New Mexico HIV Emergency Project ● 2023 Annual Report
For 35 years, the Emergency Project has played a unique role within the state’s HIV healthcare network. The New Mexico Department of Health estimates that 4,107 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.
During 2023:
● We continued our assistance benefit of $300 per referred client.
● We provided “last resort” financial assistance to 395 clients– 46 more than in 2022.
● We disbursed $111,838 -- $14,641 more than in 2022.
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 – some of which (like auto repairs) are essential but cannot be paid by government or other sources of support. Our rush payments are primarily for rent, utilities, and medical bills. We also assist with health insurance, medicines, and other necessities of life. Very few of our clients can pay for eyeglasses through any other sources. Due to inflation, again last year the single most important need was help for gas and electricity bills. Our assistance checks go out within 24 hours; often on the same day the request is received.
Many government-funded agencies are slow to make decisions -- or there are seasonal caps on funds that are available. The Emergency Project steps in when no other assistance program can quickly 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: University of New Mexico Truman Health Services, Southwest Care Center, First Nations Community HealthSource, Alianza of New Mexico, and Community Collaborative Care. Providing our services through these agencies helps assure that their clients remain in treatment thereby reducing spread of the HIV virus in our state.
During 2023, we mailed 488 assistance checks (323 of them for utilities) to help 395 male, female and transgender clients who are White, Hispanic, Native American and Black. Ages ranged from 23 to 83. The Emergency Project serves not only the metro areas of Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces, but also 62 smaller New Mexico cities and rural communities. During 2023, we helped clients in Abiquiu, Acoma, Alamogordo, Alto, Anthony, Anton Chico, Aztec, Belen, Berino, Bernalillo, Bloomfield, Buena Vista, Carlsbad, Chaparral, Chimayo, Church Rock, Clovis, Cochiti Lake, Cochiti Pueblo, Columbus, Cuba, Deming, Edgewood, El Prado, Elephant Butte, Farmington, Flora Vista, Fruitland, Galisteo, Gallup, Grants, Hatch, Ilfeld, Laguna, Lamy, Los Lunas, Mentmore, Mesilla Park, Mesquite, Moriarty, Nogal,
Ojo Caliente, Portales, Questa, Raton, Ranchos de Taos, Rio Rancho, Roswell, Ruidoso, Sandia Park, Silver City, Sunland Park, Thoreau, Tijeras, Tohatchi, Truth or Consequences, Tucumcari, Vanderwagon and Waterflow.
The Emergency Project was established during the original AIDS crisis, when people were dying at shocking rates. Thirty-five 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.
These are examples of the financial challenges experienced by our clients during 2023:
● 70-year-old man was faced with the rising cost of propane gas plus the unexpected funeral expenses for his partner.
● 47-year-old disabled man has limited SSDI income. He was recently hospitalized and had a lot of medical expenses. He just moved and needed assistance with his gas bill.
● 44-year-old woman was recently ill and out of work for several weeks. Her employer does not provide sick leave, so she had no income. She fell behind on her electric bill and was at risk of disconnection.
● 35-year-old man is a caregiver for his mother which decreases the number of hours he is able to work. He needed financial assistance with a high electricity bill.
As an additional service for referred clients, 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.
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 2023, the Emergency Project received $78,322 in funding and donations
from the New Mexico Department of Health, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, UNM Truman Health Services’ HIV Glow Walk, The Wilde Bunch, and 10 private individuals.
The Emergency Project is a program of Common Bond New Mexico Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; therefore, your contributions are tax-deductible. You can donate securely online by clicking here. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 505-636-0845.
During 2023:
● We continued our assistance benefit of $300 per referred client.
● We provided “last resort” financial assistance to 395 clients– 46 more than in 2022.
● We disbursed $111,838 -- $14,641 more than in 2022.
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 – some of which (like auto repairs) are essential but cannot be paid by government or other sources of support. Our rush payments are primarily for rent, utilities, and medical bills. We also assist with health insurance, medicines, and other necessities of life. Very few of our clients can pay for eyeglasses through any other sources. Due to inflation, again last year the single most important need was help for gas and electricity bills. Our assistance checks go out within 24 hours; often on the same day the request is received.
Many government-funded agencies are slow to make decisions -- or there are seasonal caps on funds that are available. The Emergency Project steps in when no other assistance program can quickly 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: University of New Mexico Truman Health Services, Southwest Care Center, First Nations Community HealthSource, Alianza of New Mexico, and Community Collaborative Care. Providing our services through these agencies helps assure that their clients remain in treatment thereby reducing spread of the HIV virus in our state.
During 2023, we mailed 488 assistance checks (323 of them for utilities) to help 395 male, female and transgender clients who are White, Hispanic, Native American and Black. Ages ranged from 23 to 83. The Emergency Project serves not only the metro areas of Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces, but also 62 smaller New Mexico cities and rural communities. During 2023, we helped clients in Abiquiu, Acoma, Alamogordo, Alto, Anthony, Anton Chico, Aztec, Belen, Berino, Bernalillo, Bloomfield, Buena Vista, Carlsbad, Chaparral, Chimayo, Church Rock, Clovis, Cochiti Lake, Cochiti Pueblo, Columbus, Cuba, Deming, Edgewood, El Prado, Elephant Butte, Farmington, Flora Vista, Fruitland, Galisteo, Gallup, Grants, Hatch, Ilfeld, Laguna, Lamy, Los Lunas, Mentmore, Mesilla Park, Mesquite, Moriarty, Nogal,
Ojo Caliente, Portales, Questa, Raton, Ranchos de Taos, Rio Rancho, Roswell, Ruidoso, Sandia Park, Silver City, Sunland Park, Thoreau, Tijeras, Tohatchi, Truth or Consequences, Tucumcari, Vanderwagon and Waterflow.
The Emergency Project was established during the original AIDS crisis, when people were dying at shocking rates. Thirty-five 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.
These are examples of the financial challenges experienced by our clients during 2023:
● 70-year-old man was faced with the rising cost of propane gas plus the unexpected funeral expenses for his partner.
● 47-year-old disabled man has limited SSDI income. He was recently hospitalized and had a lot of medical expenses. He just moved and needed assistance with his gas bill.
● 44-year-old woman was recently ill and out of work for several weeks. Her employer does not provide sick leave, so she had no income. She fell behind on her electric bill and was at risk of disconnection.
● 35-year-old man is a caregiver for his mother which decreases the number of hours he is able to work. He needed financial assistance with a high electricity bill.
As an additional service for referred clients, 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.
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 2023, the Emergency Project received $78,322 in funding and donations
from the New Mexico Department of Health, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, UNM Truman Health Services’ HIV Glow Walk, The Wilde Bunch, and 10 private individuals.
The Emergency Project is a program of Common Bond New Mexico Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; therefore, your contributions are tax-deductible. You can donate securely online by clicking here. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 505-636-0845.