Chicago agency
seeks funding for faith-based HIV prevention effort

The AIDS Foundation of Chicago is seeking $500,000 over the next year to support its year-old program that conducts HIV education and prevention outreach through faith-based organizations in minority areas in the city, the Chicago Tribune reports. Twelve churches and faith-based groups each received $10,000 from AFC through a one-year federal grant last year, but now that the funding is ending AFC is seeking new contributions to continue and expand the program to include 20 organizations. AFC already plans to issue an additional $5,000 to each of the program participants to keep it operative.

The Reverend Doris Green, AFC's community affairs director and administrator of the agency's Faith in Prevention program, says involving faith-based organizations is a key way to reach African-Americans with HIV awareness and prevention information. The religious groups are "demystifying the epidemic and providing messages of prevention and hope," she told the Tribune. "They're talking not only about abstinence but about comprehensive AIDS prevention and testing."