We are thrilled to announce the newest addition to the PRC family, Colin Hartke, who joins our Board of Directors. Colin brings over 15 years of invaluable experience in healthcare, currently serving as the Senior Director of Marketing/Strategy at Quest Diagnostics.
Colin’s track record is nothing short of impressive, with a proven history of driving growth through innovative strategies and marketing initiatives. His commitment to health equity and humanitarian values aligns seamlessly with PRC’s mission, reflecting a genuine dedication to the well-being of those he serves.
Beyond his role at Quest, Colin is deeply involved in community service. He tutors high school students at Mission Graduates and volunteers for a national consortium focused on reducing exposure to toxic chemicals, showcasing his passion for making a positive impact on public health. As a leader and sponsor of “Quest Cares”, Quest’s volunteer employee group, Colin actively fosters a culture of giving back. Last August, PRC had the privilege of partnering with Colin, Quest Diagnostics, the National AIDS Memorial, and the San Francisco Community Health Center on a Community Roundtable event at the AIDS Memorial Grove, a collaboration captured in the photo below.
Left to right | Deena Lahn, Vice President, Policy & External Affairs, San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium; Billy Lemon, Executive Director, Castro Country Club; Dan Bernal, Vice Chancellor for Community & Government Relations, UCSF; John Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer, National AIDS Memorial; Chuan Teng, Chief Executive Officer, PRC; Lance Toma, Chief Executive Officer, San Francisco Community Health Center; Colin Hartke, Senior Director of Marketing/Strategy, Quest Diagnostics.
Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Colin Hartke. We look forward to the impactful contributions he will undoubtedly make towards our organization and achieving our mission.
In response to the increased demand for health insurance and disruption at their service centers, Covered California is extending the deadline to sign up for 2024 healthcare coverage to midnight on February 9, 2024. Any enrollment completed by February 9, 2024, will be considered effective February 1, 2024.
Covered California is the state’s platform for individuals to access affordable, high-quality insurance options. It is where consumers can compare health plans and review potential financial assistance to find the best coverage that fits their individual needs and budget.
Consumers can reach the Covered California service center at (800) 300-1506 for assistance. To avoid longer wait times or difficulties reaching a Covered California representative over the phone, consumers can visit CoveredCA.com for free and confidential online assistance. It is essential that eligible consumers take advantage of this extra opportunity to have health insurance for the rest of the year.
This workshop is in-person for people receiving SSI and/or SSDI and working or planning to return to work.
Learn about how working affects eligibility to receive disability income, how to avoid costly pitfalls, and what to do if you receive an overpayment. This workshop is free and open to the public; however, RSVP is required.
PRC invites you to attend the Name Affirmation Clinic in partnership with ALRP on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, 10 am – 12 pm, in person at PRC’s Integrated Service Center at 170 9th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.
This clinic will cover the information and paperwork needed to change an individual’s name and gender in the following areas:
Through the court system (legal name changes)
Local and Government Agencies (DMV, Passport, SSA)
How to request a fee waiver for required court fees
This presentation is free and open to the public; however, advanced RSVP is required.
Seating is limited, so please be considerate when reserving a spot.
We are thrilled to share the incredible success of our recent Client Winter Celebration, where we not only had the opportunity to spread joy but were also able to give back to our clients and community.
The atmosphere at Rubicon Point Partners building, who kindly donated their space to us, was filled with festive cheer, as the space was decorated with sparkling lights installed by our amazing facilities team and 16 trees donated by the Guardsmen Christmas Tree Lot. Attendees indulged in warm cider, coffee, 400 delectable cookies donated by Danville Bakery, and mouthwatering small bites, provided by La Mediterranee Filmore.
Kippy Marks, a virtuoso on the violin, enchanted the crowd with his musical talents, creating a magical ambiance. You may remember witnessing his incredible talent at our Songs of the Season event in early December.
Tables adorned with engaging games and activities including an opportunity to make greeting cards for friends and loved ones, and a live raffle, added an extra layer of fun. Clients departed not only with PRC souvenirs, gift cards, coffee tumblers, and more but also made connections with both new and familiar faces among the dedicated PRC staff.
Undoubtedly, one of the main highlights of the event was a generous contribution—fresh groceries to support 250 households, courtesy of the SF Marin Food Bank. Each attendee left the event with a bag or several bags of groceries.
What makes this celebration even more special is the way it rippled through our community. We transformed our client celebration into a community-wide event, extending our joy and giving back to our friends and neighbors at the San Francisco Community Health Center, Episcopal Community Services, Catholic Charities, and the El Dorado. Donations of cookies and grocery bags brought smiles and warmth to even more hearts.
We were honored to provide taxi rides for our clients to and from the event to ensure they could be part of this heartwarming celebration. One of our clients summed up the impact beautifully, saying:
We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming generosity of our community, board of directors, and PRC supporters who not only attended the celebration but also contributed to its success with various donations. See the list of our generous donors below:
Sponsored by:
This was a beautiful way for us to put closure to 2023 and welcome in 2024! We invite you to join us next time!
That was the voicemail that led to my first meeting with Bob two weeks ago.
Bob Burnside, a seasoned activist, sculptor, and community builder, founded Positive Resource in 1989, which merged with AIDS Benefits Counselors (founded in 1987) to form the organization that is now PRC. At the time, people living with HIV who were healthy enough to work were looking for odd jobs or part-time gigs to keep themselves afloat. So Bob, with just a word processor, started writing down peoples’ names and matching them with small jobs he knew about in the community. Bob’s gumption from three and a half decades ago is what created PRC’s Workforce Development program, which continues to help hundreds of people find work every single year.
