Why Get Involved?

One Day For AIDS (ODFA) is about turning ordinary people into agents of positive change for this world. Here are a few people who have gotten involved with the campaign.

Also see the donor wall to find out who else is involved with the campaign.

Zahra Esmail

I am contributing to the campaign because I am dedicated to International Development work. I think that raising funds for programs for people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada and around the world is essential, and that the cause has been ignored for far too long. I think it is important for people to get involved with this issue because the virus is spreading so fast. I have contributed to the ODFA campaign by promoting the website to those around me, volunteering with the planning committee, and by donating funds.

Amanda Klein

I found myself in a distressing place regarding the issue of the AIDS pandemic. My life was not directly touched by the disease nor had I been involved in the fight against it; I was however aware of the staggering statistics. Feeling disturbed by my (lack of) emotional response to an issue that I rationally recognized ought to grab me by my insides, I was eager to take the opportunity to get involved with ODFA and shift my perspective. I helped out by selling red ribbons last year and most recently volunteer as a member of the planning committee.

Jonathan Cooper

My experiences working in South Africa - where I had first hand exposure to the devastating consequences of AIDS - left me with the feeling that we must fight against the natural inclination to be overwhelmed by the problem. There is very good work being done to counteract AIDS and its societal and economic consequences, and I wanted to support this work - even in a very small way. I can't escape the feeling that we have a moral obligation to use our abundant resources to help the disempowered victims of this pandemic. As a member of the planning committee, I am able to contribute to the overall strategy and vision of the campaign. One area I'm specifically excited about is how to constructively use stories and images of people affected by AIDS to connect with individuals who care about the state of the world, but may not have engaged with the reality of the AIDS pandemic before.

Joel Pel

For me, contributing was giving a couple days wages...not a ton, being a student. But it's a start, I suppose. Because of my faith I am passionate about caring for people in need, and AIDS is a need that is both local and international. At this point in my life, being able to donate was one of the best ways for me to be able to help with this issue. Regardless of religious background, I think its important for all people to look after each other and care for each other.

Aaron Schafran

AIDS doesn't affect most of our every day lives but in a lot of countries it has a major impact on their lives and the more we know about AIDS the more we can do to help the problem. As busy as my schedule is I feel a little bit of time is the least I can do to help this campaign. I helped with the logo creation and other various design projects. It is for a good cause, and while I'm just doing a small part I believe that every little bit helps.