EXPECT TO GET WET.
LEARN ABOUT THE PROJECT MAKING A SPLASH IN THE PHOENIX LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY.
OUR MISSION & VISION
We flood our Phoenix LGBTQ+ Community with the love, tools, and information needed to reduce the impact of HIV in each of our lives – regardless of status.
We’ll keep creating focused, long-lasting ripples of awareness throughout the community until each person has access to a cure.
WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE
We’re a back-to-grass-roots project created for our LGBTQ+ community to address today’s HIV virus through impact-focused splashes of awareness, action, love, and celebrations of sexual expression.
RipplePHX’s Team moves throughout the streets each week to empower our friends to create their own ripple by becoming informed, sharing the knowledge, and embracing at least one tool in the greater movement toward sexual health in our community.
SOME OF OUR PROUDEST MOMENTS
After leaving Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, Jeremy Bright and Jason Jones decided to develop a new HIV outreach project that would be truly back-to-grassroots and from/for their community.
With the incredible support from Alphagraphics on University, Ariel launched as RipplePHX's first mobile outreach unit - able to roll through bars, festivals and more to bring tools and services to the community.
RipplePHX receives 501(c)(3) nonprofit status from the IRS.
RipplePHX was funded for it's first grant: a 5-Year Behavioral Intervention Grant from Arizona's Department of Health Services.
RipplePHX holds the first Mister and Miss RipplePHX Pageant with Phoenix Pride to give two individuals in the community a year-long platform to make an impact around HIV and to qualify for Mister and Miss Phoenix Pride.
"Ariella Grande" launches at Rainbows Festival and is RipplePHX's large, modular unit built for use at large festivals, street fairs and events. Built by 11th Monk3y.
RipplePHX debuts "The Ripplettes" to support and provide HIV outreach to local LGBTQ+ Sports Teams.
Andy Castano's cupcakes were awarded Best Cupcake at the Imperial Court of Arizona's Holiday Bake-Off!
RipplePHX Co-Founder, Jason Jones was named Leader of the Year from ECHO Magazine.
As a way to bring the community together for a large-scale HIV Testing and Fundraising Event, RipplePHX creates and launches it's first Carnival Event at Stacy's @ Melrose.
RipplePHX won 3rd Place Chili for our entry in the Cactus City Softball League's Marla Hooch Chili Cook-Off.
RipplePHX won 1st Place Salsa for our entry in the Cactus City Softball League's Marla Hooch Chili Cook-Off.
RipplePHX's Ariel Outreach Units win the American Academy of HIV Medicine's Technology in Health Care Award.
RipplePHX begins placing "Don't Quit, Do It!" Kits in Pharmacies to promote medication adherence and "Now, Later and Oh Snap!" Kits in Adult Bookstores to promote prevention, PrEP and PEP.
RipplePHX featured in ION Arizona Magazine for being "Fantastic FUNdraisers".
RipplePHX were awarded the FooManitarian Award during the Imperial Court of Arizona's Coronation.
RipplePHX received Phoenix Pride's Kirk Baxter Community Spirit Award!
RipplePHX's "Mexi-Mac" entry in the Imperial Court of Arizona's Macdown Contest snags a win!
A 2-day, Dia de los Muertos celebration is added to RipplePHX's annual Fall Carnival Events.
RipplePHX launches the Carny Takeover Program where other local organizations are invited to takeover our Carnival game tents to meet the community and also share in the Carnival proceeds.
RipplePHX's 3D Gingerbread House entry in the Imperial Court of Arizona's Holiday Baking Challenge snags a win!
RipplePHX was funded for a 1-Year, Educational Grant for it's "Lotería" Project through the National Library of Medicine.
RipplePHX and 8 Key Influencers from the Latinx Community kick-off their new weekly project: Lotería!
When Arizona's Governor put stay-at-home orders in place, RipplePHX's new Lotería project didn't miss a beat and moved from an in-person weekly event to an online virtual event where it would remain throughout the year.
Due to ongoing COVID restrictions, RipplePHX launches a new program called "RippleBriefs" - a weekly mailing sign-up where people can receive HIV information, Condoms of the Week, Medication Adherence Tools, At-Home HIV Test Kits and more!
RipplePHX receives ArizonaDrag.com's Award of Excellence for our contribution to the success of Drag in Arizona.
The RipplePHX Team acquires an old transit bus from a nursing home, guts it and remodels it with the help of Spectrum Medical and Gilead Sciences. The goal: to bring HIV testing services to people outside of Central Phoenix.
