A note from Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet

Dear Friend,


Our 25th annual Pride Brunch on Saturday, June 24, was a huge success! A record-breaking 350 guests attended, net proceeds of $78,000 exceeded all previous years, and every SF Pride Community Grand Marshal spoke passionately to our attendees. The Westin St. Francis Hotel in Union Square came alive with colorful decor, lively entertainment, hosted bars from Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Korbel, a delicious seated brunch, and a meaningful program augmented by comments from Mayor London Breed, State Senator Scott Wiener, and Assemblymember Matt Haney. If you missed it, our photo gallery and other photos on social media reveal why so many people call this their favorite SF Pride event.

We are so proud that what began as a grassroots opportunity for our community to gather during Pride weekend and raise funds for PRC, has developed into a highly anticipated, must-attend event. While still preserving the fun and surprises for which we are known, this year’s benefit also recognized 12 Legacy Partners, friends who contributed to the success of Pride Brunch over many years.

We appreciate our generous financial sponsors, the donors to the raffle and auction, those who bought raffle tickets and bid enthusiastically, and every single person who chose to support Pride Brunch with their attendance or donations. Our team of volunteers and PRC staff juggled many responsibilities
and dedicated hours to this year’s success. We are still floating on air from the many compliments we’ve received and accept them on behalf of everyone who made this a record year.

We thank all who participated for helping us raise more than $645,000 in net proceeds since 1999 to support the life-changing work of PRC.

Sincerely,

Gary Virginia & Donna Sachet
Co-Founders, Pride Brunch

25th.Anniv.Pride.Brunch_Hewitt.Visuals-136
Hover your cursor on the image above then click the right/left arrows to view the curated photo gallery

The full gallery of photos taken by the talented Sonya Abrams and Vita Hewitt can be viewed here.

Cut your Medicare prescription drug costs with “ExtraHelp”

Great news: thanks to the new prescription drug law, the Inflation Reduction Act, in 2024, people with Medicare may qualify for even more savings through the Extra Help program. This program helps some people pay their Medicare drug coverage (Part D) costs, like premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and other costs. In 2024, the program will expand, and you may qualify.

How does Extra Help lower my costs?
In 2024, everyone who qualifies for Extra Help will pay:
• $0 for your Medicare drug plan premium.
• $0 for your plan deductible.
• A reduced amount for both generic and brand-name drugs.
If you get any level of Extra Help now, and meet the qualifications for next year, you’ll get these cost savings automatically—you don’t need to reapply.

How do I find out if I qualify for Extra Help?
In most cases, you must live in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia and have income and resources below a certain limit. The income limit is based on your income from the previous year.
• Your annual income must be below $21,870 for an individual, or $29,580 for a married couple in 2023.
• Your resources must be below $16,600 for an individual or $33,240 for a married couple in 2023.
o Resources include money in a checking, savings, or retirement account, stocks, and bonds. Resources don’t include your home, one car, burial plots, up to $1,500 for burial expenses if you’ve put that money aside, furniture, and other household and personal items.

These limits can change each year. Even if you don’t qualify for Extra Help now, you can reapply for Extra Help any time, if your income and resources change.

How do I apply for Extra Help?
Some people qualify automatically, but if you don’t, it’s easy to apply for Extra Help:
• Visit Social Security online at ssa.gov/extrahelp.
• Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778.
After you apply, Social Security will review your application and send you a letter to let you know if you qualify for Extra Help. Once you qualify, you can choose a Medicare
Low-income Subsidy Drop-in Article
drug plan. If you qualify for Extra Help and don’t select a plan, Medicare will select a plan for you.

Where can I get more information?
• Visit Social Security at ssa.gov/extrahelp or call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800325-0778) if you have questions about the Extra Help program or need help filling out the application.
• Visit Medicare.gov/extrahelp or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to learn about Medicare drug plans, Extra Help, and other ways to lower your prescription drug costs. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

San Francisco residents living with HIV? The Equal Access to Healthcare Program (EAHP) team of advocates at PRC can help; email [email protected] or call (415) 864-4066.

Celebrating our most important asset — our staff!

PRC Recognizes May as Staff Appreciation Month

Here at PRC, we help more than 5,000 of San Francisco’s most underserved adults each year go from a place of crisis to stability by giving them the foundation they need to transform their lives for the better. And by “we”, we’re referring to the more than 200 dedicated and hardworking members of our staff
who work tirelessly to ensure each person who walks through our doors has the support they need to thrive.

