History 1986 - 2011

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continued (from "About AIDS Help" page)

The first projected budget for FY 1987 was $250,000 over 70% of which was unfunded leaving the board of volunteers to raise approximately $175,000 to meet the pressing needs of a growing number of very sick people.

The first board also struggled to develop a health care delivery system that would provide immediate assistance to the neediest people. At the end of the first full fiscal year AIDS Help had served 42individuals and spent $109,500 in services with an average cost per client of $2,607.14. During that year AIDS Help paid for medical expenses of 7 clients at the local hospital, provided direct financial assistance to 18 clients, 1 client at Hospice, 17 rental assistance payments, and provided food and meals for 13 clients.

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009 AIDS Help provided an array of services for 396 clients with expenditures of approximately $3,854,787,the average cost per client being $9,734.31. Although it is extremely difficult to compare the cost of services in 1986 with the cost during 2009 the chart below demonstrates that client needs have not changed greatly over the past two decades.

Over the past 23 years AIDS Help has assisted over 1,900 men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS. An exact number of clients cannot be calculated since the current client enrollment and tracking system was computerized in 1991 and figures for prior years do not exist. However we do know that the first client was enrolled by name on December 1, 1986 and that many more were assisted by AIDS Help founders prior to that date, using their personal resources to cover client assistance.

The "Helping Hands" graphic design of J.T. Thompsonof Solares Hill Designs was selected and approved as the AIDS Help logo on September 08, 1987 at a meeting of the board of directors. The logo remained the same until 2006 when a Red Ribbon was added to the design by J.T. Thompson, to commemorate 20 years of service in Monroe County.

Early in 1987, AIDS Help joined with other community groups in participating in the Fantasy Fest weekend. At the time, AIDS Help was one of the only organizations selling carnival beads during the weekend event and the net take from the sale of beads that Fantasy Fest was $600. The first King and Queen Coronation event for the benefit of AIDS Help was held in October of 1989 and raised $20,400. The October 2009 King and Queen of Fantasy Fest raised over $197,000.

In May of 1987 the agency opened its first official office in Building 124 at Truman Annex at the invitation of Pritam Singh. Currently, AIDS Help has two offices, one located in Key West at the Gordon Rollins Center and in Marathon.

Because of numerous confidentiality issues and IRS reporting requirements, the agency's name was changed to A.H. of Monroe County, Inc., however, the agency still can utilize the name "AIDS Help", and the acronym of "AHI".