RipplePHX received Phoenix Pride's BJ Bud Community Spirit Award during their virtual online award presentation.
OUR TEAM
AJ DOMINGUEZ
AJ has been Ripple-Makin’ since July 2019 and has worked in HIV Prevention for 6 years. He’s provides HIV Testing and primarily connects people who are living with HIV to treatment. AJ also spends his time helping those struggling with homelessness and substance use by volunteering at organizations like Joshua Tree Feeding Program. AJ has a Chiweeni named Gringo, loves shrimp cocktail and his all-time favorite movie is Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. He loves to spend his down-time with family and sitting by a lake fishing to clear his head and stay grounded.
AJ speaks both English and Spanish.
Call/Text: (623) 264-8651
Email: AJ@RipplePHX.org
FABIAN ALVAREZ
Originally from Tijuana, Mexico, Fabian Alvarado creates ripples to end stigma around HIV and to connect people at-risk for HIV to PrEP. Fabian started with RipplePHX in 2022 and conducts Rapid HIV Tests, can get your PrEP questions answered and book you an appointment for PrEP after your test! When he’s not working, Fabian likes fast cars and hot guys, loves how leather makes him feel sexy and edgy, and has produced circuit parties throughout the US and Mexico. He has 2 beautiful dogs named She-Ra and Lou, and loves the food….and Margaritas…at La Pinata Restaurant.
Fabian speaks both English and Spanish.
Call/Text: (623) 303-6073
Email: Fabian@RipplePHX.org
JASON JONES
Email: Jason@RipplePHX.org
JEREMY BRIGHT
Jeremy is one of the Co-Founders and is the Chief Ripple-Maker at RipplePHX. He loves developing innovative tools to reach into the Phoenix LGBTQ+ community to reduce the impact of HIV – regardless of status. He’s a big fan of all things Star Trek and says there aren’t many days where he doesn’t watch at least one episode of one of the series. Jeremy’s also a member of the Imperial Court of Arizona, Arizona Leather Bears & Cubs (ALBAC) and loves being hands-on while building things like Carnivals or Testing Buses with his hands.
Jeremy speaks English.
Call/Text: (623) 264-8666
Email: Jeremy@RipplePHX.org
romel alvarado
Romel Alvarado is a native Phoenician and has recently completed his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Certificate. He’s an HIV Tester and creates ripples because he cares about issues that affect queerness, sex positivity, immigrants and people of color. Romel used to conduct HIV outreach and distributed condoms with the YEP House before returning to HIV work with RipplePHX in 2022. When he’s not working, Romel loves iced coffees, anime and anime porn, video games, role playing games, vintage queer novels and erotica. He has a hamster named Hamtaro.
Romel speaks both English and Spanish.
Call/Text: (623) 303-6068
Email: Romel@RipplePHX.org
THE THINGS WE BELIEVE IN THE MOST
COMMUNITY
We believe in the power of Community and strong partnerships! Together, we can bring the love, tools, services and information needed to reduce the impact of HIV in each of our lives. Even if you don't typically seek services on your own, we’ll be asking you to join us in the conversation and embrace tools to make an impact on HIV along the way.
A BOLD SPIRIT
We’re polite, genuine, and enthusiastic – but you can expect our spirit will also be BOLD. We’ll take risks, make you to clutch your pearls, and ask you to join us in conversations that may make you double-take. We believe it takes courage, commitment, passion and innovation to drive change and lessen the impact and stigma of HIV – regardless of status.
IMPACT FOCUSED
We know gay & bi men of color account for the majority of HIV infections in Maricopa County and there’s very little data to indicate the impact of HIV among our transgender community – although we know our trans friends are also affected. By focusing our efforts with the people we know the best, we can make the greatest impact on the virus in Phoenix.
BEING TRANSPARENT
We believe in being transparent along the way. We want our community to support us because they trust us to be committed to the mission and our community. You can see what we’ve accomplished along the way with real-time-reporting so you can see us in action, making an impact.
EMPOWERMENT
Someone once said “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” We’re committed to being at the forefront of tools and information related to HIV – helping you get started with the solutions that are the most realistic and obtainable for you that fit your sexual lifestyle.
SEXUAL EXPRESSION
We believe that healthy sexual expression involves both our bodies and our minds – free from guilt and shame. However you communicate and present yourself to the world as a sexual being, we embrace your sexual expression as an integral part of who you are – from mild to wild and everything (consensual) in-between.