Project Open Hand needs your help to advocate for continued government funding to feed our clients with HIV/AIDS.
The Problem:
San Francisco was just notified by the federal government that our city's Ryan White CARE funding for the current period was cut $7.1 million or 32%! We knew the Ryan White federal allocation would be reduced, but no one anticipated a cut of this size, this soon. The reasons for the reduction are complicated and political, but it is clear that our city's continuum of HIV care cannot be reduced this much without severe effects on the persons living with HIV disease who depend on these services to stay healthy.
How you can help:
Come to the Town Hall Meeting May 31st at 6:30 pm at the LGBT Center in San Francisco. The Mayor and the Board of Supervisors are considering ways to backfill some of these federal cuts with local funding for the short-term, but it is not clear which services will receive priority for scarce public dollars, and which will have to lose all government funding. A community planning process to evaluate HIV care is taking place over the summer and fall to gather input for decisions that will affect our clients and the programs that serve them, including Project Open Hand. We are calling on our strong base of community support - our volunteers and donors - to speak up for the needs of our clients and the importance of consistent nutrition in the fight against AIDS. Please help us by coming to this meeting, and others planned during the summer, or writing a letter of support.*
What you can say:
Housing and food are two essential daily needs that support thousands of low-income people living with AIDS in this expensive city.
Our clients need this nutritious food to stay healthy and living in the community.
Although Project Open Hand matches every government dollar with two dollars from private sources, we need the core funding from the government to keep providing our "Meals with Love" in this public-private partnership, without a waiting list.
*For more information or if you would like to write a letter, please contact Jim Illig, Project Open Hand Director of Government Relations at (415) 447-2426 or email Jim Illig.
