Charitable Giving: Year End Campaign
Earlier this year, a woman entered an emergency room in rural Nebraska because she’d been feeling sick and her health seemed to be declining, as opposed to improving, after taking several days off work. Upon admission to the hospital was her first time hearing the words “you are HIV positive”, and her viral load (copies of the virus in a blood sample) was so high that it was concluded that she had likely been living with HIV for more than a decade without realizing it. I share this story today because it helps to demonstrate the value and impact of the programs offered by the Nebraska AIDS Project.
Testing, prevention, and early intervention, in this case, could have detected HIV earlier and improved health outcomes by connecting her to healthcare and treatment immediately upon detection as opposed to waiting for symptoms to decline to a point where hospitalization was necessary.
Upon admission into the hospital, a NAP case manager responded immediately to provide assistance in getting the patient into HIV-specialized medical treatment and assisted in finding financial assistance to ensure the woman maintained the home she lived in during her absence from work.
Finally, this story demonstrates how important it is for us to maintain a statewide presence that serves all of Nebraska. Coordinated efforts across the state, and reliable networks of providers of medical care, help us ensure that anyone living with HIV is able to access care, support services, and treatment.
This year, we set an aggressive goal to raise $100,000 through Giving Tuesday, World AIDS Day, Night of a Thousand Stars, and our year-end charitable giving campaign. As of today, we are at just over $85,000 – we’re asking YOU to help us move into 2018 strong! Will you help us raise $15,000 before December 31st?
On behalf of the staff, volunteers, and board of directors at the Nebraska AIDS Project, we thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
London Woolman
Interim Executive Director of the Nebraska AIDS Project