San Francisco Examiner - September 17, 2002
Bill Picture Of The Examiner Staff

"People just aren't giving as much," says Laura Heffron, Macy's director of community relations. "The stock market, the economy -- people are being more fiscally conservative, and our beneficiaries, especially the smaller, local nonprofits, have become even more dependent on us."

Without these much-needed funds, the organizations, all of which provide a wide variety of services to HIV-positive members of the community, would have difficulty servicing their clients. And despite the reported slowing in the rate of new HIV contractions, the organizations say their caseloads continue to increase.

"We don't foresee any decrease," says Lance Toma, director of programs with the Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, which has been a Passport beneficiary for the last few years. The organization, which formed in 1997, provides AIDS prevention programs and HIV testing to the Asian and Pacific Islander communities here in the Bay Area. For those already infected, the organization provides multilingual case management, treatment advocacy, psychotherapy, support groups, psychiatric services and primary care services.

"As we raise awareness around HIV (and) bring HIV testing to the communities we are committed to serving, the work can only increase," Toma explains.

"Funding from Passport ensures that we can continue to meet the increasing needs of our clients."

He adds that he's noticed a substantive decrease in private foundation grants, as well as individual giving; and his organization's board of directors has had to do "a lot of long-term planning in order to move forward confidently."

Erin Farrell, executive director of Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS), says her organization is in much the same situation. The last few months have been difficult for PAWS, she notes, because several of its major donors have begun re-assessing their charitable giving. Though all say they still strongly believe in PAWS' mission, they simply cannot commit to the same level of donation they have in previous years.

PAWS, which has worked with Passport for the last eight years, enables low-income immuno-compromised and chronically-ill pet owners to keep their pets by providing food and litter, subsidized veterinary care, dog walking, and litter box changing, foster care and adoption services, as well as educational services.

Farrell says the money PAWS will receive from this year's Passport In-Store event will be used to fund the organization's volunteer services. The organization, which is made up of a full-time staff of only four people, relies heavily on the support of its more than 400 volunteers.

"Financial support for the volunteer program is vital to the success of the organization. Without (the) volunteers, PAWS would not exist," she says.

Working the angles

Heffron says Passport is attempting to help tackle the AIDS crisis from a couple different angles. In addition to advocating HIV testing and services for those already infected with HIV, Passport funds research efforts to develop an AIDS vaccine.

Eight years ago, Passport began building a bridge between AIDS researchers at the University of California--Los Angeles and University of California--San Francisco, which enables doctors at both schools to work together and share what they know.

To commemorate Passport's 20th anniversary, Macy's, the American Express Foundation and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation also have commissioned the construction of a viewing platform that will overlook the National AIDS Memorial Grove here in Golden Gate Park.

Rick Pavich, executive director of the National AIDS Memorial Grove, says that because the better portion of the grove is below street level, visitors to Golden Gate Park often pass by without noticing it. He says the platform, which will be located on Middle Drive East, will act as a visible beacon to attract passersby and allow visitors to view the grove from street level.

He adds that the overlook will have an educational purpose, as well: It will contain engraved placards chronicling the history of HIV/AIDS.

"(And) we are saving space for a time in the hopefully not-too-distant future when we will be able to list the discovery of a vaccine and, ultimately, a cure," he says.

"In years to come, when AIDS is something that school children learn about in history class, the grove will stand as a reminder not only of the hard-fought battle against HIV/AIDS, but also the struggle of disenfranchised groups for understanding and tolerance," Pavich says. "The grove will remind future generations that in practicing compassion, one finds a potent antidote to the misery of prejudice."

E-mail: bpicture@sfexaminer.com

For information on the Asian Pacific Islander Wellness Center, call (415) 292-3400 or visit www.apiwellness.org.

For information on PAWS, call (415) 241-1460 or visit www.pawssf.org.

For information on the National AIDS Memorial Grove, call (415) 750-8340 or visit www.aidsmemorial.org.

Macy's Passport 20/02 hosts its annual fund-raising gala at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Herbst and Festival pavilions, Fort Mason Center, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, San Francisco. Individual tickets are $75, $500 and $1,000. Visit www.macys.com/campaign/passport/index.jsp.

The in-store event is 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday at Macy's West on Union Square, 170 O'Farrell St., San Francisco. Tickets are $10.
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