2007-2008 Gamma Mu Foundation Grants/Scholarships
Total $145,500

Community Services – AIDS Services and Prevention - $91,500 (63%)

AIDS Athens - Athens, GA
Grant amount: $10,000

AIDS Athens will use this grant to expand prevention services they offer to 9 rural Georgia counties. This includes increasing awareness of their services and prevention methods to organizations, medical providers, and business that come in contact with at risk individuals. They also intend to conduct 24 in-service trainings, 9 community events and increase testing. For those already living with HIV/AIDS they will implement a support group for GLBT individuals.

AIDS Project Southern Vermont (APSV) - Brattleboro, VT
Grant amount: $10,000

This grant will be used to expand APSV’s “Gathering for Mealtime” program providing frozen prepared meals, non-perishable food and frozen meats and vegetables to those living with HIV/AIDS and their families in southern Vermont. This grant will allow APSV to offer choices of fresh organic locally-grown fruits and vegetable to an additional 100 people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

AIDS Services of North Texas (ASNT) - Denton, TX
Grant amount: $10,000

ASNT will use this grant to provide mental health counseling to low-income HIV+ clients throughout north Texas. ASNT is the only HIV-specific social services agency serving 5 rural counties of north Texas. Mental health is a crucial resource necessary for effective care because of both the social sigma of HIV/AIDS and homosexuality in rural areas.

Big Bend CARES - Tallahassee, FL
Grant amount: $6,500

Big Bend CARES is a new grantee this year and will use these funds to educate the gay and lesbian population that are HIV-. Current state and federal monies can only be spent on individuals who are HIV+. This grant will allow inclusion of HIV- partners and individuals and couples into the groups. Each group receives five three hour interactive sessions.

Catskill Rural AIDS Services - Oneonta, NY
Grant amount: $10,000

These funds will be used to empower and support those living with HIV/AIDS. This includes both practical services such as transportation, food, emergency help and referrals as well as services to create and maintain a supportive community that decreases isolation and brings people together. Examples are monthly activities, pet program, home visits, phone contacts and ongoing support groups.

Face to Face / Sonoma County AIDS Network - Santa Rosa, CA
Grant amount: $5,000

These funds will be used to allow Face to Face to maintain its small satellite office in the isolated town of Guernville. Although the number of HIV cases has become more generalized throughout Sonoma County, a disproportionate number of isolated, disenfranchised individuals live in Guernville.

HIV Alliance - Eugene, OR
Grant amount: $10,000

These funds will be utilized to support the “Community Promise” program. The program is a community level intervention supported by behavioral change theories proven effective in increasing use of condoms. Gay and bi-sexual men from high-risk social networks will be recruited to encourage behavior change and to distribute role model stories.

RAIN Central Missouri - Columbia, MO
Grant amount: $10,000

RAIN is a new grantee this year and will use these funds for their HIV Primary Care Improvement Program. This program provides routine HIV primary care for people living with HIV/AIDS in North Central Missouri. The majority of persons served by this program are gay men. The program intends to improve the access and quality of health care and to engage people in health care if they are not already receiving services.

South Alabama CARES - Mobile, AL
Grant amount: $10,000

These funds continue the Foundation’s support of the FUSION project which is educational and uses peer educators (gay and bi-sexual men) to provide services. These are trained in HIV education, sexual behavior negotiation, and proper use of condoms. Services are presented in social gatherings and other places where gay and bi-sexual men meet.

Vermont CARES - Burlington, VT
Grant amount: $10,000

These funds will be used to support care and prevention programming for Vermont’s diverse GLBTQ communities affected by HIV/AIDS. Specific services include support and case management as well as HIVpreventions programs including HIV testing and education to stop the spread of HIV.

Community Services – Other - $28,000 (19%)

ALSO For Gay Youth - Sarasota, FL
Grant amount: $8,000

These funds will be used for the Rainbow Youth Empowerment Project designed to address issues of bias, discrimination, harassment, and shame experienced by sexual minority youths. The project will provide empowerment tools, compensatory programming, life-skills coaching, and referrals. Major components of the project include a drop-in center with activities, workshops, and individual assistance as well as weekly peer support group meetings and 24-hour crisis support.

GLBT Community Center - Denver, CO
Grant amount: $10,000

These funds will support Rainbow Alley which annually attracts approximately 1200 youth as a drop-in center in GLBTCC’s youth services program. This is the only program in the area designed to support GLBTQ youth. Youth receive free medical care from a weekly clinic with HIV testing and prevention education. Youth head up the planning and implementation of all Rainbow Alley programs. Rainbow alley provides a variety of drug and alcohol-free social alternatives, educational workshops and support groups.

Waterloo Counseling Center - Austin, TX
Grant amount: $10,000

Waterloo Counseling is a new grantee this year. Funds will be used to support the Center’s low-income Mental Health Project. Since 1983 Waterloo has provided affordable counseling to GLBTQ residents of central Texan. With reductions in Federal funding to MHMT centers, there is an increasing unmet need for mental health counseling in this area. The goal of this project is to serve 75 low-income clients with 1,123 sessions.