Buffalo, N.Y.: AIDS Unit to Open in East Side "Hot Spot"

In Buffalo's bustling Kensington-Bailey area, residents will be able to receive comprehensive HIV/AIDS education and services when the Urban Services Center opens in mid-August. And with African-Americans being infected at disparate rates, many believe such a facility will meet another need in the community by bringing awareness of the virus and disease. The AIDS Network of Western New York estimates that more than 5,000 area residents are HIV-positive, and almost 3,000 of them are from communities of color. Only about 1,000 have access to care.

Those statistics and other factors galvanized AIDS Community Services of Western New York to create the center, with the goals of aggressively raising awareness, tackling the epidemic and providing accessible community-based service. Ronald T. Silverio, president and CEO of AIDS Community Services, said there also were requests from community members and clients to create the East side site for various reasons, including lack of transportation. The 6,200-square foot facility, located in a former bank at 3060 Bailey, will be an expansion of AIDS Community Services, which is the largest comprehensive AIDS services organization in the region. Minorities make up 65 percent of the organization's clientele. Because of the stigma surrounding the disease, the new center doesn't have HIV/AIDS in the name and is housed in a building with five businesses, Silverio said.

The organization recently received a two-year $264,000 grant from the John R. Oishei Foundation. The facility is currently under construction. The center will offer family-centered case management, specialized medical care, HIV-specific nutrition, a housing subsidy and emergency assistance program, mental health and other services. Project Reach/Kaleida Health will relocate to the center from Main Street and continue its street outreach of giving out condoms and information about its substance abuse program. It will also offer on-site HIV testing and counseling and syringe exchange.

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