In 2022, PRC dedicated May as Staff Appreciation Month (SAM) to celebrate our compassionate change-makers with an organization-wide show of gratitude for their dedication and hard work. This year, we celebrated SAM once again.

Staff at each of our locations received weekly deliveries of treats and snacks and inspiring notes thanking them for their service. Our People Experience team (Human Resources) curated trivia challenges and entertaining games with chances to win awesome prizes donated by generous business and community
donors. The activities concluded with an open house that included lunch, games, and the opportunity for staff to socialize and celebrate each other.

To say that we are proud of our staff and the ways they uplift our community is an understatement. Each day they work to keep people housed, ensure they receive the health benefits they need to live a dignified life, provide tools to find meaningful employment and offer mental health and substance addiction supports that accompany recovery. In our humble opinion, the staff at PRC are the cream of the crop, and we can’t thank them enough for dedicating their lives to helping others in need.


Please join us in showing your appreciation for these incredible individuals and their dedication to lifting up everyone in need. San Francisco is a better place because of them and their compassion for their fellow human.

In community,

PRC

Black Leadership Council’s Aftershock Film Screening, Panel Discussion, and a Call to Action

We’re elated to share about an incredibly impactful event of which we were a part. On Wednesday, April 12, the Black Leadership Council (BLC), an initiative of PRC, and partners First 5 Alameda County, Alameda Health System and Alameda County Public Health Department’s BElovedBIRTH Black Centering, and the California Black Health Network held a screening of the powerful documentary Aftershock and a post-film Panel Discussion. The event took place at Oakland’s historic Grand Lake Theatre during Black Maternal Health Week, which aims to inspire awareness, activism, and community-building to amplify the voices, perspectives, and lived experiences of Black Moms and birthing people.

This film highlights the devastating inequities that Black birthing women face as they relate to maternal morbidities. More specifically, the film follows the preventable deaths of two young African-American women in New York City, whose bereaved families turn their pain into power and galvanize activists, birth workers, and physicians to reckon with the US maternal health crisis.

The screening was followed by a panel discussion with one of the filmmakers, Tonya Lewis Lee; two of the featured fathers, Omari Maynard and Bruce McIntyre; California Black Health Network Executive Director Rhonda Smith; and Alameda Health System & Alameda County Public Health Department’s BElovedBIRTH Black Centering Director Jyesha Wren. Their contributions to the discussion and the event were invaluable as we learned how they use film, art, innovative programming for Black birthing mothers, and policy reform efforts to find effective solutions that lead to health equity and justice. The panel was moderated by Tasha Henneman, PRC’s Chief of Policy and Government Affairs and Director of the BLC, and Kevin Bremond, First 5 Alameda County Father’s Corps’ Co-Founder and Program Administrator.

We encourage you to watch the film on HULU and then view our panel discussion embedded below.

The event ended with the Black Leadership Council’s call to action:

  • Reclaim the promise of racial justice, equity, and quality health care for ALL!
  • Commit to advancing and funding the work of all those represented and make it endure!
  • Be voices, eyes, ears, and advocates for Black mothers and birthing people!
  • Grow a broader, more resilient base of political support for racial equity beyond the brave leadership of the event’s justice warriors.
  • Become a member of the Black Leadership Council and join them in Sacramento, on June 19, 2023, for their annual advocacy day, “Black in Action.”

Check out our curated photo gallery of the event by clicking the arrow keys to the left and right below.

bethaniehines

“So important was the feeling people walked away with. The film and panel discussion opened a door for birthing people and non-birthing people to recall their own personal experiences or those of others close to them, to reflect on the harsh realities of health inequities that Black women face, and provided education on the historical racism that has shaped the birthing/medical field.”

— Tasha Henneman, Chief of public Policy and Government Affairs, PRC / Director, BLC

Hear from our attendees, who left the event feeling inspired and activated! You can also view all photos from the event taken by Bethanie Hines Photography.

The Black Leadership Council acts as a coalition because when we improve outcomes for our community members hardest hit by inequities, we improve them for all of us.

PRC Brief — Honest feedback from PRC clients

As we continue to incorporate our organizational values into everything we do, we’d like to emphasize the importance of honesty, particularly in the realm of integrated legal, social, and behavioral health services. Courage and vulnerability are essential components of honesty and necessary for both clients and providers for meaningful growth to occur. As a provider, our clients rely on us to provide high-quality, honest care that is tailored to meet their individual needs.

