Image for June Positive Change: Aliveness Project

Create Positive Change

Each time you shop at the co-op, you have a chance to directly support local nonprofits by donating your 10-cent reusable bag credits and rounding up your purchases to the nearest dollar. It may only be a few cents or spare change, but your generosity makes a huge impact — to the tune of over $10,000 each month for our Positive Change recipients!

Meet Aliveness Project

Aliveness-Kitchen

 

Mission: The Aliveness Project boldly advances equitable access to transformative HIV care and prevention services. Their vision is to end the HIV epidemic. 
Main Program Areas:  

  • Basic needs: Providing daily meals, a choice model food shelf, medical nutrition therapy, and access to both healthcare and housing. 
  • Community: A community center model provides a safe and supportive place for members to gather and build community. Anyone living with HIV can become a member, and members can access all services for free. 
  • Prevention: targeted outreach to communities disproportionately affected by HIV through testing, syringe access services, a mobile syringe exchange van, and distribution of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through a free on-site PrEP clinic. 

Digging Deeper 

The majority of Aliveness’s members are low-income, with over 70% making less than the Federal Poverty Guideline, which is roughly less than $15K a year. Almost all the members served are struggling financially, and most people are struggling profoundly. Poverty and homelessness are major risk factors for falling out of care, but by providing basic needs like food and housing, Aliveness is helping to reduce barriers to medication adherence, maintain viral suppression, and prevent new HIV transmissions.

Each year, the number of people who are served increases due in large part to the prevalence of injection drug use in Minnesota. The Aliveness Project actively addresses these challenges by increasing targeted outreach efforts and connecting as much of the community as possible to care and preventative services. 

Funds will be used to support the basic needs program, providing daily meals to the Aliveness Project Members.   

For more information: aliveness.org