December 2011

URGENT APPEAL – Please show your support for ASIAC!

Dear Friends,

Asians and Pacific Islanders have the highest rate of increase in new HIV infections in the nation and are less likely to have been tested for HIV. With your help we can take the bold steps necessary to ensure that our services are state of the art and stop HIV from becoming an epidemic among Asians & Pacific Islanders in Philadelphia.

For the past sixteen years, ASIAC has been on the front line of HIV prevention for the A&PI community and private financial support from the community has been a keystone in making that happen. That support has helped ASIAC maintain its core programs: free HIV/AIDS testing and prevention programs, and culturally and linguistically appropriate medical case management services for Asians, Pacific Islanders and other immigrants who are diagnosed with HIV or AIDS in the Philadelphia area.

In the past year, ASIAC performed more than 250 HIV tests and provided linguistic services in over a dozen languages. Almost all of ASIAC’s clients live near or below the federal poverty level.

ASIAC is the one of the few organizations in Philadelphia that serve the HIV-related health care needs of Asians and other immigrants who are Limited English Proficient. Unfortunately, budget cuts and changes to federal regulations have severely diminished ASIAC’s resources such that core programs are now under-funded. In response, ASIAC has slashed expenses, cut salaries, and squeezed every dollar that we have to meet our mission and serve our clients. Nonetheless we are still making progress which you can follow on our blog link to blog

ASIAC urgently needs your help now. Please seriously consider making a donation of $500, $100 or $50 today, even if you have already made a donation or have attended our previous fundraisers. To donate online, please go to http://www.asiac.org/donate-getting-involved/donate.html. You may make out a check to ASIAC and mail it to 340 North 12th Street, Suite 205, Philadelphia PA 19107.

Protect yourself; get tested for HIV and always use condoms.