Since 1989, the mission of Thursday’s
Child has been clear and strong: to develop, coordinate, and to provide
services to people living with AIDS.
In light of recent news regarding the federal Ryan White Act and the devastating
Congressional action this past autumn, Long Island AIDS service organizations
like Thursday’s Child face unprecedented service cuts.
Today’s article in Newsday, titled “Facing Less AIDS Funding”, on page A8,
is the result of my own instigation. I informed Newsday reporter, Ms Denise
Bonilla, two days ago that the federal agency which provides funding directly
to Long Island has reneged on a deal made with Senators Clinton and Schumer.
Since 1995, Thursday’s Child, among many other service providers, was granted
direct federal aid via Nassau County in cooperation with the Nassau-Suffolk
HIV Services Planning Council under the Ryan White CARE Act.
This Act expired in 2005. Congress finally got around to reauthorizing ‘Ryan
White’ last September. Unfortunately for Long Island, they changed the original
bill so drastically that our region would no longer qualify as an ‘Eligible
Area.’
The result of this change is not a mere word game: statistics over the past
five years prove that over 3000 people are living with AIDS here on LI and
another 7000 are living with HIV. Were Long Island its own State, we would
qualify for millions of dollars in direct funding!
The reality instead is that during the years 2001 to 2005, about 1500 new
cases of AIDS were reported. That number means that of the estimated 7000
+ folks living with HIV, only 1500 reported changing status to AIDS. According
to the government’s interpretation of the new Ryan White bill, LI no longer
qualifies for help.
This is absurd. This is deadly miscalculation.
Because our region’s health and social service care has actually done a
good job in preventing more people switching status from HIV to AIDS, the
3000+ folks living with AIDS and the 7000+ living with HIV will now be PENALIZED
and denied services!
I can assure each of you reading this that Thursday’s Child is committed
to its mission stated above! As of this Friday morning, the 16th of February,
I do not know of the full effect of these cuts to our present services.
What I can tell you is that we need your help more than ever!
Our doors will remain open. Our phones turned on. Our staff available to
help all persons living with HIV/AIDS to the best of our ability! Our emergency
financial assistance programs may indeed be temporarily curtailed – but
I vow to you NOT FOR LONG! I will keep you informed and up to date, as information
is verifiable.
Until then, please consider what you can do to help Thursday’s Child! Ask
if your employer has a Matching Gift Program; if you are a federal employee,
please consider donating to Thursday’s Child via the Combined Federal Campaign;
if you are a State employee, please consider us via the SEFA.
So many of you have donated often to keep our mission alive and well: please
consider what you can do to get us through this crisis. Ask your local retailer
to offer a donations jar to Thursday’s Child; ask you friends and family
to donate in memory or in honor of a loved one…the possibilities are many.
Thank you for taking the time to keep informed. Please keep Thursday’s Child
and all persons living with HIV/AIDS in your thoughts and prayers.
Gregory Noone, Program Manager
Go to our Donations Page and contribute now!
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