Santa Cruz AIDS Project to Close Drop-In Center

After 12 years of operation, the Drop-In Center of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project will close on Sept. 15 due to the loss of all its state funding last month. The center at 412 Front St. served about 900 people monthly, running a needle-exchange program (NEP); offering free HIV testing, counseling and prevention workshops; and hosting weekly youths' and women's hours.

Most of the center's programs will continue through SCAP's main location. The exception is the NEP, which cannot be run from SCAP's headquarters at 313 Front St. due to lease stipulations. "We'll have stuff in the parking lot and in our other office, but for [NEP] participants, this is their safe space," said Gina Giarrusso, a harm-reduction specialist with SCAP who is being laid off. "They're not sure they want to be out in the open, especially if they're already on the street every day."

Roughly 40 percent of SCAP's $1.2 million annual budget came from state and federal funding. The state's portion of about $300,000 was cut as part of a series of line-item vetoes Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made to plug a massive budget gap. SCAP is still negotiating with the US Department of Health and Human Services over this year's federal funding allocation.

SCAP Executive Director Merle Smith said that while she was advised of the cuts in July, she waited to learn exactly how much money the project would lose before she laid people off. In all, four to five center employees will be let go.

"We desperately need volunteers now to come and help us through our transition process," said Smith.

Back to other news for September 2009