It’s that time of year again. Yes, with Thanksgiving and Black Friday behind us, the holidays are officially underway. Now you can look forward to bundles of mail with all those cards, torturous catch-up letters, even more store fliers and, inevitably, those guilt-inducing end-of-year-giving letters.
Back in the day, I recall hand-addressing Gay Arts Center end-of-year-giving solicitations. It was that personal touch people like but, in this case, it was really a matter of saving printer ink. Other organizations, the ones with real budgets for such things, vie for attention with “Pick me! Pick me!” desperation. One once used oversized envelopes containing glossy color pamphlets while another chose pink envelopes to stand out in a crowd. The additional costs incurred for all that folderol would be rationalized by the anticipated increased income generated by the ploy.
I’m not sure if it worked, though. I still get those pink envelops and toss them. Their senders can’t be blamed. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there when it comes to gay-supporting charities and service organizations. It’s sad to say but especially today with ever-dwindling resources, it’s almost become a dire Sophie’s choice dilemma. Everyone’s need is legitimate.
This year, though, I have a recommendation. It’s the same agency a local philanthropy organization, G/L Community Fund’s 2017-18 campaign chose as its recommended funding recipient, namely Diverse & Resilient. It’s the same agency whose Harambee neighborhood facility suffered three attacks of post-election vandalism last winter.
D&R’s mission is “to achieve health equity and improve the safety and well-being of LGBTQ people and communities in Wisconsin.” Launched in 1995 as a program at Milwaukee’s Sinai Samaritan Hospital, it evolved into a non-profit organization focusing on capacity building, youth leadership and health needs and developed partnerships with the Milwaukee Health Department and dozens of LGBTQ organizations statewide. Today, its varied programs focus on mental and sexual health, substance use as well as partner and community violence.
Over the course of two decades, those expansive services coupled with the increased impact of HIV, especially on people of color, have exponentially raised costs. Funding came from a variety sources but especially from federal and local government grants. But, starting in 2016, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shifted the bulk of its resources to support the “Southern Strategy,” a campaign to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Bible Belt. As a result, D&R’s joint CDC proposal submitted as a collaboration with 16th Street Clinic and the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW) was not funded. The current White House agenda has also lead to funding cuts across the board. Locally, the City of Milwaukee Health Department has reduced D&R’s financial aid for 2018 by at least $30,000.
We all have our causes but this year our community’s health should be a priority.
You can donate online under the “Get Involved” tab on the D&R website: diverseandresilient.org/get-involved.
