Leaders'
Letter
Together with our partners, AFC remains committed to our cause as we have for 40 years. Last year, we saw immense success in our fight to end the HIV epidemic. We achieved up to 90% viral suppression for case managed clients. We launched new housing initiatives, hosted conferences and resource fairs, and engaged our elected officials to support smart HIV, housing, and harm reduction policies. The Getting to Zero Plan 2.0 lays out a roadmap to get to zero new diagnoses by 2030, with a refreshed set of goals and objectives that place quality of life for people living with HIV at the forefront. We also faced challenges — threats to federal HIV funding, a hard-fought campaign for Bring Chicago Home, and the hostility of the Trump administration to our cause.
But this is not new for the HIV movement — we have been fighting against headwinds for 40 years. Together we will face the challenges ahead with the same resilience, solidarity, and fortitude we have carried for decades. We are stronger now than when we started, and we will not turn back on the progress we have made. Our strength is rooted in community; we carry with us and are carried by strong partnerships and dedicated supporters. We have proven methods of care, scientific advances, local, state, and federal laws, and advocacy relationships on our side. We have an ironclad commitment to dismantle the structural and intersectional oppression of racism, homophobia, gender discrimination, and stigma that harms our communities.
Many hands have helped AFC and the HIV movement get where we are today. We call on you now to stand with us in unwavering strength.
With gratitude,
John Peller,
President and CEO
Geoffrey Brown,
Board Chair
Strategic Priorities
Ending
the HIV
Epidemic
Strategic Plan Priority 1
AFC and our partners provide critical services to people in Chicagoland. AFC and the Chicago and Illinois health departments are co-leading organizations and advocates statewide to align with Getting to Zero Illinois, our shared plan to end the HIV epidemic by 2030.
0
AFC served 8,894 people living with HIV through case management, housing, emergency financial assistance, and food support. AFC connects people to housing, medical care, transportation, and behavioral health support – and much more. We are grateful to our more than 40 Ryan White partners, who play a critical role in helping to achieve our mission each year.
0
AFC provided individualized housing and care case management to 6,890 clients.
Over
0
%
Virally Suppressed
Over 90% of AFC clients in the Ryan White Case Management program achieved viral suppression last year. Case management at AFC continues to help clients living with HIV to meet their needs through health care and supportive services. Viral suppression supports individual health as well as the health of our community. Someone who is virally suppressed has taken medication regularly until they have undetectable viral levels, and this means they are generally healthier and receiving the medical care they need. Furthermore, a person who is virally suppressed cannot transmit HIV to others. This is called U=U, or undetectable=untransmittable.
The HIV Resource HUB
The HIV Resource HUB, a partnership between AFC and the Center on Halsted, completed its fifth year of service to the Chicago community. A promotional campaign in Spanish and English launched on CTA buses and trains to promote its offerings, which include information about and direct connections to HIV services for people living with and vulnerable to HIV. Services consist of HIV testing, PrEP support, mental health counseling, medical transportation, primary care, housing navigation, emergency rental financial assistance and more.
1-844-HUB-4040
$201,120
The HIV Resource HUB dispensed a total of $201,120 in emergency eviction prevention payments, emergency utility payments, and other financial assistance for 163 individuals.
2,921
The HIV Resource Hub fielded 2,921 calls and enrolled 1,311 clients.
Getting to Zero Illinois
The Getting to Zero Illinois Plan 2.0 was launched in June 2024. Kicking off with a summit at the University of Illinois at Chicago, local and statewide partners gathered for introductory remarks from Governor Pritzker, followed by talks and panel discussions featuring people with lived experience and leaders in the field. People living with HIV heavily informed creation of the plan, which places Quality of Life for people living with HIV at the forefront.
The GTZ-IL website, gtzillinois.hiv was refreshed and features the new plan in English and Spanish, engaging imagery, and simplified navigation.
Getting to Zero Illinois led a series of virtual workshops for partners and stakeholders to take a deeper dive into the plan.
Meg McElroy took leadership of GTZ-IL, effective October 2024. Her leadership is informed by past experience with AFC Policy & Advocacy, as well as time with the ACLU of Illinois.
Focus on Aging and HIV
Breakthrough medical treatments now allow people living with HIV to live long, healthy lives. In fact, nearly half of Chicagoans with HIV are over age 50, when they can begin to experience symptoms of premature aging caused by HIV. AFC and our partners are exploring ways to support the LGBTQ+ and HIV older adult community.
AFC’s Care Division created a comprehensive, six-module HIV & Aging curriculum for service providers.
AFC’s Care team alongside Pride Action Tank’s OUTAging project hosted the De-Siloing Aging Summit, where advocates, service providers, and community members gathered for talks and workshops to explore issues and best practices for enhancing quality of life for people living with HIV and LGBTQ+ community members who are aging.
