New Mexico HIV Emergency Project - 2021 Annual Report
For 33 years, the Emergency Project has played a unique role within the state’s HIV healthcare network. The New Mexico Department of Health estimates that 3,954 people in the state are infected with HIV. We help meet the basic living needs of some of the most vulnerable people within that population.
The Emergency Project helps prevent homelessness for low-income New Mexicans living with HIV/AIDS. Ours is "last resort" financial assistance with the flexibility to meet a wide range of needs. Our assistance payments (up to $250 per client) are primarily for rent, utilities, medical bills and eyeglasses. We also assist clients with health insurance, medicines, auto repairs and other necessities of life. Many government-funded agencies are slow to make decisions -- or there are seasonable caps on funds that are available. The Emergency Project steps in when no other assistance program can help relieve the stress on people dealing with the multiple issues of HIV/AIDS infection.
We respond to case manager requests from the New Mexico Department of Health’s five HIV Service Provider organizations: Southwest Care Center, University of New Mexico Truman Health Services, Alianza of New Mexico, Community Collaborative Care, and First Nations Community HealthSource. Providing our services through these agencies helps assure that these clients remain in treatment thereby reducing spread of the HIV virus in our state.
During 2021, the Emergency Project disbursed $54,792 to 251 male, female and transgender clients who are Hispanic, White, Native American and Black. Assistance checks go out within 24 hours, often on the same day the request is received.
The Emergency Project serves not only metro areas such as Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces, but also smaller New Mexico cities and rural communities. During 2021 we helped clients in Abiquiu, Alamogordo, Anthony, Anton Chico, Arrey, Bayard, Belen, Brazito, Carlsbad, Chama, Chaparral, Clovis, Corrales, Deming, Dulce, Edgewood, Elephant Butte, Eunice, Farmington, Flora Vista, Gallup, Hatch, Hernandez, Kirkland, Las Lunas, Mesilla Park, Moriarty, Peñasco, Placita, Portales, Questa, Radium Springs, Rancho de Taos, Raton, Rio Rancho, Roswell, Ruidoso, San Huan Pueblo, San Jose, Sandia Park, Sheep Springs, Silver City, Taos, Thoreau, Tucumcari, Tularosa, Valdez and Yatahey.
The Emergency Project was established during the "plague years" of the early AIDS crisis, when an HIV diagnosis invariably led to premature death. Thirty-two years ago, clients were primarily gay and bisexual men living in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Over the years our client base has evolved along with the changing face of HIV. We have never discriminated on the basis of race, gender or sexual orientation.
As an additional service, Common Bond board member Dylan Lutey, an estate planning attorney with Hedrich Law, P.A. in Albuquerque, offers pro bono legal services (New Mexico Power of Attorney and Advance Medical Directive) to referred clients.
These are examples of the financial challenges experienced by some of our clients during 2021:
● 70-year-old Santa Fe man had a dental emergency requiring a replacement crown. His insurance covered only half the cost.
● 69-year-old Tularosa man was greatly impacted by Covid. All three of his adult children lost their jobs because of the virus. He fell behind on his mortgage and utility payments due to assisting his children financially.
● 66-year-old Las Cruces man had reduced work income due to Covid. Then his vehicle broke down causing an unforeseen expense which put him further behind on his bills.
● 60-year-old Albuquerque man had to travel out of state due to a death in his family and was in need of assistance for his electricity bill.
● 60-year-old Santa Fe man living on Social Security needed new eyeglasses. His insurance does not have vision benefits.
● 58-year-old Albuquerque woman’s trailer was vandalized and repairs were so expensive that she and her spouse were unable to cover their rent.
● 46-year-old Los Lunas man, unemployed due to Covid, was registered with a temp agency but found no work for two months. He had exhausted his savings and needed rent assistance.
● 48-year-old Tucumcari woman with four children who lives on a fixed income of $800/month could not find work due to Covid.
● 43-year-old Chaparral woman had been on medical for leave for 3 months and had no income. Her disability claim through her employer had not yet been approved and she fell behind on her electricity bills.
The Emergency Project operates in a low-key, direct, individual manner with a minimum of bureaucratic detail. For its first 20 years, equal rights activist Liz Canfield managed the project as a volunteer from her home. A new volunteer, Steve Ridlon, became Director in October 2008. Because he donates the cost of the Project’s operating expenses, 100% of private donations and grant funds are disbursed to people in critical financial need.
During 2021, the Emergency Project received funding from the New Mexico Department of Health, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Santa Fe Community Foundation, plus 20 individuals primarily in memory of Liz Canfield.
The Emergency Project is a now program of Common Bond New Mexico Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; therefore, your contributions are tax-deductible. Checks payable to "Common Bond NM Emergency Project," can be mailed to P.O. Box 26836, Albuquerque, NM 87125. Or you can donate online. Thank you!
