Our organization foregrounds the reality of living with HIV through the first-hand accounts of those coping with the disease. Founded by its executive director in 2003, Who's Positive, developed from an outreach program designed to reach out to youth in high schools and colleges to a thriving organization which is networked with national, regional and local organizations all across the world. In 2
004, in a very rural part of Pennsylvania, Who's Positive embarked on its first outreach campaign called "Have You Been Tested Lately?" Tom Donohue, the organizations founder placed a billboard up showing his face as a young person living in their community living with HIV. On the billboard the words "My Name is Tom...25 years old...HIV positive... and in your neighborhood just like HIV. Have You Been Tested Lately?" The billboard became the first national outreach program for the organization. Publications such as the New York Daily News, POZ Magazine, and HIV Plus Magazine published stories discussing the billboard. Local news outlets in central Pennsylvania ran the story providing HIV awareness all over the State. On World AIDS Day in December of 2004, Tom Donohue was featured as one of 50 HIV/AIDS activists on the MTV Jumbotron in Times square in New York City. There MTV recognized the work of HIV negative and positive individuals fighting against HIV & AIDS. In October of 2005, NBC News Productions traveled to State College, PA to interview Tom and his sister, Charlene to be on a special for the LOGO Network called, "CBS News on LOGO Special Report: AIDS" the special ran beginning on World AIDS Day and through January 2006 on the LOGO Network. Also in October 2005, Who's Positive began evaluating and discussing the organizations next endeavor. After many hours of research and discussion, Who's Positive announced in June of 2006 OPERATION: GET TESTED; a mission to humanize HIV; preventing and reducing infection rates among youth as well as a nationwide effort to empower, encourage and provide opportunity for youth to be tested for HIV. To read more about OPERATION: GET TESTED visit Our Speaker Tour page. Since its creation in 2003, Who's Positive has continued to be involved in movements around HIV/AIDS. In 2005 Who's Positive participated in the Campaign To End AIDS, a diverse, exciting new coalition of people living with HIV/AIDS, their advocates and their loved ones. Individuals and organization across America mobilized to demand that our leaders exert the political will to stop the epidemic, in the U.S. Who's Positive traveled from Boston all the way down to DC stopping in cities across the Northeast to help bring awareness to HIV/AIDS. Through 2004 and 2005 Who's Positive acted as the Director for AIDS Watch, a project of the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA-US), is the largest annual AIDS-related advocacy event in the United States. By bringing our message directly to congressional offices about the importance of increasing federal funding and support for domestic and global AIDS programs, people with HIV/AIDS and our supporters and allies can make a meaningful impact in the federal appropriations process and help all of us living with HIV/AIDS. Who's Positive was responsible for arranging meetings with congressional leaders and their constituents across Pennsylvania. When necessary, Who's Positive met with congressional leaders on behalf of residents who were unable to attend in person.
