We’re all aware that we are in the midst of an economic slum. A day doesn’t go by in which we don’t hear the woes of the economy: layoffs, bankruptcy, budget cuts, and people in misery. It’s a far cry from the soaring house values and fat bonuses of a scant year and a half ago.
But what does that mean to us? How does it impact HIV/AIDS care and prevention? The California State budget was agreed upon by legislative leaders and the governor earlier this week and will face a vote soon. The impact on HIV/AIDS services is still unclear.
Since much of CARES funding is from federal sources, we are fairly certain, although not sure by any means, that CARES will continue to provide most, if not all, of the services we have offered in recent years. We are watching the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act with great interest since it is by far the largest funder of services. We anticipate that the RW Care Act will be reauthorized for at least one year without any major changes.
But change is coming and we feel it is important to be out front of that change as much as possible. Here is what we’re doing to make sure that we are here as long as we are needed by people living with HIV/AIDS:
- We’ve established a monetary reserve in case federal and/or state funding is reduced. Next year’s budget might be much worse than this year; there is no guarantee that additional cuts won’t occur in 2009 even with budget approval.
- We’re doing our best to engage other groups to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Area churches have been very supportive of the Are You the Difference? campaign and are volunteering in droves to help with transportation and community awareness.
- We’re asking people who are interested in spreading the word about HIV prevention to become part of an “army” of prevention advocates who will show up in matching t-shirts at concerts, bars, and other gathering places of those who might be at risk for HIV infection. They’ll pass out condoms and lube packets along with information about free HIV testing and prevention information.
Let’s not forget that we can’t let down our guard in these challenging times. We must continue to be vigilant in fighting the spread of HIV and in providing the care necessary for people with this disease. We just have to be more creative, more efficient and more cooperative and collaborative.
It has been said that the Chinese symbol for danger is the same as the one for opportunity. We decide which way to read the symbol. Let’s choose to see the opportunities and focus on moving forward.
