MEDIA CONTACT

Susan R. Miller

Garton-Miller Media

Email: srmiller@gartonmillermedia.com

Phone: 954-294-4973

 

 

FORT LAUDERDALE - April 23, 2020 - During these unprecedented times, nonprofit organizations serving the HIV/AIDS community have had to find unique and safe ways to deliver their services. From HIV testing, to mental health counseling, to housing and food distribution, these organizations cannot, and have not, turned their backs on this vulnerable population. As demand for services grows, many of these organizations are facing a huge financial strain.

 

Recognizing the need to fill this growing financial void, The Campbell Foundation has stepped in to assist ten Florida-based organizations that provide critical direct services to the HIV-AIDS community impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic by providing each with a $2,500 emergency relief grant to be used as they see fit.

 

The following organizations, many of which The Campbell Foundation has supported over its 25-year history, are grant recipients: A.H. of Monroe County Inc., Broward House, Children’s Diagnostic &Treatment Center (Comprehensive Family AIDS Program), Compass, Latinos Salud, Legal Aid Ryan White Program, McGregor Clinic, Poverello Center, SunServe, and World AIDS Museum.

 

“While our overall mission is cure research, The Campbell Foundation has always stepped in during times of need. We have provided emergency grants following natural disasters, fast-track grants to local researchers, as well as our annual year-end (Holiday Hug) grants,” said Foundation Executive Director Ken Rapkin. “The COVID-19 pandemic is stretching local organizations’ resources to their limits and we wanted to help fill some gaps.”

 

Latinos Salud, which provides a number of services, including HIV testing and counseling throughout South Florida, made the difficult decision to continue serving its clients in the midst of the crisis, said Executive Director Stephen Fallon.

 

“We took many precautions to keep staff and clients safe. The Campbell Foundation’s grant helped to make sure that our funding stayed safe too. We’re grateful that this foundation and others have our back, while we have our community’s back,” said Fallon.

 

At A.H. Monroe in the Florida Keys, where 60 percent of the workforce is unemployed and the region is closed to non-residents, the grant will be used for rental assistance and food vouchers, according to Executive Director Scott Pridgen. Meantime, Legal AID of Broward County Ryan White Division staff continues to assist clients remotely and with that comes the need for technology, says staff attorney Kara Schickowski.

 

“With this grant, our attorneys and support staff in Legal Aid HIV Programs will be well-equipped to serve clients remotely for as long as is necessary,” said Schickowski.

 

SunServe in Wilton Manors, which offers a wide range of services, has seen a surge in the need for mental health services, according to Executive Director Mark Ketcham. “This support will help us defray some of the costs and keep helping people,” he said.

 

Dr. Ana Calderon Randazzo, executive director at the Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center in Fort Lauderdale, said funding will help to ensure children and families with special needs continue to receive quality healthcare. Meantime, Stacy Hyde, president and CEO of Broward House, says many of their clients are struggling to maintain their health, housing and support systems and “It is the generosity of The Campbell Foundation and others that allows us to keep changing and saving lives in these unprecedented times.”

 

About The Campbell Foundation

The Campbell Foundation was established in 1995 by the late Richard Campbell Zahn as a private, independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting clinical, laboratory-based research into the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. It focuses its funding on supporting alternative, nontraditional avenues of research. In its 25th year, the Campbell Foundation has given away more than $11 million, with about $1.2 million going to direct services.