AFC secured over $500,000 in grants to fund projects to prepare the aging sector to better serve people aging with HIV and OUTAging’s ongoing advocacy.
Read more on AFC’s blog about how we’re ending the HIV epidemic
If you listen to them they will teach you: How AFC’s Freddie Shufford is building a Care program responsive to the needs of clients and caseworkers
By Patty Conway
Meg McElroy named Director of Special Projects for Getting to Zero Illinois
By Patty Conway
Terry Dudley: Access to healthcare – and culturally competent care – should not be a privilege
By Livvie Avrick
40 years after his HIV diagnosis, survivor and activist Mark S. King is inspiring future generations
By Livvie Avrick
Uniting
to End
Homelessness
Strategic Plan Priority 2
Housing is healthcare. There is no more foundational intervention we can make in prevention and treatment for HIV than ensuring stable housing. Longstanding federally-funded housing support for people living with HIV, through Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (or HOPWA, passed by Congress in 1992) and the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act (or Ryan White CARE Act, passed by Congress in 1990) have helped tens of thousands of Illinoisians stabilize and stay connected to care helping people living with HIV to thrive. Ending homelessness and housing instability is critical to ending the HIV epidemic. AFC partners with communities and health care systems to fight for all Chicagoans to have access to safe and affordable housing.
0
2,499 people had a place to call home due to AFC housing programs.
AFC is grateful to our 20+ housing partners for their tireless work to end homelessness.
0
863 individuals received housing alongside additional intensive support services, helping them to thrive and find stability in all areas of their lives, not just housing.
0
130 individuals and families were newly placed in housing through AFC’s housing services in 2024.
0
%
Virally Suppressed
75% of clients in AFC’s housing programs are virally suppressed. Viral suppression contributes to improved overall health for individuals, and also improves the health of our communities, as people who are virally suppressed cannot pass HIV to others.
$941,607
Emergency eviction prevention
$766,457 in homelessness prevention (emergency financial assistance) funds were distributed to over 600 households.
45
Welcome Home Program
In a push to prevent homelessness for people living with HIV leaving prison or jail, AFC founded the WELCOME HOME program in 2024. At end-of-year, the program enrolled 45 participants, and of those 27 were housed, 10 were enrolled in Behavioral Health services, and 7 gained employment.
Read more on AFC’s blog about how we’re ending homelessness
Welcoming Rosa Martínez Colón, new Vice President of Housing Strategy for the Center for Housing and Health
Tiny Home Summit 2.0 convenes experts to explore affordable, small-scale housing June 13
By Patty Conway
Bring Chicago Home Campaign issues statement after election loss: “Join us to keep fighting for a solution to end homelessness”
By Dominique Chew
Prioritizing
Racial
Equity
Strategic Plan Priority 3
AFC prioritizes the work of racial equity to dismantle systems of oppression, racism and white supremacy in support of our common humanity. AFC does this by fostering an intentional organizational culture of inclusion and belonging for community, clients, staff and board members.
Race Equity Action Plan: AFC is making progress in the third year of our plan. In some areas, we are exceeding our stated goals, and in others, we are behind. We did not undertake this work thinking it would be easy, and we understand that it will take sustained, hard work to establish a more equitable AFC.
Major Increases in Contracts With Organizations Primarily on the South and West Sides
Overall in FY25 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025) AFC and the Center for Housing & Health expect to provide the following funding to organizations primarily on the south and west sides: $2.8M or 29% of subcontracts and grants go to these organizations (out of $9.9M) up from 23% in 2023.
Connection to Care Learning Collaborative (CCLC)
The CCLC concluded its first cohort development cycle, and participants were honored at a graduation ceremony in December 2024. The CCLC offered grant and capacity building support to 6 health care centers on the South and West sides of Chicago.
Learning Circle Collaborative (LCC)
The Learning Circle Collaborative (LCC) is a capacity-building and technical assistance program for smaller social service providers and organizations on the south and west sides to improve agency infrastructure. Each recipient receives a grant. Grantees are invited to participate in 6 months direct capacity building and technical assistance (at the value of $15,000).
In 2024, five Black-led Community Based Organizations attended nine trainings and connected with four Subject Matter Experts to improve agency infrastructure.
Women’s Connection Summit of Hope
The annual Women’s Connection Summit of Hope is a gathering of service providers and community members to engage women, especially Black cis and trans women, in reentry from Criminal Justice Involvement with resources and service providers. At the event, 157 participants explored offerings from 67 vendors; 56 HIV tests were administered, and 29 identification cards were issued.
