North Carolina AIDS organization files for bankruptcy

Winston-Salem, N.C.'s HIV Outreach Programs and Education, or HOPE, closed two weeks ago and recently filed for bankruptcy, leaving hundreds of HIV-positive people in the region without case management, financial, and emotional support services, the Winston-Salem Journal reports. HOPE board chair Bernard Davis did not provide details about the organization's finances but confirmed that its debt was greater than its income and that the agency is seeking bankruptcy protection from its creditors. The agency, which had reduced its staff last year due to financial problems, had received less funding for the current fiscal year than expected due to cutbacks at the Northwest Care Consortium, which allocates state and federal AIDS funds to local service groups. HOPE is one of only two AIDS agencies serving HIV-positive people in Forsyth County. The agency offered case management services, ran several support groups, offered programs for HIV-positive children, and operated a food pantry.