Here’s what our clients have had to say:

— Workforce Development Client

— Baker Places Residential Treatment Client

Our dedicated staff works tirelessly to ensure that each client’s needs are met. As part of our overall care and compliance, we routinely request our clients’ honest feedback to ensure our programs are as impactful as can be. Through this feedback, we are continually learning what works and what we can improve upon through changes to our approach and strategies.

We are proud to be able to provide these services and we are grateful to our donors who make this work possible. By focusing on honesty and all our values, we will continue to improve the lives of our clients and create meaningful and lasting change in our community.

PRC

PRC Brief: Black History Month Highlight — Sylvester

As Black History Month comes to a close, we’d like to highlight someone with profound significance to PRC. Sylvester, “Queen of Disco”, was known for his gender-bending persona and performances, flamboyant and androgynous appearance, falsetto singing voice, and hit disco singles in the late 1970s and 1980s. An inspiration to countless LGBTQ+ people, Sylvester was a trailblazer within the drag community and always unequivocally himself. You can learn more about Sylvester in this 8-part podcast about Sylvester’s life.

As one of the first public figures to be open that he was dying of AIDS, Sylvester was instrumental in raising awareness of the disease and fundraised to support the cause until his death in 1988. Prior to his passing, Sylvester selected two organizations he received support from during his lifetime — AIDS Emergency Fund (read the history of how this became PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance program) and Project Open Hand — as the beneficiaries of his estate and future music royalties.

Sylvester attending the Castro’s 1988 Gay Freedom Parade in a wheelchair

We continue to receive financial support thanks to Sylvester’s foresight and are proud to be connected in this meaningful way with such an inspirational figure.

To honor Sylvester’s legacy, PRC named its signature fundraising event after his biggest hit, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), and each year we give the Sylvester Community Pillar Award to an individual who embodies the love, joy, individualism, and sheer fabulousness of Sylvester. Past recipients include drag
personality and LGBTQ+ advocate Donna Sachet, Former SF Pride President and LGBTQ+ advocate Gary Virginia, singer and actress Dionne Warwick, and singer-songwriter Patti LaBelle.

Ideas on who we should honor in 2023? Send us your nomination with why you think they should be honored to [email protected]!

We’re hard at work planning the 2023 Mighty Real Gala and look forward to announcing the date soon. In the meantime, save the date for Gary Virginia & Donna Sachet’s Pride Brunch, benefitting PRC, on Saturday, June 24, and enjoy getting Mighty Real!

Sylvester — You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)

Introducing PRC Brief: Our commitment to you

With new leadership and a new year, we wanted to rethink our communications
to you, so we’re launching PRC Brief — shorter, more frequent, and more
engaging bites of content to keep you informed.


We also recently surveyed you, our dedicated supporters, and we heard you.

  • You want to know what’s going on with PRC
  • You want us to be transparent
  • You want to know how we are strengthening the organization

We heard you, and what you had to say aligns perfectly with our organizational

values of:

We commit to you, our clients, and our community to embody these values in everything we do.


Starting with accountability. We are taking significant steps to become more financially sustainable over the long-term. We are making great progress in implementing a plan that maps out several key strategies.

  • Re-negotiating our contracts to make them more fully funded
  • Reducing expenses wherever possible to create a more efficient organization
  • Establishing a federally negotiated indirect rate for our federally funded contracts
  • Restructuring programs to focus on those most central to our core mission and be financially sustainable

As part of the last strategy, we successfully transferred two of our programs — Joe Healy Detox Program and Acceptance Place — to another service provider with as little disruption to clients and staff as possible. Both are up and running and accepting clients.


There is still much more work to do, and we look forward to keeping you informed throughout.

Thank you for taking the time to voice your concerns and share why PRC is so meaningful to you and worth saving. On behalf of the more than 5,000 clients we serve each year, we wholeheartedly agree.

We invite your continued dialogue.

Look out for:

  • 2021/22 Impact Report
  • Save the date for our 2023 events
  • Upcoming campaign for supporters to share PRC’s impact on your life

In community,

PRC

PRC Names Chuan Teng as New CEO


As a valued supporter, we wanted you to be among the first to know: we are
elated to formally announce that PRC’s Board of Directors has appointed Chuan
Teng as the permanent Chief Executive Officer of PRC!

