Kaiser Permanente Takes Action on World AIDS Day: $395,000 in Grants Awarded to More Than 50 HIV/AIDS Non-Profits

PASADENA, Calif -- In recognition of World AIDS Day, Kaiser Permanente has awarded community service grants totaling $395,000 to 51 agencies in Southern California that provide services to people who are HIV-positive or have Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

The individual grants awarded range from $1,000 to $50,000, and were given to non-profit organizations that provide a wide range of services including HIV testing, teen adventure camps, emergency food vouchers, and support groups for women and children with HIV. Many projects that received grants are involved in outreach efforts aimed at preventing new HIV cases.

"Kaiser Permanente has made HIV prevention and treatment a priority because the rate of infection continues to rise in some populations. Today, Kaiser Permanente Southern California provides service to more than 5,000 identified HIV-plus members," said Mark H Katz, MD, regional HIV/AIDS physician coordinator for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California.

"We want to provide quality care to our HIV-positive patients and do what we can for non-members who are at risk of, or have acquired the disease. The latter is where our community service grants play an important role," said Katz.

Physicians, nurses, health educators and Kaiser Permanente staff members who work with HIV and AIDS patients select grant recipients from the communities they themselves serve. Many agencies were chosen because they provide services that are not covered by insurance benefits or not available through state, county and federal agencies.

Kaiser Permanente has presented grants to HIV-focused organizations since 1989. This year's $395,000 brings the total to more than $3.5 million since the program's inception.

In addition to grants, Kaiser Permanente's commitment to preventing disease of all kinds, including HIV/AIDS, is demonstrated by the organization's innovative public health programs.

Since the early 1980s when HIV/AIDS was first diagnosed, Kaiser Permanente has been a leader in meeting the tough challenges of this virus, both through medical care and work in the community. Beginning with the HIV Research Clinics in 1987, all Kaiser Permanente medical centers now participate in studies which have helped move HIV/AIDS treatment forward.

Another area of success has been prenatal care. As a result of a concerted effort to increase HIV antibody testing, an impressive 90 percent of pregnant women receiving prenatal care at Kaiser Permanente in California are voluntarily tested for HIV.

Organization Name Program Name Amount-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------A Safe Place Direct Client Services for HIV- positive individuals. $1,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Aid for AIDS Wellness Program (Formally the Pharmaceutical Plus Program) $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------AIDS Food Store of Purchase and distribute food for Long Beach men, women and children suffering from HIV/AIDS Disabilities $10,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------AIDS Service Center Request for funding of $50,000, $25,000 for general operating support and $25,000 to support a new prevention and education program for youth referred to as 'SHARE' (Sexual Health and Relationships Education). $50,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------AIDS Services Food Pantry - Nutrition services for Foundation of people with HIV/AIDS in Orange Orange County County $20,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Asian Pacific AIDS Making HIV Quick Tests available in Intervention Team High Risk Communities $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Asian Youth Center HIV/AIDS Prevention Program $5,812.50-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Auntie Helen's Fluff Peer-to-Peer HIV prevention for N Fold Laundry sexual minority, homeless and Project runaway youth. $5,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Being Alive - People Treatment Education Project (TEP) with HIV/AIDS Action Coalition $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Being Alive - San The New Beginnings Support Group for Diego men who are newly diagnosed with HIV. $5,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Camp Laurel Teen Adventure Camp 2005 Foundation $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Central City Educate and provide treatment to Community Health underserved pops with HIV Center $5,812.50-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Central City Provision of Primary Care Services Lutheran Mission to HIV+ Homeless persons $10,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Christie's Place, A support center for women, children Inc. and families living with HIV/AIDS $1,300.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Church of the Valley Emergency Necessities of Life Dana Landers AIDS Assistance Fund Support Group $5,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Clinica Msr. Oscar HIV prevention Education Program A. Romero $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Comite Civico Valle, HIV Education and Prevention Project Inc. of Imperial Valley $8,500.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Common Ground - The Direct Client Services for HIV Westside HIV Positive Individuals/Client Community Center Services Department $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Covenant House HIV/AIDS Early Intervention & California Prevention for Homeless and High- risk Youth $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Desert AIDS Project DAP is requesting funds to support the Food Services and Transportation programs. $12,500.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------East Valley HIV Nutrition Education and Support Community Health Services Center, Inc. $5,812.50-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------El Proyecto del Healthy Relationship support Groups Barrio, Inc. $5,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Foothill AIDS Treatment Adherence Advocacy for Project African-American and Hispanic Individuals Diagnosed with HIV/AIDS $10,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Gay & Lesbian Funds will be used to provide Mental Community Services Health services Center of Orange County $5,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Gay and Lesbian Mobile Health Outreach Project Adolescent Social 'Project Health In 'Da' Hood' Services $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Imperial Valley HIV Education and Prevention Project Community Health for Youth, MSM and IDUs Organization $2,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Inland AIDS Project Supplemental Food Distribution Program $12,500.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Laguna Beach Making HIV Quick Tests available in Community Clinic High Risk Communities $5,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Los Angeles Youth HIV prevention/educational-based Network (LAYN) outreach and counseling targeting runaway and homeless youth $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Mama's Kitchen Home Delivered Meals for People Affected by AIDS $5,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------National Health Public Education for Sexual Health Services, Inc. and Living with AIDS $7,500.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------North County Health Expansion of HIV Testing & Services Counseling to high-risk populations $10,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Northeast Valley Transportation services and Health Corporation emergency food vouchers for HIV positive patients $9,500.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------ONE in Long Beach, Reducing Sexual Risk of Inc. Methamphetamine Abusers in Early Childhood $8,250.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------PACTO Latino AIDS Project Dignity Organization $8,060.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Project Angel Food Meal Delivery Program $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------PROTOTYPES Hands on Health Project WomensLink HIV/STD/Substance Abuse Prevention/Education $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Public Health Transportation services for HIV- Foundation Impacted Women, Children, Youth and Enterprises, Inc Families. $5,812.50-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------San Diego American The Talking Circle: Peer Support for Indian Health Native Americans with HIV Center $5,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------San Diego Youth & Peer-to-Peer HIV prevention for Community Services sexual minority, homeless and runaway youth. $3,300.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------San Ysidro Health Come Bien - Viva Bien, a nutrition Center program for HIV-positive Latinos/as. $3,150.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Serra Ancillary Care Basic Needs of Children affected by Corporation - The HIV/AIDS Serra Project $6,900.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Shanti Orange County Formerly LAGUNA SHANTI Mental Health Individual and Group Therapy Counseling $5,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------South Bay Family HIV Education and Outreach programs Healthcare Center $10,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Special Delivery San AIDS Home-delivered Meal Service Diego $5,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------St. Mary Medical Peer substance abuse treatment Center CARE Program program $8,500.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Stepping Stone of Nonresidential alcohol and other San Diego, Inc. drug treatment and recovery services $3,500.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Valley Community HIV/AIDS Case Management Services Clinic $10,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Ventura County AIDS Emergency Assistance Program for Partnership low-income HIV/AIDS Patients $8,000.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Vista Community Nueva Esperanza - emotional support, Clinic education, HIV+ Spanish-speaking men $5,190.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------Women At Risk Continued support of Women at Risk Support Groups and One-On-One Peer Counseling $7,200.00-------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------ $395,000.00

Source: Kaiser Permanente