Posts
Positive Impact, an agency in
Georgia that provides culturally competent mental health, HIV prevention
outreach, and other services to gay and bisexual men as well as individuals
affected by HIV, received no funding from the state in 2012.
As a result, the agency will have to
lay off five part-time staff, discontinue outreach projects in gay bars and sex
clubs, cut a program that helped HIV-infected persons deal with relationship
issues, and cut back on testing for straight men and African-American women.
The agency had requested $181,629 in
a bid for a contract for testing and community mobilization to stop the spread
of HIV. Positive Impact submitted a protest on August 20, which was denied by
the state. Danny Sprouse, prevention director of the group, noted that after
submitting the bid, the agency learned that the state’s focus was on
prevention, as there was no money for community mobilization.
Other agencies that formerly
received state funding also lost funding this year, including: SisterLove,
Inc., an agency that works to prevent HIV among African American women and
assists persons living with HIV; the AIS Research Consortium of Atlanta; and
National AIDS Education & Service for Minorities (NAESM). NAESM serves gay
and bisexual men, and African American women. Rudy Carn of NAESM questioned why
the entire $800,000 of state funds has not been distributed. The total amount
distributed was $647,380, leaving $152,620. NAESM also filed a protest with the
state, but has not heard back.
Carn commented that the state is not
following the epidemic with its funding. In Georgia, the groups hardest hit by
HIV are black gay and bisexual men, white gay and bisexual men, and
African–American women; however, many agencies that serve these groups received
no state funding.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