Since September, Chuan has served in this role on an interim basis and
chartered a path to organizational sustainability by strengthening the agency’s
health through creative problem-solving, keeping our mission and values at the
core of all decision-making, and leveraging our partnerships in meaningful ways.


With this in mind, we are optimistic about what 2023 and the future will bring. Stay
tuned for more frequent and informative updates on our progress. We also want
to hear from you! Watch for an upcoming survey requesting your input on our
communications and the PRC donor experience.


Thank you for your commitment to PRC and for being an integral part of our
successes. We look forward to engaging with each and every one of you.

In partnership,

All of us at PRC

“Those little moments when you realize that you were a part of this client’s meaningful change, there’s no better feeling than that.”  

For decades, AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF), the predecessor to PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA), was guided by the expertise of Lee Harrington (will link to Lee’s blog post), who retired in December 2021 after more than 24 years in the role. Before he left, however, Lee single-handedly chose his successors to ensure that the program’s clients would continue receiving the same level of support and compassion they had become accustomed to. Last spring, we sat down with Martin Muneton, EFA’s Director of Client Services, and Evelyn Castro, EFA’s Client Services Manager, to learn more about the next generation serving EFA’s clients.   

It’s easy to see why Lee chose Martin and Evelyn to take over the reins of EFA, as both came to PRC with a deep history of supporting people living with HIV/AIDS. Although the pair were only three months into their new roles at the time of the interview, the connection between the two of them exuded a great rapport and confidence, traits that will certainly help them excel in continuing EFA’s legacy. While it will understandably take time for the duo to master the inner workings of EFA as they transition it into a new era, both agreed they have a good understanding of areas that could benefit from enhancements, and they have the drive to elevate the program so that clients remain the top priority.   

Getting to know the new EFA team is nothing short of a treat. The duo shares passions for staying active, competitive, and sociable as a means of stress relief. Martin has a history of participating in triathlons and keeps fit by going to the gym after work. On weekends he enjoys eating well, hanging out with his mates, and spending time with his boyfriend. Evelyn enjoys team sports, being outdoors, hiking, and riding dirt bikes and four-wheelers with her family on the weekends. Evelyn is a first-generation San Francisco native with El Salvadorian and Mexican heritage, and Martin grew up in London. Both feel a powerful sense of pride in giving back to the community.  

How did you both end up working at PRC?  

Martin: “I’ve known and worked with Lee Harrington and PRC for many years. We’re part of the same service provider community. I’ve been working with populations with HIV and with Lee since 1997 when he essentially conceived Emergency Financial Assistance, previously known as AIDS Emergency Fund. It was quite flattering that he saw me as a suitable choice to continue his legacy. Quite frankly, I’ve got some big shoes to fill.”  

Evelyn: “I came from a case management position with Catholic Charities after eight years as their accountant. When I saw the posting for EFA, it felt like the perfect marriage of my skill sets. I really like talking to people too, so I decided to take a chance. I feel lucky to have ended up here. Honestly, it feels too good to be true!”  

How did you two meet?   

Martin: “I met Evelyn while working at Catholic Charities. She was volunteering at the incredibly young age of 14. Eventually, she started working there as well, and then she ended up in my department and we became colleagues. When I think of how we transitioned into PRC together, it’s just bonkers!”  

How has the transition been?  

Martin: “It’s a familiar feeling here. I have a long history of assisting clients with HIV with subsidies. Because of my past collaborations with PRC and working with the staff here for many years, it’s been a smooth and easy transition. There’s still a learning process, however, and some aspects have been challenging. The hardest thing is that for some clients, it can be shocking for them to realize that they’re dealing with a new person. They don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, we know many of our clients from our past jobs and have already built a rapport with them. That makes things easier. They already trust us. But we don’t know them all.   

“Lee sustained this program for many years, and quite effectively. But there are processes that can be improved. We hope to implement an online system where clients can submit documents, check balances, and access renewal dates. Not all clients will be able to transition to such a sophisticated system, nor do all of them have access to the technology to do so, but this would be an incredibly helpful tool for those who can. We have a lot of ideas, but they will take time to design and implement.”  

