Fund is a 501(c) 3 tax exempt organization, which focuses on the needs of women, seniors, healthcare, the arts, and the youth in the community. They work with other not-for-profits and service organizations, including the Wilton Manors-based Brian Neal Fitness and Health Foundation, for which they offer resources for men and women living with HIV/AIDS, in conjunction with Island City Health and Fitness. Our Fund has helped sponsor those that are unable to pay for gym memberships and life and nutritional counseling programs. Our Fund CEO Anthony Timiraos says the organization has developed several levels of support.

“We have so many ways that people can help,” he notes. “There is the entry—or, “Bronze”—level, which is a contribution of $1,500 to $2,499. Our “Silver” level is $2,500 to $4,999. “Gold” level is a contribution of $5,000 to $9,999. The “Diamond” is set at $10,000 to $14,999, and our “Platinum” level is $15,000 and above.”

“One of the things about us is that if you want to leave money to several organizations—let’s say the Pride Center, Poverello, and Broward House, as examples—you can express the amount for each organization, and we will disperse that money for you—I hate to say ‘upon your departure,’ but that’s what it comes down to,” he notes, in a manner that’s almost apologetic.

“Every dime that we bring in stays in our community, hence the name ‘Our Fund,’” Timaraos explains. “When someone wills us money, we keep it in the community, and dispense it in that manner. For example, let’s say someone leaves $500,000, and they specify a certain organization to receive that money. Perhaps that puts the donation level over a certain amount that may cause them to lose other federal, state, or local funds. “What we do is we send that money over a period of time, as to not compromise other incomes.

Let’s face it, right now all of the nonprofits are suffering, due to budget cuts. What we do is perfectly legal, and we don’t want to see any of the LGBT organizations get hurt. They all are doing so much good work, the last thing that we want to do is limit their ability to continue to serve a community that is in need,” he adds. For more information, visit: our-fund.org.

According to AHF, it will, through its pharmacy, supply up to $1 million in free AIDS drugs to those who were taken out of the state ADAP program and those on the waiting list for drugs. As of Dec. 10, there were 2,396 Floridians on the state’s ADAP waiting list.

“Through AHF’s offer to fill prescriptions for medications to bridge supply gaps for any displaced Florida ADAP patients, we hope to help ease the state’s AIDS drug crisis and get vulnerable Florida AIDS patients off waiting lists and back on to lifesaving antiretroviral treatment,” said Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

The drugs will be dispensed at AHF’s pharmacy locations or shipped for free to those who need it.

AHF serves more than 15,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Florida alone, including free HIV testing and prevention programs; HIV/AIDS health care centers in Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Jacksonville; eight pharmacies throughout the state; a disease management program; and its Positive Healthcare Managed Care program.

Thousands in jeopardy of losing coverage

It appears Florida’s struggling economy has found its latest victims: uninsured HIV/AIDS patients. According to the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau for HIV/AIDS, a budget crisis is forcing the state to drop 350 uninsured HIV/AIDS patients from a federal drug subsidy program, and an additional 2,000 more patients may suffer the same fate.

The need to drop patients from the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) stems from Florida’s $16 million shortfall of its $100 million drug program budget. Another factor affecting the cuts is the economy, which has triggered an increase in the number of Florida patients being enrolled in the program due to loss of employment and health insurance. The Bureau estimates the current enrollment to be approximately 11,000 patients. The lack of funding has forced the agency to put patients on a waiting list.

“We have not had this type of demand in 14 years,” said Tom Liberti, chief of the Bureau of HIV/AIDS. “We knew we had to have a waiting list quickly because we were over budget.”

Liberti, who estimates there are more than 2,400 patients on the waiting list, says the Bureau began putting patients on the list June 1. Of these patients, more than 1,000 live in South Florida and approximately 300 live in Central Florida. In a state that has the third largest HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country, having to drop patients from ADAP is not something the Bureau wanted to do, says Liberti. New York and California rank No. 1 and No. 2.

Flat funding from the Ryan White program, the economy and the increased number of patients came together to create what Liberti calls the “perfect storm,” which started in early 2009. While the Bureau, which has been around for more than 20 years, is trying to stabilize the program, it’s not there yet, he says. If the financial situation does not improve, there is a strong possibility that more patients could be dropped from the program.

“When people are diagnosed … they often need to be on medication right away,” said Lola Thomas, executive director of the AIDS Alliance of Northwest Georgia, one of the states that has a waiting list. “It’s devastating to the HIV community. It becomes difficult to keep up with the program.” As far as Florida is concerned, there are no guarantees that more patients won’t be cut, but the Bureau is trying to make it through March 31 of next year before any additional cuts are made. Liberti estimates that the state saves about $10,000 per every patient dropped, but that is not the ideal scenario.

“Everyone is trying very hard so that we don’t have to do that. I’m trying to stay optimistic,” Liberti said. That optimism is linked to several grant programs totaling millions of dollars, some of which the state has never been eligible for until now. The downside is the fact that grant awards aren’t usually handed out until at least April 1. Liberti says his office is going for as much money as possible.

In the meantime, dropping patients from ADAP and reducing eligibility were the immediate steps that had to be taken to ensure the program could stay afloat. Some of the patients being dropped may be able to obtain drugs for free or at a minimal cost directly through programs offered by drug manufacturers. The state is assisting patients in this process.