BABES Network

BABES Network-YWCA is a Seattle-based peer support program for HIV positive women, A Sisterhood of Women Facing HIV Together. Working from the belief that HIV positive women are uniquely qualified to understand and encourage one another, BABES Network has been building community among a diverse group of women facing HIV & AIDS since 1989.

The BABES mission is to reduce isolation, promote self-empowerment, enhance quality of life and serve the needs of women and families affected by HIV through peer support, advocacy, education and outreach.

BABES created the HIV/AIDS Outreach & Prevention Education (HOPE) Project in 2006. The HOPE Project trains and coordinates people living with HIV to share their personal experiences through media campaigns, speaking engagements and community forums in order to educate the public, combat stigma and stop the spread of HIV. Since 2006, HOPE Project speakers have told their stories to more than 7,000 people at local schools, homeless shelters, treatment centers, detention facilities, businesses, churches and other community groups.

BABES became a program of the YWCA of Seattle • King County • Snohomish County in 2005. The mission of the YWCA is to advance the quality of life for women of all ages, races and faiths, and their families. In support of this mission, the YWCA provides services to meet critical needs, promote self-sufficiency, reduce violence, eliminate racism and achieve equal opportunities for all people.