Evelyn: “Anytime you start a new role there’s a period of transition. It takes time to settle in. But this is work that we are familiar with, and things are going well. The challenge is when we are unable to assist a client, either because they’ve exhausted their maximum for the year, or they are unable to provide the required documents we need for our funding. Most clients understand that these requirements are in place to protect the longevity of the program. But we want to help everyone, so in these cases, we explain that if we break the rules, then the system breaks down, and when they really need us, the funds won’t be there for them. We also refer clients outward when we know of other sources of funding available to them. We never simply turn a client away. If a client is unable to provide the necessary documents or has reached their benefit limit for the year, we tell them that unfortunately, we can’t help them, but we encourage them and offer whatever tools we can for them to help themselves. This way they leave knowing that we are doing everything we can to assist them. Sometimes the only thing you can do is be attentive to their needs and listen to their story.” 

It must be hard to tell a client you are unable to provide assistance.  

Martin: “Until we find an infinite source of funds, we sometimes have no choice. We do our best to provide referrals and information for additional services in these cases, and we work with them to make sure we’ve covered every available avenue. The best thing we can do when this happens is to be attentive to their needs and take the time to listen to their story. If we kindly and in a caring way tell someone we are not able to provide services but also provide options, resources, and guidance, they will at least feel heard and comfortable returning when they do meet the program’s requirements.”   

What aspects of your job do you find rewarding?  

Martin: “The fact that we can continue assisting so many clients per year is what I find rewarding. Evelyn and I have both seen the conditions in which many of our clients live because in our last job we checked in on them to see how they were doing. These clients really need our help. San Francisco is incredibly expensive, especially for someone who is already struggling financially. Any help is essential for them. They’re just trying to survive, like most of us.”  

PRC has several wrap-around services to support clients: Workforce Development, Legal Advocacy, and Residential Facilities. Have you found that you are able to refer clients to other PRC programs and move them along the continuum of care?   

Evelyn: “There are a few cases that have stuck with me. For one client, we were able to secure a two-week hotel voucher, which allowed them to stabilize. That was what they needed to complete the required paperwork, and then we were able to get them into rental housing. We were even able to assist with moving costs.   

“Another client, a San Francisco native, moved back after living overseas for a few years. They thought they had enough savings to get situated but quickly learned that was not the case. After ending up in shelters, they came to us for help, and we were able to get them a voucher for a week in a hotel. At the same time, we connected them with our Legal Advocacy team, who were able to help secure Social Security Insurance benefits. This person has since moved into one of our transitional residential facilities, and we are currently working to help cover program fees.   

“A frequent situation we encounter is clients who have no income and have been told that they don’t qualify for assistance. When asked if they have spoken with anyone that can help them navigate the legal portions of why they were denied, oftentimes they haven’t, and then we connect them with a member of our Legal Advocacy team. It’s a great feeling when we see them again after they’ve utilized the resources we’ve recommended. So yes, we frequently refer clients to internal and external programs, and do our best to help them achieve positive outcomes.”   

Martin: “We frequently interact with clients who are somewhat content with what they’ve got and don’t necessarily have the need or desire to move on to something else. They perceive that if they move on to something else or go back to work, they will lose their subsidies or benefits. They’re afraid, they are also getting older, and their health isn’t improving. So, these individuals would prefer to remain where they are. It may not be much, but they feel stable. Imagine trying to rejoin the workforce after a 20- or 30-year hiatus when you’re in your 50s, and the world has changed dramatically. It’s incredibly difficult and terrifying. For those who are long-time survivors, it’s hard for them to transition into something new, and many don’t succeed when they try. Others may want to venture into something different, and we encourage that.   

“Having worked with HIV clients since the 1990s, I’ve witnessed many clients cycle in and out of homelessness. They typically have multiple diagnoses, and it’s rarely HIV that keeps them on the streets. Most times it’s substance use compounded with mental health issues, and these people need far more than a single yearly grant to stabilize. Substance addiction really does take over their entire lives, their volition, and their willingness to change. That’s why it’s so important for our approach to be multifaceted, comprehensive, and fair as we assess our clients’ needs and challenges in order to refer them to the most appropriate services.”    

Do you have any insights as to how we as a society change this?  

Martin: “It’s foundational, and there aren’t enough support services to match the growing need. Incarcerating a person for substance abuse is not the solution. They need support and treatment, and there aren’t enough support services for mental health issues. We try to mitigate the pain and the lack of services, but it will never be enough.”   

Having personally witnessed these situations, and for many decades, what motivates you to continue and believe you can make change?  

