Dear Friends of Frannie Peabody Center
What a difference a year makes. In 2011, we have seen more advances in the fight against HIV than any of us ever expected. Thirty years on, although the HIV epidemic still rages, there are lights at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Where once there was a death sentence, now there is life. Where once an end seemed many years away, now it seems within our grasp.
Yet it’s a path of highs and lows, and one of which the clients of Frannie Peabody Center are painfully aware. Because, unfortunately, an advance in science or medicine doesn’t necessarily add up to much when you’re a Mainer living with HIV or AIDS. The many men, women and children who turn to Frannie Peabody Center for help can tell you firsthand that they face just as many issues today as people with AIDS faced thirty years ago. Though the faces and issues may have changed, their needs are just as many.
From basic healthcare needs to complex housing issues, Mainers living with HIV face obstacles both universal and unique. And with your continued financial support, Frannie Peabody Center offers hope and help to the over 500 clients we served in the past year alone. These clients can tell you what a difference your support has made in their lives. From housing and heating stipends to assistance with eyewear and dentistry, FPC is there to help provide assistance and, even more importantly, hope.
But in an era marked by political and economic uncertainty, FPC depends upon loyal supporters like you to continue to make that lasting and healthy difference in the lives of our clients. In the last two months alone, we have added 22 new clients to our roster. That would be a remarkable number at any time of year for a low-incidence state like Maine, but it’s even more distressing as another difficult winter approaches. In fact, new and old clients alike may soon not only face the trials of winter but also a whole new host of issues including, for some, the likelihood that the very prescriptions that are saving their lives may no longer be covered under various state and government programs.
For these reasons, your support is as critical as it has ever been. To paraphrase Dickens: people living with HIV/AIDS are now truly living in the best -- and the worst -- of times. Your ongoing dedication to our work is helping make the future only the best and the brightest of times for the many Mainers with HIV/AIDS whom your loyal commitment supports.
Thank you again for your generosity. I wish you and yours the very best in health and happiness.
Sincerely,
Patti Capouch
Executive Director