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TAKING FLIGHT AT GMHC GMHC Annual Report FY 2014 & 2015 TAKING FLIGHT AT GMHC Gay Men’s Health Crisis began when HIV was a certain death sentence, when stigma and homophobia forced people from their homes, their jobs, and their families. When even hospitals turned away the suffering, GMHC was there. Men and women in need fled from all over the country, seeking a safe haven and seeking answers. GMHC was there. Today, hundreds of women and men flee their countries of origin—escaping violence, discrimination, poverty, stigma, and abuse. They come to New York City to build a new home and a new life. Amid the bright lights and the big city, it’s easy to miss these new Americans, but they are here. And GMHC is here for them. Today, HIV infection rates continue to rise among young men of color who have sex with men. Many of these young people live in poverty, rejected by their families, and fall through the cracks of mainstream service systems. But GMHC is here for them. Today, soup kitchens around the city overflow with hungry clients, even as funding for these services dries up. Hundreds of people with HIV go to bed hungry each night. But GMHC is here for them. GMHC is here for the people who come to our office with a new HIV diagnosis, seeking answers, and a way forward. GMHC is here for the families who flee persecution, searching for legal ways to make America home. GMHC is here for the men and women who need a hot meal and a friendly face. GMHC is here for the young people who come from across the five boroughs seeking a sense of community and the promise of a better tomorrow. Our staff and volunteers learn about the people we serve through the fragments of their stories. Open-minded and without judgment, we stretch out a lifeline to our clients, one service at a time—a hot meal, an HIV test, connection to medical care—all with the aim of empowering our clients to take flight toward a healthy and fulfilling life. The journey is long and winding, but GMHC is always there. LETTER FROM THE CEO As we reflect on the last year of service, we are filled with gratitude for your support of GMHC. Your generosity has helped GMHC provide over 100,000 meals to hungry New Yorkers, deliver 1,600 hours of mental health services, provide over 3,000 HIV tests, and serve over 10,000 people living with or affected by HIV. Thanks to our outstanding community of benefactors, Gay Men’s Health Crisis continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. In the years since 1981, we have time and again witnessed the suffering of our brothers and sisters touched by the AIDS epidemic and by poverty, stigma, and injustice. As we remember their struggles and honor those who have fallen, we recall too the incredible progress that has been made to improve the lives of those with HIV and prevent new infections. The story of HIV is one of struggle and hope; it’s a story of communities coming together to uplift the lives of the marginalized. GMHC remains a steadfast leader in the goal to eradicate the AIDS epidemic by 2020. We have made incredible progress on many fronts to address the challenges that remain— the agency has undertaken new program initiatives, implemented stronger fiscal policies, and continued to lead local, state, and national public policy discussions. As we look toward the future, we are updating our message to reflect our continued commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS. Our new logo honors GMHC’s history and our identity by using the color red, the traditional color of HIV/AIDS. Second, where we once said “Fight AIDS” our logo now says “End AIDS,” because that is our true goal—to END AIDS once and for all. Lastly, our slogan “Love Life” has been strengthened—we now say “Live Life” to affirm our commitment to helping all people live full and rewarding lives, regardless of their HIV status. Through these changes, we aim to empower and invigorate those who stand with GMHC, remind them of our past, recognize our progress, and engage in the work that remains to be done. We are ever aware of the challenges ahead. Government funding cuts will significantly impact AIDS services and prevention programs. In addition, while the rates of new HIV infections have gone down in New York State overall, they continue to rise in young and older men who have sex with men, and women of color. Until there is a cure and it is available to all who need it, our work will never be complete. Thank you for your enduring support, Kelsey Louie Chief Executive Officer LETTER FROM THE BOARD CHAIRS It is our great pride and pleasure to present you with GMHC’s 2015 annual report. The stories within these pages and the successes we’ve achieved would not have been possible without the exceptional leaders and activists of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, who bring their passion and commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS. This past summer we acknowledged three significant milestones in the history of HIV/AIDS. In June of 1981, the Centers for Disease Control published the first-ever medical report on AIDS. On July 3rd, less than one month later, The New York Times published a ground-breaking article on a Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals. This became the article universally cited as the beginning of the epidemic. One month and one week later, GMHC was born. In the living room of Larry Kramer’s apartment, founders Nathan Fain, Larry Kramer, Lawrence Mass, Paul Popham, Paul Rapoport, and Edmund White gathered with their friends and took up the first collection for action. Together, they formed the world’s first AIDS service organization, dedicated to helping all in need. Nearly 35 years later, the tenacity of our founders continues to inspire our work at GMHC. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished this year. Together, we’ve helped over 10,000 people access healthcare, counseling, meals, employment, legal services, and HIV testing in 2015. A world without AIDS is possible, but we must be prepared to meet new challenges. Over the years, funding for HIV prevention services has experienced cuts, and there is little or no funding for programs for long-term survivors and aging people living with HIV/AIDS. With over 120,000 people currently diagnosed with HIV in New York City, and more than 1.2 million nationwide, GMHC is dedicated to ensuring that life-sustaining services remain intact, and that our commitment to ending the AIDS epidemic stands stronger than ever. It is with your help and willingness to assist that we are able to do what many said was impossible over three decades ago. On behalf of GMHC clients, staff, volunteers, and Board members, thank you. Sincerely, Roberta A. Kaplan Michael C. Harwood Co-Chair, Board of Directors Co-Chair, Board of Directors issues faced by long-term survivors include isolation, the stresses of TODAY living with a chronic disease, elevated risk for depression, substance use, and suicidal ideation. They also report experiencing stigma from within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, as well as symptoms that resemble post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “I felt forgotten about for so long,” said long-term survivor Sean McKenna. “There are fewer and fewer programs for long-term survivors. Our health is declining and there are now more of us.” GMHC is relaunching its historic Buddy Program to meet the unmet needs of HIV and AIDS veterans. The agency also launched a new page on its website dedicated to services for long-term survivors, defined as those who contracted the virus before the advent of anti-retroviral therapies (ART) or who have been living with HIV or AIDS for ten or more years. Originally created in 1982, GMHC’s Buddy Program helped those dying from AIDS who “ It made sense to were isolated and didn’t have support from family to care for them. Buddies escorted clients to the hospital and to medical me that the Buddy appointments, and shopped for food and other household needs when clients became too weak to leave their homes. The program Program was the ended in 2005 due to decreased interest and funding eliminated from the Ryan White Care f irst place to go.” Act by Congress. “I was diagnosed with HIV on March 10, 1994, and became a GMHC client in 1996,” said Sean. “I knew about GMHC’s Buddy Program at that time. I thought it was amazing. It made sense to me that the Buddy Program was the first place to go. That is something special, helping people to die with dignity.” The Buddy Program and other services for long-term survivors will be advised by a new committee of which Sean is a member. Many long-term survivors have lived through the worst of the AIDS epidemic. GMHC is not only committed to making sure they are not forgotten, but also that they are honored and have access to services that meet their needs today including mental health, substance use, legal, and meal programs—and more. “I will be happy when there are buddies out in the world,” said Sean. “Helping to bring back the Buddy Program is nothing short of miraculous, not only because this time around it is designed to help people live their lives to the fullest, but also because, until there is a cure, every one of us who is infected will eventually become a long-term survivor.” SEAN MCKENNA a lot of women who are scared to share their HIV status with their partners “I SEE and children, and family members.

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