A Message from the Executive
Director
Ana Oliveira, Executive Director
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Dear friends of GMHC:
This past year will be remembered as one of the most challenging
for non-profit AIDS service organizations across the country. Our
resources have been very hard to come by while the demands on our
staff and our services have continued to increase. In spite of
these challenges, GMHC continued to provide a safe haven and a
source of care and support for more than 15,000 men, women, and
children — a number that grows every year.
Maintaining our success in supporting HIV-positive individuals
has always required that we confront and overcome obstacles with
fierce determination, that we provide limitless compassion for
the welfare of others, and that we remain vigilant in the face
of fear. Compassion has always been a vital component of the work
we do; it is the cornerstone of our mission and propels us to improve
the lives of our clients on every level. And it is what you demonstrate
every year with your generous support and your advocacy for our
work.
With your help last year, we worked diligently to help our clients
achieve greater autonomy and self-worth by launching a transition-to-work
program, by providing them with financial guidance and legal services,
and by fighting to uphold their legal, civil, and human rights.
Recognizing that new infections continue unabated and that there
are increased numbers of HIV-positive people living longer, we
emphasized defending and promoting prevention, securing access
to care, and connecting people with long-term support services
earlier. We made progress in HIV prevention for women, persons
of color, and young people, and expanded our array of services
to include rapid HIV testing as well as prevention and testing
for Syphilis and Hepatitis, two infections that have increased
and go hand-in-hand with HIV infection.
We continued to create targeted messages that make explicitly
clear that HIV transmission can be prevented, and fiercely advocated
on behalf of those most at risk of HIV infection when the Federal
Centers for Disease Control questioned the efficacy of condoms.
We also fought against the federal government's insufficient funding
of domestic AIDS programs and its hyper-scrutiny of organizations — like
ours — that use explicit language and approaches in their
prevention initiatives.
Determination, compassion, and vigilance are critical to our success — but
they are nothing without your generosity. Our work is made possible
only through the impact of your financial support, your commitment,
and your ongoing efforts to end this plague. The people listed
in the back of this report, and thousands more, represent a collective
altruism and devotion that is truly inspirational.
It gives me comfort and confidence that, together, we will win
this fight. I hope that the hard work of our staff, our volunteers,
and our partner organizations demonstrate our gratitude and appreciation
to you, our supporters, every day of the year. Thank you!
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