosed Weekends and Statutory Holidays VPWAS SUMMER CLOSURES MONDAY, JUNE 17 and 24 CLOSEDMONDAY, JULY 1 (Canada Day) and 8 CLOSED (Post Pride Rest)MONDAY, AUGUST 5 (BC Day) CLOSED Contact:Vancouver Island PWA Society (VPWAS)205 – 1120 Yates Street, Victoria BC V9V3M9250.382.7927 / 1.877.382.7927support@vpwas.org

VPWAS is excited to announce that Kath Webster will be joining us to facilitate our Positive Women’s Group. The group will maintain two meetings a month, one in-person at VPWAS, and one virtual meeting via zoom. Introduction to Kath Since her HIV diagnosis nearly 30 years ago, Kath Webster embraced the HIV community both as a valuable support and as a way to find purpose and meaning through her volunteer career. Kath’s main experience has been in HIV treatment and […]

Project Title: The Meaning and Impact of Community: Older Gay Men’s Perspectives, and Implications for Well-Being Are you a man who self-identifies as gay, aged 50 years or older? Do you currently live on Vancouver Island/Gulf Islands, or Vancouver/Lower Mainland? If so, we would be grateful for your participation in a research study The purpose of this study is to deepen understandings of how older, self-identifying gay men conceptualize community along with supportive factors and barriers to community engagement through […]

Test at Home Safe, Easy, Free Insti HIV Self-Test Kits are available at VPWAS, you can take home up to 5 test kits for yourself or to share with friends. INSTI® HIV Self test take home testing kits from VPWAS Options for HIV Self testing kits from VPWAS * VPWAS Peer Supporters/Navigators are not healthcare workers and we can only be in attendance for guidance and support, if requested, we do not do the testing HIV self-testing is a testing […]

Are you part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and you live in British Columbia? The BC Ministry of Health wants to hear from you about your perspectives, experiences, ideasregarding collection, transfer, and uses of your personal information related to sex, gender, andsexual orientation. This survey is designed and conducted by 2SLGBTQIA+ people atTransFocus. We invite you to participate in this 15- to 20-minute survey to get a greaterunderstanding of how to improve safeguards to protect sensitive health information. We highlyencourage people […]