Nation's Largest HIV Wellness Center Needs Help!
Tax deductible
At risk of running out of money and closing its doors, the Siloam Wellness Center in Philadelphia, a model for HIV/AIDS support groups worldwide, is turning to prominent celebrity activists in the fight against HIV to raise $500,000 needed to keep the center open.
Actor Tom Hanks won his first Oscar in 1993 for "Philadelphia", one of the first mainstream films to tackle HIV and AIDS. Today, the namesake of Hanks' groundbreaking film is seeking help from Hanks and dozens of other Hollywood celebrities to keep the nation’s largest HIV wellness open so it continues serving Philadelphia’s growing populations of residents struggling with HIV/AIDS.
“Since the movie Philadelphia was released, public perception of AIDS has improved and we’ve seen tremendous advances in science and longer lifespans for Americans living with AIDS,” said Sarina DiBianca, Executive Director of the Siloam Wellness Center. “But in the last few years, we’ve seen AIDS fade from the headlines and the corresponding level of donations and support for programs like ours has slow down to a crawl. Now the situation is desperate.”
For 24 years, the Siloam Wellness Center has provided life-saving services to Philadelphia residents and their families suffering from or struggling with HIV/AIDS. While the center has become a model for HIV Wellness Centers worldwide by providing integrated patient care services that complement the standard physician-supervised medical treatment regimen, local grassroots fundraising efforts for the center have not kept pace with the growing demand for its services. This week, following a disappointing crowd funding campaign on GoFundme which raised less than $8,000, supporters announced their plans to reach out to celebrity icons who’ve lent their talents to raise awareness and funds in help those who suffer from the virus, including Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Bono, Elton John, Madonna and many more stars who recognize that centers like Siloam need their huge fan base to continue providing invaluable services.
The name of the fundraising campaign is “Siloam 20/20”. It’s goal – inspire the passions of HIV activists in Hollywood to convince their wealthiest fans – particularly those living in Philly and greater Pennsylvania - to save the center through their donations. The center hopes to recruit high-profile celebrities to tell the Siloam story to their wealthiest fans; a story that will hopefully convince some followers, particularly those who live in greater Philadelphia, to offer individual donations of $20,000. If 20 supporters can be identified through the campaign—with each donating $20,000—Siloam would receive enough funding to prosper through 2020 and beyond.
“There will be a terrible vacuum left in Philadelphia if our doors close,” exclaimed 71-year-old Katherine Laadt, a volunteer at the center who lost her 26-year-old son, Richard to AIDS years ago. “A Philadelphia resident infected with HIV can go to a doctor and be put on medicine, but if they’re emotionally and spiritually broken, they will not get healthy without the services Siloam provides.”
While there are dozens of physicians and treatment centers in the greater Philadelphia area—and hundreds statewide—that provide medications to people with HIV/AIDS, there are no centers like Siloam that provide a holistic approach to healing. According to a recent consumer survey conducted by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, over 63% of HIV-positive residents report at least one mental health issue, with depression occurring at a prevalence of 51.5% and anxiety at 43.3%. Additionally, over 60% of HIV-positive individuals face unemployment—compared to 6% for the entire city. Furthermore, 19.4% of respondents reported incarceration after their HIV diagnosis and 10.4% reported a substance abuse disorder. The center's comprehensive wellness program, provided at no cost to those infected with HIV/AIDS, includes:
Individual Counseling
Support Groups
Food Pantry
Bodywork Classes
Community-Building Retreats
Educational Seminars
Behavioral Health Programs
Social Activities
DiBianca is especially concerned because of recent reports that the number of HIV infections in Philadelphia has increased in recent months because of the opioid epidemic. “The opioid epidemic brings another worry for public health professionals in Philly. The number of new HIV diagnoses had been declining locally but now we’re seeing an increase among those who inject drugs," putting an even greater hardship on the center. Pennsylvania State Health officials have told DiBianca that because Siloam is holistic and not clinical in its services (a clinical service would be legally-allowed to prescribe HIV medications), the center cannot receive any financial assistance from the Pennsylvania Health Department to stay open. In the meantime, hundreds of HIV clinical services and non-profits throughout Pennsylvania continue to receive millions of dollars in financial aid from the state health department.
Because the month of June is “LGBTQ Pride Month,” Siloam organizers hope supporters will show their pride through their donations and, by sharing the Siloam story on social media, they’ll also remind friends and family that HIV/AIDS remains a global epidemic. “We want our 20/20 campaign to also give the world a reality check—a 20/20 vision—that this disease is not going away and we must all join the fight,” said DiBianca.
To review the “Save Siloam” GoFundMe page, including a video with HIV patient testimonials, please visit: SaveSiloam.com. Reporters interested in scheduling an interview with a Siloam’s manager or HIV-infected residents of Philadelphia who rely on the center to survive, please respond to this email or call (215)
220-6812.
IN THE NEWS....
