The Campbell Foundation’s Direct Services Funding Has a Huge Impact on One Local Agency
In our previous blog we wrote about The Campbell Foundation’s funding of organizations in South Florida and around the country that provide much-needed services to those with HIV and AIDS, as well as to their families.
We do this through our annual “Holiday Hug” program at the end of each year. It is our way of saying thanks for everything they do to help those in need. We asked some of those organizations to share what that funding has meant to them and we received a number of responses.
We write this not to give ourselves a pat on the back, but to point out the continued need for funding in the area of HIV and AIDS, at both the direct services as well as the research level.
Without your donations, we would not be able to continue our work and help these organizations fulfill their mission, and for that we are grateful.
Marie Hayes, director of the Comprehensive Family AIDS Program (CFAP) at the Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center (CDTC) in Fort Lauderdale, outlined the impact our EOY funding has had. We have been funding this program for nearly two decades and we are thrilled to have had such a profound impact.
CFAP’s program serves more than 3,000 individuals who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in Broward County. The program serves more than 100 pregnant, HIV-positive women annually and, as a result, they have not seen any transmission of the virus to the infants of women who participate in its program during their pregnancy.
The end of year gifts from the foundation have supported the purchase of bus cards so patients can have transportation to medical appointments; provide an emergency fund to cover doses of medication in situations where patients are between insurance coverage and might otherwise go without medication, or when accidents happen.
Marie relayed the story of a postpartum mother who accidentally spilled her baby’s antiretroviral medication. Medicaid only provides a one-month supply, regardless of the situation. But Marie told us that thanks to our grant, the infant’s medication was paid for, preventing the baby from contracting HIV.
CFAP patients often experience emergency financial needs for food, housing, electricity, and even insurance co-pays. It’s amazing just how far a $5,000 grant can go.
Our 2015 gift also supported the children with HIV camp program. The program supports CFAP’s mission and the health of the children and youth impacted by HIV by:
Providing an environment of normalcy for 28 HIV+ children/youth where they can enjoy being kids.
Providing adherence education and pill swallowing training to the children having issues with medications.
Providing health education for the adolescents to better understand the management of their HIV disease, the importance of medicine, and to prepare for transitioning care as adults.
“In sum, The Campbell Foundation’s end of year 2015 gift served more than 25 patients and the families of these patients, thus improving the lives of more than 100 CFAP clients, while allowing CFAP staff to make a difference for these children/youth,” writes Marie.
“Although CFAP is grant funded, those funds have not increased in more than 15 years, despite the ever-increasing patient population given Broward’s rate of infection at 1-in-54 residents being HIV positive.
This gap in funding is reduced with end of year gifts such as the one Campbell Foundation has provided CDTC for many years! Thank you for improving the lives of people with HIV in Broward County.”