About
The CARES Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides grants to agencies in California’s Sacramento region that serve the needs of people living with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), prevent the transmission of HIV, and/or raise social awareness to end discrimination and stigma against those living with or at risk of contracting HIV. These grants may include funds for general support or for specific programs.
Find Us
6920 Fair Oaks Blvd
Suite 205
Carmichael, CA 95608
Phone: 916.290.2291
The CARES Foundation: Commitment to the Community
The CARES Foundation is committed to improving the health of the Sacramento region by supporting organizations that share in its mission. The Foundation partners with mission-oriented organizations that work with a variety of higher risk populations to reduce the impact of HIV and associated co-occurring conditions. Unlike other chronic diseases, HIV is unique in the need to not only care for the patient, but to do everything possible to prevent transmission to others. Finding those infected with HIV also means that testing is a major focus for the Foundation.
One aspect of the CARES Foundation’s commitment is to provide grants designed to partner with and support community organizations. These agencies do the hard work with expertise, empathy, and compassion for all, particularly for the most disadvantaged and isolated members of our Northern California communities.
Since its inception in 2011, the Foundation has awarded 114 grants, totaling over $13.5M, to support 19 agencies to address our strategic funding priorities which include: 1) HIV prevention, 2) Filling Unreimbursed Gaps in Supportive Services to keep People Living with HIV (PLWH) in care, 3) HIV testing with Linkage to Care, and 4) Innovative Projects that address the impact of HIV in the Sacramento region.
2022 Grantee Spotlight: Sunburst Projects
About Sunburst Projects
Sunburst Projects’ mission is to serve the needs of the HIV community through compassionate care and services. Their goal is to promote health, wellness and social justice through services that strengthen and empower individuals living with HIV and people at increased risk of getting HIV to reach their highest potential. Sunburst Projects offers medical case management, mental health and an array of social services. They also provide programs addressing education, outreach and prevention including the Sunburst Clinic – a free confidential walk-in HIV/STI testing service.
Sunburst Projects is committed to being a major force in ending the HIV epidemic in the Sacramento Region. The primary goal of the organization is prevention - through testing, access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to decrease new HIV diagnoses and keeping HIV positive people in medical care.
2022 Accomplishments Supported by CARES Foundation Grant
With its first year of funding from tThe CARES Foundation, Sunburst Projects kicked off a public awareness campaign focused on educating people about the importance of knowing one’s HIV and STI status. Further, Sunburst Project successfully launched their HIV/STI testing clinic in February of 2022.
Their public awareness campaign focused on reaching targeted communities on their cellphones, where they socialize, where they have sex, where they go to school, in neighborhoods where they live, and where they are influenced by advertising. As a result, the 17 million radio, social media and pop-up ad impressions produced 2,282 HIV/STI tests for585 individuals who also were educated on the benefits of PrEP in the first year of the clinic’s operations. Sunburst Clinic surpassed its HIV/STI testing target by over 2 ½ times.
The CARES Foundation applauds Sunburst Projects’ targeted yet broad efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the Sacramento Region.
The HIV Epidemic: A Broader Perspective
World AIDS Day takes place on December 1 of each year. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. Since late 2019 when the corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic began the world again focused on public heath, including the importance of prevention, treatment and healthcare access for all.
During these challenging times, the CARES Foundation remains concerned and focused on the HIV epidemic which has infected over 75 million people worldwide, including over 36 million people who have lost their lives to HIV through 2020. We are reminded that although the overall outcomes of the HIV epidemic have dramatically improved since the first case of AIDS became known in 1981, there is more work yet to be done.
The successes in reducing HIV morbidity and mortality over the last 40 years have been made through the effective use of public health strategies and continual improvement of prevention and treatment practices, including timely access to care and powerful anti-viral drugs. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that, between 2010 and 2017, deaths from HIV have fallen more than 36% and disparities related to race, ethnicity, and geography have been reduced.1 However, the overall number of new HIV infections per year has not fallen, which underscores the need for broader adoption of effective prevention strategies such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), Treatment as Prevention (TaSP), and safe syringe distribution which are efforts targeted for higher risk, underserved, and vulnerable populations. More information can be found at www.HIV.gov.
These prevention and treatment strategies, combined with elimination of stigma and discrimination across all populations, are necessary to continue to reduce disparities in HIV morbidity and mortality related to race, ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status, and other social determinants of health. The CARES Foundation has provided grants and leadership to the Sacramento region for a decade and will continue its efforts to implement and expand on local, state, and national strategies so that all members of our local communities can share in the broader successes of these public health measures.
The CARES Foundation will not end its efforts until the HIV epidemic itself has ended.
Footnote
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2020; 69:1717-1724