Dear Friends,

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of SMART, an extraordinary milestone that I, quite frankly, never anticipated when I started the organization with a group of women from my neighborhood who were also living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.

SMART University, which was named by this first group of women, began as an informal, grassroots project in East Harlem and was modeled on the “HIV University” developed by W.O.R.L.D. (Women Organized in Response to Life-threatening Diseases). At this stage of the AIDS epidemic, when there was little treatment information and support for women living with HIV/AIDS, these types of “Universities” sprang up in communities across the United States to address the silent, unmet needs of this highly-affected population.

First and foremost, the mission of SMART was to create a safe and supportive environment for all women to gain the health and treatment information they needed to lead longer, healthier lives. To this day, SMART and all of its programs remain true to this affirmation.

Progress was steady but slow until 2004 and 2005, when generous grants from the Friedman Foundation enabled us to grow in leaps and bounds. These grants not only made it possible for us to obtain permanent office space, but to add another core program, SMART Body – our interactive, hands-on cooking and nutrition program. Having this “home of our own” after years of living out of apartments and in-kind space also enabled preexisting courses to evolve and spawn new programs based on needs identified by our constituents.

Another important partnership began in 2004 when MAC AIDS Fund asked me to be its first Community Spokesperson. The relationship with the MAC AIDS Fund has been critical in sustaining the vision and growth of SMART. The MAC AIDS Fund's impact on SMART and the community we serve has been extraordinary.

In 2005, we launched SMART Youth, a supportive program to address the unique needs of adolescents (males and females ages 13-22) living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Under the supervision of Janet Cameron, MSW, Program Director, who joined SMART in the fall of 2006 as a intern from the Columbia School of Social Work graduate program, I believe this program has fulfilled our initial vision of providing a place where youth can socialize, gain independent living skills, and develop essential coping mechanisms at this critical time in their lives. Through structured workshops, projects and group input, Janet has been able to apply these components in an engaging and meaningful way for the youth as they journey on their road to self-sufficiency and independence.

During the summer of 2007, I returned to SMART in a leadership role as Founding Director. It was a time to assess and rejuvenate existing programs so they could have a more powerful impact on the women we serve. While the core values of SMART are embedded in all of our programs, it became increasingly evident that we needed to create innovative ways to “raise the bar” so each SMART University program provides the essential tools our participants need.

Thanks to staff participation and meetings with instructors for each program, we have devised a unique plan to provide a more cohesive structure for SMART University participants. Keeping in mind that “university” is part of our name, we have redesigned our curriculum to develop and enhance interdisciplinary relationships between SMART’s programs. For instance, our SMART Art class is part of the “Art Department.” Students in this program not only create artwork, but study art history and appreciation as they expand their horizons through group field trips to museums, galleries and other cultural venues. We will reinforce their art experience as we build a full-scale library with publications that embrace all SMART ABC programs: art, body and computer.

This year, SMART intends to build a state-of-the-art computer resource center which will be accessible to all SMART University participants. This is an important ingredient in providing the interdisciplinary effect between our programs: SMART Art; SMART Voices – a computer class that builds computer literacy and is part of the IT Department; and SMART Body, interactive cooking classes and healthy food preparation (Nutrition Department).

As we look forward to fulfilling these ambitious visions, further developing projects which will serve our constituents in a more cohesive, meaningful way, the volunteers, board and staff of SMART are so grateful for the allegiance of our past and current supporters.

Your commitment has helped make these dreams a reality.

Sincerely,

Susan Rodriguez
Founding Director

Visit the Web site of the MAC AIDS Fund to learn more about their exciting work.