KYW News Radio https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/nonprofit-serving-people-infected-hiv-starts-crowdfunding-campaign
CBS News story: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/4055028-siloam-hiv-wellness-center-in-philadelphia-fighting-to-stay-open/
Philly Voice: https://www.phillyvoice.com/siloam-hiv-wellness-center-philadelphia-gofundme-campaign-/
Local CBS news cverage: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/03/27/siloam-wellness-philadelphia-hiv-gofundme/
Actor Tom Hanks won his first Oscar in 1993 for "Philadelphia", one of the first mainstream films to tackle HIV and AIDS. Today, the namesake of Hanks' groundbreaking film is seeking help from Hanks and dozens of other Hollywood celebrities to keep the nation’s largest HIV wellness open so it continues serving Philadelphia’s growing populations of residents struggling with HIV/AIDS.
“Since the movie Philadelphia was released, public perception of AIDS has improved and we’ve seen tremendous advances in science and longer lifespans for Americans living with AIDS,” said Sarina DiBianca, Executive Director of the Siloam Wellness Center. “But in the last few years, we’ve seen AIDS fade from the headlines and the corresponding level of donations and support for programs like ours has slow down to a crawl. Now the situation is desperate.”
For 24 years, the Siloam Wellness Center has provided life-saving services to Philadelphia residents and their families suffering from or struggling with HIV/AIDS. While the center has become a model for HIV Wellness Centers worldwide by providing integrated patient care services that complement the standard physician-supervised medical treatment regimen, local grassroots fundraising efforts for the center have not kept pace with the growing demand for its services. This week, following a disappointing crowd funding campaign on GoFundme which raised less than $8,000, supporters announced their plans to reach out to celebrity icons who’ve lent their talents to raise awareness and funds in help those who suffer from the virus, including Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Bono, Elton John, Madonna and many more stars who recognize that centers like Siloam need their huge fan base to continue providing invaluable services.
The name of the fundraising campaign is “Siloam 20/20”. It’s goal – inspire the passions of HIV activists in Hollywood to convince their wealthiest fans – particularly those living in Philly and greater Pennsylvania - to save the center through their donations. The center hopes to recruit high-profile celebrities to tell the Siloam story to their wealthiest fans; a story that will hopefully convince some followers, particularly those who live in greater Philadelphia, to offer individual donations of $20,000. If 20 supporters can be identified through the campaign—with each donating $20,000—Siloam would receive enough funding to prosper through 2020 and beyond.
“There will be a terrible vacuum left in Philadelphia if our doors close,” exclaimed 71-year-old Katherine Laadt, a volunteer at the center who lost her 26-year-old son, Richard to AIDS years ago. “A Philadelphia resident infected with HIV can go to a doctor and be put on medicine, but if they’re emotionally and spiritually broken, they will not get healthy without the services Siloam provides.”
While there are dozens of physicians and treatment centers in the greater Philadelphia area—and hundreds statewide—that provide medications to people with HIV/AIDS, there are no centers like Siloam that provide a holistic approach to healing. According to a recent consumer survey conducted by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, over 63% of HIV-positive residents report at least one mental health issue, with depression occurring at a prevalence of 51.5% and anxiety at 43.3%. Additionally, over 60% of HIV-positive individuals face unemployment—compared to 6% for the entire city. Furthermore, 19.4% of respondents reported incarceration after their HIV diagnosis and 10.4% reported a substance abuse disorder. The center's comprehensive wellness program, provided at no cost to those infected with HIV/AIDS, includes:
Individual Counseling
Support Groups
Food Pantry
Bodywork Classes
Community-Building Retreats
Educational Seminars
Behavioral Health Programs
Social Activities
DiBianca is especially concerned because of recent reports that the number of HIV infections in Philadelphia has increased in recent months because of the opioid epidemic. “The opioid epidemic brings another worry for public health professionals in Philly. The number of new HIV diagnoses had been declining locally but now we’re seeing an increase among those who inject drugs," putting an even greater hardship on the center. Pennsylvania State Health officials have told DiBianca that because Siloam is holistic and not clinical in its services (a clinical service would be legally-allowed to prescribe HIV medications), the center cannot receive any financial assistance from the Pennsylvania Health Department to stay open. In the meantime, hundreds of HIV clinical services and non-profits throughout Pennsylvania continue to receive millions of dollars in financial aid from the state health department.
Because the month of June is “LGBTQ Pride Month,” Siloam organizers hope supporters will show their pride through their donations and, by sharing the Siloam story on social media, they’ll also remind friends and family that HIV/AIDS remains a global epidemic. “We want our 20/20 campaign to also give the world a reality check—a 20/20 vision—that this disease is not going away and we must all join the fight,” said DiBianca.
To review the “Save Siloam” GoFundMe page, including a video with HIV patient testimonials, please visit: SaveSiloam.com. Reporters interested in scheduling an interview with a Siloam’s manager or HIV-infected residents of Philadelphia who rely on the center to survive, please respond to this email or call (215)
220-6812.
IN THE NEWS....
KYW News Radio https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/nonprofit-serving-people-infected-hiv-starts-crowdfunding-campaign
CBS News story: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/4055028-siloam-hiv-wellness-center-in-philadelphia-fighting-to-stay-open/
Philly Voice: https://www.phillyvoice.com/siloam-hiv-wellness-center-philadelphia-gofundme-campaign-/
Local CBS news cverage: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/03/27/siloam-wellness-philadelphia-hiv-gofundme/
Organiser
Sarina DiBianca
Organiser
Philadelphia, PA
Siloam (Siloam Wellness)
Registered charity
Donations are typically 100% tax-deductible in the US.
