VICARE recently put in a proposal to the Community Development Block grant (CDBG) for $220,000 to purchase a building at 43 Queen Street.  We are in desperate need of additional space.  With the receipt of two new grants, we expect to be hiring an additional seven people in order to expand our HIV prevention and treatment programs.  It's a great building, in good shape, and would meet our needs for a drop-in center, conference room, and private offices. 

The CDBG is money that the local government gets from the feds to support projects that will serve low and moderate income people.  Therefore, the local government gets to pick and choose which projects they are going to fund.  On Thursday, April 1st at 10 am they are holding a public hearing for all of the prospective grantees in the Jury Assembly Room at the District Court in Golden Rock. The hearing is typically run by CDBG staff and our senators.  VICARE should have as many people present at the hearing as possible to show support for the organization.  If you can attend, please do so!  If you cannot attend, please consider calling or writing our senators to register your support for this project.

The local government has not contributed a dime of local money to HIV/AIDS efforts.  The Virgin Islands has one of the highest rates of AIDS in the country, and its time for our local government to step-up and support our efforts.   Hopefully they will see the proposal that we submitted as an opportunity to finally address this growing epidemic in our community. 

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all of the support that you have already given VICARE.  We couldn't do the important work that we do without the input and dedication of our volunteers. 

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Carolyn D. Forno, MPP
Executive Director
V.I. Community AIDS Resource & Education
P.O. Box 223235
Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands 00822
Phone: (340) 692-9111
Fax: (340) 719-2043