HELP Is Now on the Beach -- Literally

The HIV Education and Law Project, which operated for years in downtown Miami, relocated in July to new offices at 1210 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach. Founded in 1994, the full-service nonprofit legal clinic provides legal help for indigent Miami-Dade residents with HIV/AIDS.

"We're at the epicenter of the virus here in Miami Beach," said Caryn Lubetsky, HELP's founder and executive director. Miami Beach is home to 75-80 percent of HELP's clients. "Most [of HELP's clients] don't have cars. We came to the problem," Lubetsky said.

Lubetsky, 32, is a New Jersey native who now makes her home in Miami Beach. She became motivated to help people with AIDS after a longtime friend became infected with HIV in college. He died in 1993, shortly after his senior year. At the University of Miami Law School, Lubetsky worked on a public interest fellowship at the People with AIDS Coalition in Miami. Other than her college friendship, this was her first experience with HIV/AIDS. "I was floored. I didn't realize people were dealing with this myriad of issues. I couldn't go back to school and just continue what I was doing," she recalled.

HELP has assisted nearly 700 clients in areas such as public benefits, discrimination, wills and trusts, and landlord/tenant disputes. Lubetsky is also frequently involved in cases dealing with child custody and visitation rights, as well as placing children orphaned by AIDS. The organization also holds educational seminars.

Lubetsky is HELP's only staff attorney. The only other full-time staffer is Deputy Director Julie Greenwald, who joined the board in 2000. Funding sources include the Ryan White program.

While public awareness of AIDS has made much progress, some misconceptions remain, Lubetsky said -- among them, the idea that AIDS has been defeated. "That's not the case. Infections are on the rise due to complacency," she said.

Back to other news for October 3, 2003