Martin: “It’s the individual people that you can help. If it’s at least one person, that’s enough. Of course, we want to help more people, but the satisfaction comes from knowing that we’re helping as many people as we can. We may not be able to change the whole world or even the whole City of San Francisco, but we act in good faith. We do what we can within our means and resources and stay humble about it knowing that each of us is only one person.”   

Evelyn: “We take things case by case. The first time I meet with a client, perhaps they were crying and upset toward me because they needed a hotel voucher. Then they get the voucher and when they come in the next time, they’re happy, and this time they need assistance with securing a lease for housing. Those little moments that we share are the client’s low and the client’s high, and we got to experience them together. These little moments when you realize that you were a part of this client’s meaningful change, there’s no better feeling than that.”   

Martin: “When you act in good faith and show that you care, clients know it. If you are dismissive, they are going to see that too. It’s important that we listen to their story, and if we have to say no to them, we do it in a kind, compassionate, and attentive way. They appreciate that. It makes a difference. It doesn’t take much to be kind.”   

If you could tell all of society something about the work being done that they might not know, what would that be?  

Martin: “Don’t make assumptions. We all have a story to tell. Learn how to communicate and understand each other and be kind to each other. And this really starts at home.”   

Evelyn: “Living in San Francisco, your comfort is circumstantial. The comfort we can provide for these clients with just $500 really opens your eyes to everything we put value in. Our comfort comes from our everyday work on ourselves, and how we can work within society. When we’re cut off from those things due to mental health issues or limited resources, we lose our comfort. Appreciate what you have and do everything you can to make sure your comfort stays at your desired level, and help others when you can. All it takes is one lost job for you to lose your home or prevent you from being able to afford food. It’s those little things that we forget to enjoy every day, so don’t take them for granted.”   

Lee Harrington must be proud to know that his chosen successors are carrying on with the same level of passion and care that he showed his clients. PRC is certainly happy to have them as stewards ushering in a new era of services.  


Update

PRC has changed the delivery of EFA services from a drop-in model to an appointment-based system. This adjustment allows for efficiencies that the drop-in model did not provide, both shortening the time clients spend waiting at the PRC offices to meet with an EFA service provider and reducing the need for multiple visits as clients are informed of the documentation needed for their specific circumstances prior to their appointment. Reducing the time needed to intake each client has allowed for quicker access to emergency funds and an increase in the number of clients that can be served.  

Additional information and the EFA Client Checklist are available below. 

EFA Client Checklist (English and Spanish) 

EFA Brochure (English) 

EFA Brochure (Spanish)

If you or someone you know would like to schedule an appointment with EFA, please call or e-mail:  

Martin Muneton
(415) 972-0857
[email protected]

Evelyn Castro
(415) 972-0858
[email protected]

If you’ve enjoyed learning about Evelyn and Martin and the impactful services they’re providing to EFA’s clients, please consider making a donation to support their work. You can learn more about all of PRC’s services on our website.  

AIDS Emergency Fund Continues Serving Clients as PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance 

As the city of tolerance and the birthplace of gay rights, San Francisco has been a sanctuary and home to hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals since World War II, when many landed here after being dishonorably discharged from the military solely for their sexual orientation. To this day, San Francisco stands as a symbol of hope for gay men, women, and non-binary individuals from less progressive towns throughout the country and the world. Sadly, San Francisco is also one of the cities most heavily impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic that has taken the lives of millions and continues to affect countless individuals to this day. At its onset, HIV/AIDS primarily affected gay men, who were not acknowledged or given assistance from the federal government, forcing them to fend for themselves.     

It is no surprise, therefore, that San Francisco spearheaded efforts for HIV/AIDS support services and medical advancements. San Franciscans have long been a leading example of how communities can come together to support each other. In the four decades that have passed since the first documented cases of AIDS, many of the grassroots organizations that formed in response have either merged with others or faded into memories. PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance program has stood the test of time and continues to support the basic financial needs for low-income HIV+ San Francisco residents.   

If you were living in San Francisco in the 1980s and 1990s, you probably recall seeing penny jars on the counters of local merchants, bars, restaurants, and offices, politely asking for donations. Simple displays prompted you to leave the change from your purchase or lighten your pockets to support a local cause. It was an effort spawned out of desperation by a community witnessing friend after friend fall victim to the deadliest pandemic of their time. These penny jars meant something, not only to the people wanting to help friends and partners, but to those who relied on these donations to pay for utilities, medical bills, housing, and even funerals. This “Every Penny Counts” grassroots effort was one of the many fundraising tactics utilized by the AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF), now known as PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA) program, which has distributed more than $35 million dollars to clients since its founding in 1982.   