Furthering Our Reach
For the last three years, AFC provided training on racial equity to all staff and Board members through our learning program, Furthering Our Reach. Designed in collaboration with staff to ensure the organization has the knowledge and skills to expand its ability to make a positive impact, Furthering Our Reach provides training on core concepts in racial equity, skills for conflict resolution, and methods for interrupting implicit bias and microaggressions.
Recruitment and Hiring Process
AFC Human Resources and Talent Management updated our recruitment and hiring process to require training on unconscious bias in interviews for managers and introduced a structured feedback call to rate and select final candidates. Since implementing, 72% of all hires and promotions have been from underrepresented groups, and 100% of senior leadership hires were from underrepresented groups.
Board and Staff Race Equity Action Plan Committee
The Board and Staff Race Equity Action Plan Committee met regularly to ensure AFC was on track to embed race equity in all aspects of its work.
AFC Board Demographics
Demographics based on 30 board members.
Race and Ethnicity
No Data Found
- 67% of board members identified as Persons of Color
- 20% of board members identified as Hispanic/Latino/a/x/e
AFC Staff Demographics
Demographics based on 168 AFC full and part time staff.
Gender Identity
No Data Found
Race and Ethnicity
No Data Found
LGBTQ Identity
No Data Found
Read more on AFC’s blog about how we’re prioritizing racial equity
Rosa E. Martínez Colón: It’s time to return to basics to address the HIV epidemic among Latine communities
By Livvie Avrick
Sisterhood Sips & Solutions empowers Southside women with career resources and skill sharing
By Tyline Burgess
From Diagnosis to Empowerment: DeMarsh and the impact of cultural competency in health care
By Tyline Burgess
Teaming Up
for Justice
& Change
Strategic Plan Priority 4
AFC teams up for justice and change by mobilizing and developing communities of supporters and allies to raise up and sustain AFC’s mission-driven work.
Policy, Advocacy, and Engagement
Springfield Advocacy Day
AFC’s 2024 Springfield Advocacy Day engaged 140 advocates who sent over 1,310 messages to legislators in support of AFC’s Advocacy Agenda.
8 Bills | 2 Passed
AFC independently and with coalition partners led advocacy for 8 bills during the 2024 spring session of the Illinois General Assembly. AFC along with Protect Our Care Illinois coalition partners got 2 bills passed and signed into law: HB2499: Ban on Short Term Limited Duration Health Insurance Plans and HB5395: Healthcare Protection Act.
2 Resolutions Passed
AFC successfully advocated for two resolutions that passed in the House of Representatives in 2024: HR741: Recognizing the 5-year anniversary of GTZ plan and HB665: Declared April 14 through April 20 2024, as Harm Reduction Solidarity Week in IL and raised awareness about the principles and practices of harm reduction, a vital role in public health and safety in ending opioid epidemic.
District Visits
AFC lobbyists resumed District Visits, meeting with 10 legislative offices and HIV service providers across the state. These visits allow organization leaders to directly inform elected officials about work to end the HIV epidemic taking place in their community.
Federal HIV Funding
AFC advocates secured increases in federal HOPWA funding and pushed back on over $767 million in cuts to domestic HIV funding for FY24, including attempts to completely eliminate HOPWA, sections of Ryan White, and the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Initiative.
Job Resource Fairs
AFC hosted three Job Readiness community events in 2024 serving 85 attendees. AFC career development referred 45 people to employment in 2024, and another 25 people entered a formal education or training program.
Storytelling for Change
AFC advocates empowered people with lived experience to share personal stories about the impact of policy decisions on their individual lives through the Storytelling for Change program, completing multimedia storytelling trainings and showcases: a Southern Illinois Drag and Storytelling Showcase, with 50 attendees, a Medicaid Storytelling Showcase with 25 attendees, and the Photovoice Storytelling project, an intensive workshop series training participants to use photography to express lived experiences with HIV and aging, with 16 participants.
Narcan Newsstands
The Connection to Harm Reduction (C2HR) program distributed 994 naloxone kits last year through its free Narcan Newsstand located just outside of AFC offices on the southwest corner of Monroe and Wells in the Loop. The newsstand is maintained in partnership with the Westside Heroin Opioid Taskforce. Naloxone is a medication that reverses opioid overdoses. C2HR distributed a further 590 naloxone kits to agency partners and clients in 2024.
AIDS Run & Walk
Team to End AIDS
$1,000,000
Total Funds Raised: AFC and its Community Partners raised more than $1,000,000 in net funds through more than 2,200 participants and sponsors for AIDS Run & Walk and Team to End AIDS.
$255,000
Total returned to Community Direct community fundraising partners: More than $255,000.
Read more on AFC’s blog about how we’re teaming up for justice and change
Celebrating 10 Years of Leadership with John Peller, President & CEO of AFC
By Patty Conway
