For the past three years I have served as Treasurer on the Board of PreventionWorks, a local public health and social justice organization in Washington, DC. As many of you know, prior to that I was a staff member there, conducting needle exchanges, providing referrals to treatment and services, and getting to know our clients. PreventionWorks is an organization near and dear to my heart, and one to which I’ve given a lot of my time and energy over the past 5+ years. The Board has pledged to help raise money through individual appeals to our family and friends, and I’ve opted to do my part through our blog. I hope you’ll take the time to read the message below and help me support this important organization through your year-end giving. Thank you!
Here in DC, 1 in 20 residents lives with HIV/AIDS, the highest rate in the country. For nearly 15 years, PreventionWorks has served thousands of injection drug users who battle not just the chronic diseases of addiction, HIV and hepatitis, but hunger, homelessness, mental health challenges, sexual abuse, violence and the stigma and isolation that come with being an addict. Recovery from addiction can be a life-long road, particularly in a city where drug treatment resources are grossly inadequate. PreventionWorks helps people to take the best possible care of themselves while they are on that journey by providing harm reduction and prevention materials, health education and screenings, food, support groups, case management, and linkages to medical care, drug treatment and other services.
While our organization has reasonably strong grant funding compared to similar organizations across the country, we struggle at times filling the gaps with unrestricted funds that would help our operation run more smoothly. For example, recently the generator on the mobile unit broke down, undermining our ability to provide our services. The mobile unit is the single most critical resource we have, as it facilitates our street-based services and outreach. Replacing the generator alone will cost $3,500 in precious general operating funds that we currently don’t have.
To help us continue our full services into next year and beyond, we are launching a campaign to raise $10,000 in individual contributions by Thanksgiving. Can you help? Whether you can donate $25 or $250, it would be a huge contribution to fighting disease, improving health, and re-instilling dignity for some of the most marginalized people in society. If you are thinking about a Christmas gift for me, this would be perfect. Or maybe there is someone else on your Christmas list who would like to receive a gift to PreventionWorks made in their honor.
Please consider helping us reach our goal of raising $10,000 by Thanksgiving. Contributions to PreventionWorks can be made through D.C.’s Catalogue for Philanthropy. Or, if you wish, you can send a personal check made payable to PreventionWorks to me, and I’ll deliver it personally. Thank you in advance for your critical support.
