How we help those with HIV/AIDS, and how donors can help too
Although The Campbell Foundation’s main focus has always been to provide researchers with funding to discover better treatments for people with HIV, as well as research into a cure for HIV, each year we also provide smaller grants to organizations whose mission is to assist those with the disease.
What many people may not realize is that those with HIV and AIDS face many other social and economic barriers. Some may not have transportation to get to their doctor appointments; others, because they are sick, may not be able to hold down a job and don’t know how they will pay next month’s rent. Still others may not even know they are HIV positive.
There are many worthy organizations based in South Florida and around the country whose mission is to provide many of these services. The Campbell Foundation is proud to have helped these organizations make a difference in the lives of those they serve through our annual grants.
We asked some of those organizations to share what our annual “Holiday Hug” has helped to provide. Here’s what some have to say:
Mike Ross – VP Tuesday’s Angels
These funds were especially helpful as we recently had a request from an HIV agency serving the southern part of (Broward) County to provide monthly disabled bus passes to people with HIV who have no other access to transportation to get to medical and other necessary appointments, as well as to maintain their independence. The donation from the Campbell Foundation will help more than 100 individuals. It will make a huge difference in their quality of life and enhance their ability to care for themselves. Without the grant from the Campbell Foundation we would not have been able to help these needy people.
Rik Pavlescak, Chief Operating Officer FoundCare
FoundCare used the $5,000 we received from The Campbell Foundation to help it further its mission of fulfilling unmet medical and social services needs in Palm Beach County. Specifically, funds were used in FoundCare’s Comprehensive AIDS Program to meet the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS when there was no other funding source available to assist them. We frequently receive requests from our clients who need emergency assistance. Funding guidelines from federal and other grantors often limit our ability to help individuals in these situations. FoundCare uses gifts from sources such as the Campbell Foundation to help meet these needs for its clients. Some examples of how we’ve used the client assistance fund in the past year include:
Getting pest control and replacing a bed for a client who had a bed bug infestation.
Helping a client re-establish their household after a house fire.
Helping a single mother with two children get stable housing after she was discharged from a transitional program.
Paying medical bills not covered by any other payer source when a person lost their job
Helping with mortgage payment when a person who lost their part-time job wasn’t eligible for unemployment benefits.
Stephen J. Fallon, Executive Director Latinos Salud
The Campbell Foundation’s end-of-year grant was instrumental in helping us to set up our Kendall expansion location. Our survey had found that most gay Latinos in this southwestern region of Miami-Dade had no convenient access to HIV and STD screening, to HIV prevention education, or to the linkage services that can bring those living with HIV into care. While we’re pleased that we were able to secure ongoing grants that provide for the staffing costs of our expansion, these grants could not support the everyday client needs that would otherwise present barriers to access. Thanks to the Campbell Foundation, we can provide transportation vouchers to clients, light snacks during educational events, and most importantly, promotional materials to alert the local population to our newly available free services.
Rick Siclari, CEO Care Resource
Care Resource provides primary care and other support services to everyone, but especially to the underserved and low-income individuals in our communities. Our services are offered on a sliding scale in order to meet the primary care needs of the people in our communities. However, oftentimes, many who are at, or fall under the 100 percent Federal Poverty Line, can’t meet their financial obligations. That’s where the funding from The Campbell Foundation comes very handy. This funding is primarily used to subsidize the care of the less fortunate. Last year alone this funding helped close to 300 individuals get access to primary care and other support services.
The Campbell Foundation relies on the generosity of its donors to provide these grants. Our efforts, and those of our partners, can help to make a difference in the lives of those living with HIV and AIDS.