As I sat with Bob, I learned that he not only founded Positive Resource, but also spearheads community initiatives like the Corona Heights Community Garden and is the very talented artist behind the spinners you find hanging throughout the Castro, including the one behind Walgreens on Castro and 18th Street.
Bob told me he is still working at 80 years old as your “Castro Handyman” though he doesn’t need any new clients because he has plenty. What he wants to do in his life now is to take care of nonprofits. As he said that, he handed me a check for PRC. In that moment, I sat stunned, in awe of Bob, this giant before me.
As I have shared in the past, I feel my life is full of miracles. This meeting with Bob is one of them. Another is my meeting with George just last week at PRC’s Client Winter Celebration. George, a 70-year-old, long-term HIV survivor, told me he hadn’t worked for over ten years but he started taking classes through our Workforce Development program and now wants to work as an HIV peer counselor with PRC! In George’s words:
What a full-circle moment.
Bob, thank you for your humanity and for paving the way for George and thousands of others who preceded him. You still have an impact on our clients to this day!
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday and a bright New Year.
I will never forget that fateful day 15 years ago when I was diagnosed with HIV. There was this deep shame that came with it. How could I let this happen, I wondered. How could I tell my family? I was deeply afraid of how others would react.
But you needn’t worry. My story isn’t one of despair. It’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the power of community, and the transformative impact of organizations like PRC, and supporters like you – thank you – that helped me along the way.
When I was growing up in the 80s, the media portrayed HIV as a death sentence. At that time, it was. Medical advancements since then have made it so individuals with HIV can live a long vivacious life with treatment. However, the stigma has become so deeply ingrained that newly diagnosed people frequently experience significant mental health challenges, often a result of stigma and shame. That was certainly true for me.
That shame led me to substance abuse, which I kept very private, again because of shame and because I believed I should have known better. It was an ER visit and the realization I didn’t want to let those closest to me down, that was the pivotal turning point.
I knew I couldn’t face the journey alone, so I mustered the courage to reach out to a friend in recovery for help. I took time off of work, found counseling, and began the work of healing. So many people showed up for me. I also must recognize the privilege I experienced as a white cisgender male with a family support system in the Bay Area, something most of PRC’s clients do not have. Through these supports, I found a workplace that was inclusive and saw my ability to transcend difficult life experiences as an asset. I learned over time that you don’t graduate from self-growth.
These experiences inspired me to want to help others. It’s so powerful to give back because you never know when it might actually save someone’s life.
As I rebuilt my life and a new career in HR to create the same inclusive workplaces that helped me so much, I searched for additional ways to give back. I volunteered. But I wanted to more actively participate in bringing about positive change in San Francisco, especially for those with struggles similar to mine. So earlier this year, I joined PRC’s Board of Directors.
PRC’s work resonates with me on a profound level. I have been so impressed by their continuum of services that meet people where they are:
Low-barrier Hummingbird respite centers that present a safe space for people coming right off the street and linkage to additional care;
Emergency financial assistance to preserve housing and medical care;
Legal advocacy to secure and retain stable income and health insurance;
90-day residential treatment for mental illness and substance use;
Supportive housing with individualized case management;
Workforce development to get back to work from a disability; and,
And by promoting and engaging in policy and advocacy to propel initiatives aimed at achieving health equity and fostering social justice.
Together these programs lift up more than 5,000 individuals each year to a place of greater stability and more positive health and economic outcomes.
We can’t do this work alone, however. We need donor support. As we near the end of the year, I ask that everyone reading this please consider making a year-end contribution today.
Provide lifesaving programs for those living with HIV/AIDS, mental illness, and substance use disorder;
Offer integrated legal, social, and health services that address the broad range of social risk factors that impact wellness and limit potential; and,
Help people affected by these challenges better realize opportunities and live healthier, happier lives.
I’m also happy to announce a generous $10,000 match. With your help, we can raise $15,000 by December 31st, doubling the impact of your donation.
Please give generously today by going to prcsf.org/donate, or consider giving via your donor-advised fund if you have one to help PRC to change lives like mine for the better. Thank you for your consideration.
This workshop is for people who want to learn about Immigration and Public Benefits. This presentation is in partnership with ALRP on Thursday, December 14, 2023, 10 am – 12 pm in-person.
This event is free and open to the public; however, advanced RSVP is required as there is limited seating.
This workshop is online only for people receiving SSI and/or SSDI and working or planning to return to work.
Learn about how working affects eligibility to receive disability income, how to avoid costly pitfalls, and what to do if you receive an overpayment.
This workshop is free and open to the public; however, RSVP is required by December 7, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. Please only register once to allow others to attend.
PRC is thrilled to welcome the newest member of its Board of Directors, Michael J. Kyle, a Global People Executive with extensive experience in Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Based in San Francisco, Michael has a strong track record of leadership and innovation and is actively involved with numerous community organizations and advocacy initiatives. His awareness and concern about the mental health challenges that those living with HIV/AIDS face stems from Michael’s lived experience. Michael has BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley and has received various professional development certifications.
Michael is based in San Francisco and has volunteered with the Castro Country Club and participated in the AIDS Life Cycle with San Francisco AIDS Foundation five times. Previously, he served on the boards for GSA Network and LYRIC. He is committed to community service and has a deep passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
415-777-0333
