Interfaith AIDS group receives Ford Foundation grant

The Charlotte, N.C.-based Regional AIDS Interfaith Network has received a $130,000 leadership grant from the Ford Foundation in recognition of its HIV/AIDS outreach work in North and South Carolina, particularly in reducing the stigma associated with AIDS in at-risk African-American and gay-male communities, The Charlotte Observer reports. RAIN is one of 20 Ford Foundation grant recipients chosen from more than 1,400 applicants. RAIN manages HIV/AIDS outreach and care teams in 97 congregations in the Carolinas that provide physical and spiritual health support to those infected or affected by HIV. The organization also encourages churches, mosques, and synagogues in the region to regularly talk with their congregants about HIV prevention and AIDS issues.