Every Penny Counts Founder Fred Skau passed away in 1993

You may wonder how collecting pennies could ever translate into millions of dollars. Also, who collected and counted them, and who decided how much money to give to each person? How much does that amount of coins even weigh? These are all important questions that need to be answered. Starting with the easiest to visualize, 100,000,000 pennies, or $1 million dollars, collectively weigh 551,000 pounds, roughly the equivalent of 16 semi-trucks. Granted, not all the donations came in pennies. Other coins, bills, and checks were also accepted. Still, collecting and counting was no light task.    

Volunteers were the lifeblood of AEF by delivering empty coin jars around town, picking them up when filled, cleaning and sorting the coins, working directly with recipients of the fund, and writing grant checks. Each year on December 2nd, following World AIDS Day, hundreds of volunteers, sponsors, and even school students would gather in San Francisco’s Justin Herman Plaza, then years later at Union Square, for Every Penny Counts Day to sort and count donations. Bodybuilders from World Gym would do the heavy lifting as coin bags were filled, and Radio station Wild 107 awarded a dance party and a mixer to the top two schools that raised the most pennies per student each year.   

In 1982, AEF’s first year in operation, $6,500 was raised, and by 1992 they were distributing more than $1,000,000 annually in the form of emergency grants to low-income individuals experiencing HIV/AIDS. To qualify for a grant, a client’s monthly income had to be less than $1,456. However, most recipients were living on $900 or less. Each qualifying recipient could receive up to $500 per year with a lifetime benefit of $1,000. Although the grant amounts seem small, they managed to keep people housed, their basic utilities on, and provide some relief to the already overwhelming stresses associated with the debilitating disease. By 1996, EFA was distributing more than $1.6 million annually with 75% going to requests for emergency housing payments, and the remaining 25% supporting utilities, medical bills, and funeral costs.  

In 1997, AEF operated with a four-person staff, donated furniture, and a phone system that was on its last leg. Still, they stayed true to their mission to assist as many people as possible. AEF was also operating at a deficit and for the first and only time, was forced to reduce grant amounts to $400 per year with a lifetime cap of $800. Grant amounts returned to $500 per year in March of 1998, and clients who had met the reduced lifetime maximum of $800 were informed that they could receive the additional $200.   

Providing nearly 4,000 individuals per year with a grant of up to $500 required AEF to raise an additional $500,000 annually, and collecting pennies was not enough. As HIV/AIDS continued taking lives and more people tested positive, the number of individuals needing assistance also continued to grow. Once again, the community responded by creating a variety of fundraising events in bars, homes, and community spaces. Some even put AEF in their wills, their final gift as many joined the ever-growing list of AIDS victims. The creation of the Bare Chest Calendar in 1994 joined the annual AEF Awards Dinner in funneling its proceeds directly to AEF grants. Ambassador James Hormel, who sadly passed last year, announced the Hearts of Gold Campaign at the AEF Awards dinner in 1997, asking the community to pledge recurring yearly donations of $500 or more to help support the growing need.   

In 2016, AIDS Emergency Fund merged with PRC (at that time known as Positive Resource Center) and was renamed Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA). PRC had been assisting HIV/AIDS clients since 1987 as AIDS Benefits Counselors by offering legal assistance in securing Social Security and disability benefits and helping to navigate through the cumbersome process. The merger was a natural fit for these two organizations serving the same population and provided a continuum of services that clients could move through on their path to better health and financial outcomes.  

The need for PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance continues to this day. To keep up, PRC has grown in its operations and in its fundraising efforts. It now partners with the city and other public funders, foundations, and corporate donors in addition to individual supporters. This growth has helped to secure the funds needed to provide individuals with an annual maximum benefit of $500 with no lifetime maximum, and the possible addition of a $1,000 stipend to assist with a deposit for housing or to prevent an eviction. We are infinitely grateful for the continued support of all our donors who make this grantmaking possible and remain forever thankful to the countless staff and volunteers who helped build AEF and bring it into a new era, all of whom have a lot to be proud of.  

If you enjoyed reading about the history of the AIDS Emergency Fund and its transition to become PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance and would like to support our programs, please consider making a donation. You can learn more about all of PRC’s services on our website.