APICHA: The First 10 Years

First Gala

To meet the Henry van Ameringen Foundation's challenge, APICHA held its first annual benefit dinner, "Other No More: A Gala Tribute to Generosity, Genius and Compassion," on October 15, 1998. The gala was co-chaired by Curtis L. Harris, Director, HIV/AIDS Project, American Indian Community House, David D. Kim, M.D., Member, Board of Directors of APICHA, and Suki Terada Ports, Director, Family Health Project. Honorary Co-Chairs were former Mayor David and Mrs. Joyce Dinkins, Senator Daniel Inouye, and Chris Lee, President of Production, Columbia Pictures. The honorees were Irene Diamond, Dr. David D. Ho, Sarah M. Sogi. "Other No More" not only met the Van Ameringen fund raising challenge, but it successfully brought together the support of the Asian and Pacific Islander community with which other communities, and in its celebratory ambience, helped to lessen the terrible isolation that Asians and Pacific Islanders confronting HIV and AIDS may experience.

Board of APICHA

Determined to broaden its efforts, APICHA engaged in strategic planning and Board recruitment, creating a Three-Year Strategic Plan to guide its development. Consultants have been utilized to increase APICHA's competencies in planning, fund raising, database development, and other areas of work.

APICHA Programs and Achievements

APICHA's diverse programs and achievements continue. To create the community that can stop AIDS, APICHA must mobilize, educate, advocate, and deliver critical social services.

APICHA's Client Navigator, a 54-page informative guide available in six languages empowers people confronting HIV and AIDS to take better care of themselves and learn to negotiate the health care and social service system.

APICHA's Board has put in place a reserve fund to ensure continuity of core operations, should funding change dramatically.

APICHA has been granted funding through the Ryan White CARE Act Title I, Title II, and Title III funds.

Since 1993, APICHA continues to coordinate the Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Leadership Network (HALN) as a vehicle for addressing the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City.

APICHA is leading a planning process to develop a collaborative response to Medicaid managed care with the Chinatown Health Clinic and the Chinese-American Planning Council.

APICHA's Client Services Department presently serves 200 Asian and Pacific Islander individuals living with HIV or AIDS and their families through case management, legal advocacy, support group services, acupuncture services, recreational and social events, and a peer advocacy program. An empowering approach has put clients in charge of their future, assisting them with information in their own language so they can access services and the social supports they desire. APICHA's clients are assisted by trained case managers, and bilingual peer advocates from the community.