For more information, please email EmergencyProjectNM@gmail.com or call 505-636-0846.
The Emergency Project helps prevent homelessness for low-income New Mexicans living with HIV/AIDS. Ours is "last resort" financial assistance with the flexibility to meet a wide range of needs. Our assistance payments (up to $250 per client) are primarily for rent, utilities, medical bills and eyeglasses. We also assist clients with health insurance, medicines, auto repairs and other necessities of life. Many government-funded agencies are slow to make decisions -- or there are seasonable caps on funds that are available. The Emergency Project steps in when no other assistance program can help relieve the stress on people dealing with the multiple issues of HIV/AIDS infection.
We respond to case manager requests from the New Mexico Department of Health’s five HIV Service Provider organizations: Southwest Care Center, University of New Mexico Truman Health Services, Alianza of New Mexico, Community Collaborative Care, and First Nations Community HealthSource. Providing our services through these agencies helps assure that these clients remain in treatment thereby reducing spread of the HIV virus in our state.
During 2021, the Emergency Project disbursed $54,792 to 251 male, female and transgender clients who are Hispanic, White, Native American and Black. Assistance checks go out within 24 hours, often on the same day the request is received.
The Emergency Project serves not only metro areas such as Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces, but also smaller New Mexico cities and rural communities. During 2021 we helped clients in Abiquiu, Alamogordo, Anthony, Anton Chico, Arrey, Bayard, Belen, Brazito, Carlsbad, Chama, Chaparral, Clovis, Corrales, Deming, Dulce, Edgewood, Elephant Butte, Eunice, Farmington, Flora Vista, Gallup, Hatch, Hernandez, Kirkland, Las Lunas, Mesilla Park, Moriarty, Peñasco, Placita, Portales, Questa, Radium Springs, Rancho de Taos, Raton, Rio Rancho, Roswell, Ruidoso, San Huan Pueblo, San Jose, Sandia Park, Sheep Springs, Silver City, Taos, Thoreau, Tucumcari, Tularosa, Valdez and Yatahey.
The Emergency Project was established during the "plague years" of the early AIDS crisis, when an HIV diagnosis invariably led to premature death. Thirty-two years ago, clients were primarily gay and bisexual men living in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Over the years our client base has evolved along with the changing face of HIV. We have never discriminated on the basis of race, gender or sexual orientation.
As an additional service, Common Bond board member Dylan Lutey, an estate planning attorney with Hedrich Law, P.A. in Albuquerque, offers pro bono legal services (New Mexico Power of Attorney and Advance Medical Directive) to referred clients.
These are examples of the financial challenges experienced by some of our clients during 2021:
● 70-year-old Santa Fe man had a dental emergency requiring a replacement crown. His insurance covered only half the cost.
● 69-year-old Tularosa man was greatly impacted by Covid. All three of his adult children lost their jobs because of the virus. He fell behind on his mortgage and utility payments due to assisting his children financially.
● 66-year-old Las Cruces man had reduced work income due to Covid. Then his vehicle broke down causing an unforeseen expense which put him further behind on his bills.
● 60-year-old Albuquerque man had to travel out of state due to a death in his family and was in need of assistance for his electricity bill.
● 60-year-old Santa Fe man living on Social Security needed new eyeglasses. His insurance does not have vision benefits.
● 58-year-old Albuquerque woman’s trailer was vandalized and repairs were so expensive that she and her spouse were unable to cover their rent.
● 46-year-old Los Lunas man, unemployed due to Covid, was registered with a temp agency but found no work for two months. He had exhausted his savings and needed rent assistance.
● 48-year-old Tucumcari woman with four children who lives on a fixed income of $800/month could not find work due to Covid.
● 43-year-old Chaparral woman had been on medical for leave for 3 months and had no income. Her disability claim through her employer had not yet been approved and she fell behind on her electricity bills.
The Emergency Project operates in a low-key, direct, individual manner with a minimum of bureaucratic detail. For its first 20 years, equal rights activist Liz Canfield managed the project as a volunteer from her home. A new volunteer, Steve Ridlon, became Director in October 2008. Because he donates the cost of the Project’s operating expenses, 100% of private donations and grant funds are disbursed to people in critical financial need.
During 2021, the Emergency Project received funding from the New Mexico Department of Health, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Santa Fe Community Foundation, plus 20 individuals primarily in memory of Liz Canfield.
The Emergency Project is a now program of Common Bond New Mexico Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; therefore, your contributions are tax-deductible. Checks payable to "Common Bond NM Emergency Project," can be mailed to P.O. Box 26836, Albuquerque, NM 87125. Or you can donate online. Thank you!
For more information, please email EmergencyProjectNM@gmail.com or call 505-636-0846.