Georgia: Funding the AIDS Fight

The Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund recently awarded more than $536,000 in grants to 26 metro area HIV/AIDS service organizations. The funds come as a welcome boost for groups such as Project Open Hand-Atlanta, which delivers some 3,000 meals daily to persons with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes.

"Our priority is of course for our clients' meals every day," said Tanya Johnson, POH's development director. "It's just a natural fit for us to ask for funding for that product." The average cost for POH to prepare a meal is $4.35, and the grant will go a long way to support all steps in that process, said Johnson. "We purchase the raw food to prepare the meals, the containers, even the film that goes over the containers to package the meals," she said.

Launched in 1991 to help local people with HIV/AIDS, AAPF awards grants to nonprofit agencies for HIV prevention and education, supportive services, residential services, and advocacy. Jamie Rousey of the AAPF said its board encourages "community ownership" of the agencies' programs.

AAPF is a collaborative effort of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National AIDS Fund, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. This year, 42 applications competed for the awards.

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