many issues, such as substance abuse, depression and working to send money home,” A&PIWC’s Manzon-Santos said.

Young people who are or have been incarcerated, as well as gay, lesbian and questioning adolescents, have formed groups that rely on peer outreach and leadership development to promote sexual health. 

“For an organization to manage as much diversity as we do takes a lot of work, and what often doesn’t get talked about is what holds it all together – our philosophy and values,” Manzon-Santos said. “The grant from TCWF has allowed us to focus on organizational culture and the systems that support this diverse staff.” 

AIDS Project Expands Outreach to Latinos

TCWF’s $40,000 grant given in March 2001 to Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF)/AIDS Project Central Coast (APCC) in Santa Barbara was used in part for organizational development, leading to an expansion of its outreach to Latinos in the rural areas of Santa Barbara County.

APCC was established in 1984 as a program of the Pacific Pride Foundation. Staff provides case management, health education, counseling, two food pantries, hot meal delivery, legal services, HIV education and testing, a needle exchange program and an information hotline for all of Santa Barbara County. 

 “Santa Barbara itself is a small city, but the North County is very rural, with a predominantly Latino community of farmworkers and monolingual Spanish-speakers,” said PPF/APCC Director of Grants and Foundation Management Jerry Schwartz. “With The California Wellness Foundation’s grant, we were able to identify the needs of the Latino community and develop a program specialized to those needs, which is now funded by The California Endowment.”

A team of Spanish-speaking community health outreach workers operates out of PPF’s rural Santa Maria office to provide education about HIV and AIDS, as well as testing. The health outreach workers are from the community and make face-to-face contact with people in a context that is respectful and understanding of Latino culture.

“Among the gay men we historically serve, the stigma of HIV has declined; however, among many Latinos, it continues,” Schwartz said. “Many in the Latino community are afraid to talk about HIV, and much of the prevention material developed over the last 20 years does not meet the cultural needs of this community. This is an innovative program, which has meant creating a whole new approach to HIV prevention education.” 

TCWF’s grant is also being used to support PPF’s services to people with HIV, including a food pantry and meal program that helps hundreds of clients. 

“As the demographics of people affected by HIV and AIDS have changed, PPF has shown tremendous responsiveness,” said TCWF Program Director Angeles. “In expanding its Latino outreach, it has done so in a way that embraces Latino culture, making its efforts that much more successful.”

Information about the organizations in this article can be found at the following sites:

Central City Lutheran Mission
www.cclm.org
Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center
www.apiwellness.org
Pacific Pride Foundation/AIDS Project Central Coast
www.silcom.com/~pride

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