Dear friends and supporters:
It has never been easy to raise funds for HIV/AIDS. Throughout the 19 years of our community involvement related to this cause, awareness messages were used, for the most part by the media, for their shock value rather than a means to educate the public, leaving people somewhat bewildered as to what was truth and what was myth.

Presently, it has left a disturbing result behind. Because of the early success derived from the next generation of drugs to treat this disease, the perception has grown that AIDS has somehow been conquered, if not controlled. Though these medications have demonstrated remarkable results against the virus, nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that people are still dying.

The reality is that the estimated number of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the United States is around 1,185,000. In Connecticut alone there are over 16,150 men, women and children infected with HIV/AIDS.

With all the tragedies of recent years from 9/11 to a variety of natural disasters, what remains clear is that so many people need help, and many of those happen to have HIV/AIDS. The challenge for us has never been competing with other charities, causes, or catastrophies, but rather to convince those whom we ask to give to recognize these individuals as part of the human family, thus worthy of our care.

We are asking you to reflect for a moment, and recognize that the needs of those with HIV/ AIDS are still here and that our Foundation remains a major source in the continuum of care that has helped meet their needs, whether that be for housing, medications, food, or clothing, those things that most of us have come to take for granted.

We need your help! Please take this opportunity to support the Stewart B. McKinney Foundation. Help us continue to help them.