2007: A Historic Year

2007 was a historic year for AIDS Project Worcester (APW), marked by the milestone of the start of our 20th year of service to Central Massachusetts in caring for those living with HIV/AIDS and helping to reduce the spread of the disease.  

APW began at the Pakachoag Church ( http://www.pakachoag.org) in Auburn where a group of persons with AIDS, their families and supporters gathered to offer support, prayers, kindness, a human touch -- and hope -- to those dying with this disease. At that time there was little else available to offer those infected with AIDS. Out of this humanitarian response, AIDS Project Worcester was born.

While APW began with a mission to help people die with dignity in the company of caring human beings, over time our mission has evolved to helping people with HIV/AIDS live the most productive and healthy lives possible and to help stop the spread of this disease.

The numerous services we created over the past 20 years, along with our advocacy and efforts to address stigma, discrimination, and gender inequality, were all based on the needs of those living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, we have concerned ourselves with the families of those infected and those at risk for the disease. Many of our services have been adopted at the state, national, and international levels as best practices in maintaining infected people’s health and in helping to slow the spread of the pandemic.  Many of these practices have also been cited as models to help in other life-threatening diseases.

In 2007 & 2008, we were pleased to reach a number of other milestones:

1. The board of directors, agency staff, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and various community stakeholders participated in designing our five-year strategic plan, including additional space for services and programs, an on-site pharmacy, a training and learning center, a GBLT community center, and enhanced services for at-risk women, children and youth, new immigrant communities, and the African American community.
2. In 2007 we created the first-ever APW Endowment Fund as the direct result of financial support from the community and look forward to growing this important asset.
3. APW received the Congressional Hunger Center and Victory Wholesale Group Award (http://www.hungercenter.org/ ) for our nutritional services. This national award was one of 20 presented to anti-hunger organizations, food banks, community food services, and organizations providing nutrition assistance and services to people with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses. A panel of experts chose awardees based on their success in achieving the goal expressed by this year’s theme, “Fighting hunger by using food as medicine for people with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses.” The theme was chosen because evidence points to the importance of medically appropriate nutrition for the critically ill. 
4.  In 2007, APW and its partnering organizations American Red Cross of Central Massachusetts(http://www.redcrossworcester.org/), Family Health Center of Worcester, Inc (http://www.fhcw.org/), Pernet Family Health Services, Inc (http://www.pernetfamilyhealth.org), YWCA Daybreak (http://www.ywcaworcester.org/ -), and Rape Crisis Center of Central Massachusetts (http://www.volunteersolutions.org/uwcm/org/219442.html), Inc, was the recipient of a planning grant. This resulted in 2008 funding for a Pilot Project to address the issues of Women/HIV and Sexual Violence. The funding for both of these awards was provided by the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts (http://www.hfcm.org/). 
5. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) (http://www.hrsa.gov/about/default.htm) HIV/AIDS Bureau, Division of Science and Policy, invited APW and its partnering organizations to present the Women’s HIV/Sexual Violence Pilot at its national conference in Washington, D.C. in August 2008.
6. APW has been nominated for the United Nations International Red Ribbon Award 2008 (http://data.unaids.org/pub/PressRelease/2007/071130_redribbonaward_en.pdf) : Celebrating Community Action and Leadership on AIDS.

AIDS Project Worcester’s 20 years of service began with the support of the community – and continues to this day as a direct result of your support. Please help us to continue to be of service to the individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS and in helping to stop the spread of this pandemic in our community.