Dear Friends of Frannie Peabody Center

“The first case of AIDS has been diagnosed in Maine” read the 1985 editorial in Our Paper.
“All of us,” it continued, “are affected. All of us will be affected. All of us from Kittery to Fort Kent will find ourselves grappling with this painful and cruel reality...We, as a community, and as individuals, will never be the same.”

That was our wake-up call some twenty-five years ago and our community responded. A group of dedicated volunteers came together to battle what was then a mysterious and very fatal illness. Starting as a community-based hotline, growing into The AIDS Project and then eventually merging with Peabody House, Frannie Peabody Center has a rich history of serving people across the state of Maine.

In the six short years since I joined the agency, we have seen many changes – not only at the organizational level but also in the history of the HIV epidemic itself. Most notably, last year’s closure and sale of Peabody House represented a significant chapter in the history of HIV in Maine. Yet, even that has been eclipsed by the dramatic shifts we see in the clients we serve. With our help, some of these clients successfully manage everything from medical protocols to their housing. Others we assist face daunting barriers created by such issues as mental health, substance abuse and societal stigmas that have still not gone away over two decades later.

We now serve over 100 more clients than we did in 2004 and that number continues to grow. Of our current 386 clients, our roster now includes more women and children, immigrants and refugees than ever before, and we continue to see rapid growth in our numbers of HIV positive men as well. Contrary to popular belief, for all these men, women and children, and those like them at risk – from Kittery to Fort Kent – HIV has not gone away.

Yet, we have witnessed this growth of our client base with no significant increase in state or federal funding. Instead, we stand today as a testament to the generosity and dedication of the volunteers, donors and selfless individuals who banded together 25 years ago. Like you, they each share a commitment embodied by our namesake Frannie Peabody and the founders of The AIDS Project and Peabody House and make Frannie Peabody Center what it is today.

This same type of support and generosity is critical to continuing our mission. Just last month, two of our clients succumbed to complications from HIV, a stark reminder to us all about how much further we have to go and how much our clients need you there to help. Your continuing commitment plays a vital role in easing the burden for all of our clients, and you have our most heartfelt appreciation.

In deepest gratitude,

Patti Capouch
Executive Director