The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) has awarded 31 organizations a combined $7.35 million to connect thousands of people in the Chicagoland area living with HIV and AIDS to health care, housing services, transportation and other supportive services. These organizations were selected based on a spectrum of criteria, including their ability to serve Chicagoans most impacted by HIV: Black and Latino/Latinx...
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By Raven Feagins
“I used to wonder, like, ‘What am I here for? What is my purpose in life?’ And I have a purpose now,” said Valerie Linzy, an upbeat, big-hearted mother of six. “There are some young ladies who are going to come behind me from doing sex work that are going to come up HIV-positive that are going to need to know how to live … Here I am...
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By Raven Feagins
One night in 1991, 23-year-old Chancelor Cunningham woke up unable to breathe. He had been previously diagnosed with bronchitis, but this time he was admitted into the former Michael Reese Hospital in Bronzeville for an extended stay. It turned out he had pneumonia. Chancelor’s mom stayed by his side, even sometimes staying the night, and continuously advocated for...
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By Jamie Hock
Barely being able to contain his smile, Dyonte explains the significance of the tattoo on his lower forearm. The verse from Romans 8:18 reads “The pain you feel today can’t amount to the joy that’s coming”. Beaming he explains “It means a lot to me because I go through a lot, you know? So it’s like I got that tattoo you know so when I do...
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By Raven Feagins
Darrow Alexander is a Chicago native originally from the Englewood neighborhood. He thrives on connecting with others, especially if it’s through food, and he loves giving back to his community. However, before he settled into his cozy apartment in Uptown almost six years ago, Darrow whole-heartedly believed that he would forever be alone.
“I...
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By Raven Feagins
McHenry, Illinois, has been Jamie Braxton's home since she was 8 years old. She loves the familiarity that living in a smaller city brings (McHenry has a population of 26,600). Jamie (pictured at left, in center) grew up in a two-parent household, regularly attended church and describes her upbringing as overall normal. In 1995, when she was 33 years old, she even began...
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The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) coordinates 135 case managers throughout the Chicago metropolitan area to support clients who are living with HIV and related chronic diseases. Case managers are there to connect with clients directly and help them achieve goals such as obtaining stable housing or getting connected to a medical provider that may help them reach an undetectable viral load...
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By Raven Feagins
“Imagine putting on multiple hats with each call you receive. Sometimes I’m the person that clients call to laugh and joke with, but oftentimes I’m the person they’re reaching out to because they’re in a crisis. Often, my team and I are the sole individuals that a caller has disclosed their HIV status to at the time of their...
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The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is pleased to announce the top eight Chicago-area care organizations in its HIV medical and non-medical case management network for Dec. 1, 2016 – Nov. 30, 2017. By connecting people living with HIV to case managers who help them achieve their health goals, these eight organizations support more than 711 members of AFC’s 5,869 clients. ...
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By Andrea Dakin, Senior Director of Program Development at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago
Editor's note: Looking to make a career transition into grant writing and management? Visit aidschicago.org/careers to apply for our Program Development Manager position!
While fundraising or grant writing may not be the obvious career choice for those receiving a Bachelor of Social Work...
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