AIDS United is proud to announce the 12th round of grants awarded by the Syringe Access Fund. This funding round prioritized syringe services programs that are led by and serving Black, Indigenous and other people of color, as well as syringe services programs in areas of high need, for both direct service and education and mobilization efforts.
These grants were awarded to 16 organizations across two categories:
- Syringe services programs providing direct service.
- Harm reduction organizations conducting community education and mobilization activities focused on legalizing or strengthening syringe services programs and other health interventions for people who use drugs at the local, state and federal levels.
Meet the grantees:
- Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Wisconsin
- Bronx Movil, New York
- Florida Harm Reduction Collective, Florida
- Harm Reduction Sisters, Minnesota
- Houston Harm Reduction Alliance, Texas
- HRH413, Massachusetts
- Indiana Recovery Alliance, Indiana
- NEXT Harm Reduction, New York
- Oasis de Esperanza Caño Martín Peña, Puerto Rico
- Points of Distribution, Washington
- Southern West Virginia Harm Reduction, West Virginia
- The Missouri Network for Opiate Reform & Recovery, Missouri
- The Puerto Rico Project, Illinois
- The SOAR Initiative (Safety, Outreach, Autonomy, Respect), Ohio
We have omitted two grantees from this list out of concerns for the organizations’ safety and ability to continue meeting the needs of their communities. According to research from the National Harm Reduction Coalition, syringe services programs are prohibited from legal operation in at least 10 states across the nation. In many more, their legal status is precarious, with states like West Virginia and Indiana making active attempts to pass legislation to restrict and outlaw syringe services programs.
But we know that harm reduction works. We know that syringe services programs work. They save lives and honor the dignity and humanity of people who use drugs.
That’s why it’s more important than ever that we come together to invest in harm reduction, support syringe services programs, and advocate for policies that protect and uplift the needs of our communities.
The Syringe Access Fund is a collaborative grantmaking initiative that seeks to reduce the health, psychosocial and socioeconomic disparities experienced by people who use drugs. The Syringe Access Fund invests in evidence-based and community-driven approaches to prevent the transmission of both HIV and viral hepatitis, reduce injection-related injuries, increase overdose prevention and reversal efforts, and connect people who use drugs to comprehensive prevention, treatment and support services.
Stay tuned to the AIDS United blog and social media for updates on the work of these grantees and our other harm reduction efforts. For more information about investing in the Syringe Access Fund, please contact Christine Rodriguez at crodriguez@aidsunited.org.
