Social Support Programs
Our Social Support Programs are the functions POZabilities is most known for providing. These are a combination of regularly recurring events and special events that bring members of the community together.
Recurring events
Events such as our weekly coffee gatherings, our Friday trips to the zoo, and monthly bonfires to name a few are regular, predictable events that the community can count on. While there may occasionally be some deviation due to unforeseen events, these follow a regular schedule. Except during COVID lockdowns, these events are always held in person at locations within the community. For 2025 these events held to a regular schedule as they have for many years, and we expect that to continue for 2026.
For POZ Coffee, held every Wednesday and Saturday, we saw attendance by month as follows:
110 Jan
149 Feb
195 March
174 April
193 May
167 June
171 July
187 August
158 September
164 October
196 November
206 December
1960 Total attendees counted
We hold a monthly bonfire at Vacation Island on Mission Bay the last Tuesday of each month, weather permitting. In addition the December event is held on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the end of one year and the promise of a new year.
These potluck events draw a diverse crowd to share a meal and catch up on the latest happening in the community. We held a bonfire each month other than December which was rained out.
We offered 50 Explorer Passes to those who signed up, provided by the Balboa Park Cultural Affairs Program. Recipients must renew each year and the pass must be used at least 3 times during the year.
We had between 5 and 15 attendees join in the Friday morning walk at the San Diego Zoo.
Special Events
These events occur on an ad-hoc basis based upon either availability, opportunities offered or occasional outings suggested from the community;
We held 2 fundraisers for 2025:
A Sweet Affair 2025, with 150 attendees
Red Ribbon Gala 2025, with 208 attendees
We took 3 “road trips”:
Whale Watching, with 24 attendees
Day trip to Catalina, with 35 attendees
Out at the Park (Padres), with 22 attendees
We held 7 picnic/pool/potluck party gatherings serving 208 attendees (flamingle, picnics, pool party(2) halloween, july 4, labor day)
We held 2 holiday potluck dinners serving 130 attendees (ThanksGiving, Holiday)
We offered tickets to 24 performances at local theatres and other performance venues. This program expanded significantly in October of 2025
We sponsored the Long Term Survivors contingent in the annual pride parade with 28 marchers
We sent 5 attendees to the Red Dress Party, courtesy of the Human Dignity Foundation
Red Dress Party 2025
All social events provided by POZabilities are intended to provide a safe and enjoyable social opportunity for the community to gather together without stigma. The HIV community includes People Living with HIV, supporters, providers, friends and family and those with an interest in volunteer service or just learning more. We don’t gather information regarding how or why a person chooses to join a community event.
Each of these events follows a few rules of engagement:
All events are organized and produced by members of the San Diego HIV community for the members of the community.
All events are in person, never delivered virtually. The intent of these events is to draw people away from the home and break the cycle of loneliness and isolation.
While some events, particularly those with a cost for tickets or admission, may require a small donation, no one is ever turned away solely for an inability to pay. These fees help us ensure attendance and effective use of financial resources
We had a great time with all of the attendees who joined us at these events. These numbers reflect those who signed in/signed up and may not include all actual attendees. We look forward to another year of fun events providing opportunities to gather together in a sitma free environment, planned by volunteers and community members for community members.
