There are many HIV not for profit organizations in Durham NC. A non profit organization has to submit a state filing form to become a non profit. From there they can set up a charitable organization much like the Salvation Army. I have looked into many of the organizations for HIV services and have found that many of these are non-profits. They also appear to survive on showstring budgets. Many of these organizations have events in the causes name which in turn can bring in donations both financial and material. From there these "donations" keep the buisness open. It is from these organizations HIV positive folks can have access to help filing for benefits, help with medication, counsellor referrals and social worker referrals. For those who are not directly affiliated with either the VA or workplace insurance this can be the difference between surviving and becoming homeless or worse. Many many people with HIV fall through the cracks and end up homeless and destitute further damaging an already weakened immune system. The importance of daily food, bathing, and medication adherence cannot be stresses enough. Without these basic needs life for an HIV positive person can become quite miserable.
Non profits can help with basic needs and it may not seem like much. A bag of groceries or a bus ticket may be all a person gets or possibly help filing for Social Security benefits. With an increase in HIV infections accross the board, services are constantly being overloaded. Nonprofits in many cases are shut down due to lack of resources through donations. A person living with HIV needs to look at all possible avenues before actually seeking help through nonprofits. Finances are a major barrier when living with HIV especially after an AIDS diagnosis. Personally I went from making over 50,000 a year to just over 12,000 a year after filing SSDI. It took major adjustments which affected my health and well being. In an environment of unsteady employment and rising health care people with HIV can feel very alone. Finding a case worker may be the best bet before seeking help though a non-profit. Remember although they are a non profit, they are still a business which...ultimately focuses on the bottom line.
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