EverGrowing Fall 2021

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is so hard to believe that we are now on the verge of the holiday season and close to welcoming 2022! With the help of our donors, volunteers, supporters and friends, we were able to purchase a second mobile unit for our syringe exchange program (SEP), add to our

food pantry, purchase additional syringes for our SEP, provide support to patients living with HIV and much, much more this year. Because of you, we were able to improve the patient experience at Evergreen Health and its affiliates. Thank you!

Thanks to our ambassadors, volunteers, participating restaurants, diners and donors, our 19th Annual

Dining Out For Life fundraiser was an amazing success! With over 50 restaurants taking part, we've raised just over $80,000, all while enjoying delicious meals with friends and loved ones. All proceeds from Dining Out For Life stay in our community and go directly to Evergreen Health’s HIV care services.

World AIDS Day, December 1, is right around the corner, so in this issue of EverGrowing, we will be

putting a spotlight on some of the amazing work we are doing in HIV/AIDS care. You will get the opportunity to meet Kim Brown, executive director of Community Access Services, a winner of the 2021 Women of Influence award and the 2021 Buffalo Black Achievers award. She will share some of the great ways her team has been working to reduce stigma, end the epidemic of HIV and help our patients on their journey to health.

Giving Tuesday, a national movement to show gratitude to the organizations that are doing work that is

meaningful to you, is coming up on November 30. We have some generous matching gift challenges that will make your donation go even further. Please join us during this 24-hour online fundraising campaign (www.evergreenhs.org/donate). As you begin to consider your year-end giving plans, we would be honored if you included Evergreen. Whether it’s an outright gift of cash or you’d like to begin the conversation around planned giving, there are so many ways to give! Please contact me at rridenour@evergreenhs.org for more information.

Best wishes for a meaningful and healthy holiday season and thank you for being a part of the Evergreen

family!

Richard J. Ridenour

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Welcome to 800 Hertel! Our new location is officially open, offering existing patients of the former Elmwood Health Center and People, Inc. primary care with specialties in pediatrics and developmental disabilities.

Our brand-new facilities on Hertel Avenue are our largest location yet with 21 beautiful and inclusive patient rooms. Top row (left to right): Joelle Toal, AVP of clinical operations; Ray Ganoe, president & CEO of Evergreen Health; Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown; Rhonda Frederick, president & CEO of People Inc.; Ray Ganoe; New York State Senator Sean Ryan. Bottom row (left to right): New York State Assembly Member William Conrad; Sean Ryan; Justin Azzarella, CSO of Evergreen Health; Matthew Crehan-Higgins, AVP of specialty care.

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We were honored to welcome supporters and collaborators to our opening celebration. Top row (left to right): New York State Senator Sean Ryan; United States Congress Member Chris Jacobs; Rhonda Frederick, president & CEO of People, Inc.: Joy Feldman, Esq., Evergreen Health board chair; Ray Ganoe, president & CEO of Evergreen Health. Bottom row (left to right): Latrese Myers, AVP of marking & communications; Brian Kawaler, PhD, Evergreen Health board member & secretary; Janice Barrett, Evergreen Health board member; Ray Ganoe; Richard Ridenour, executive director of Evergreen Health Foundation; Ray Ganoe.

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Giving Tuesday is considered “the world’s biggest day of generosity” and was created in 2012 to encourage people around the world to do good.

Giving Tuesday falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving making it November 30 this year. Save the date!

With Giving Tuesday and World AIDS Day right around the corner, we wanted to highlight our HIV prevention and treatment programs here at Evergreen Health and our affiliates. Founded as AIDS Community Services in 1983, Evergreen historically addressed the crisis generated by HIV and AIDS by providing medical and supportive services. Today, we are the leader in HIV care in Western New York and are committed to providing critical services to our community. We offer a wide range of HIV education and prevention services such as HIV testing and treatment, a syringe exchange program equipped with mobile units, a specialty pharmacy focusing on HIV prevention medications PrEP and PEP, as well as HIV medication treatment and free condoms to all patients. Not only that, but our supportive and behavioral services provide a holistic approach to caring for those living with HIV.

If you so choose, your Giving Tuesday donation this year could directly support our important HIV treatment and prevention programs at Evergreen Health. You can also choose to support one of our affiliates, the Pride Center of Western New York, providing LGBTQ+ care and Community Access Services, serving communities of color and helping to end the epidemic of HIV. The good news is each of these programs offers HIV supportive services to our community!

HIV screening is quick and easy at Evergreen Health, the Pride Center of Western New York and Community Access Services. We provide confidential HIV testing at the following locations: Evergreen Health

Patients seen for care at safety-net health centers, which are healthcare providers that organize and deliver a significant level of services to uninsured, Medicaid and other vulnerable patients, like Evergreen Health, are often patients who have historically

v 206 S Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14201 v 3297 Bailey Ave. Buffalo, NY 14215 v 800 Hertel Ave. Buffalo, NY 14207

DID YOU KNOW?

fallen through the cracks in other healthcare settings and

(existing patients of the former Elmwood Health Center and People, Inc.)

experience disparities in care.

v 320 Prather Ave. Suite 100 & 200A, Jamestown, NY 14701 v 200 S Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14201 (MOCHA Buffalo)

This is especially true for patients living with HIV.

Pride Center of Western New York v 278 Delaware Ave. Buffalo, NY 14202 Community Access Services v 3297 Bailey Ave. Buffalo, NY 14215

While not all funds donated on Giving Tuesday go to HIV care, we invite you to select where your donations go, so that you can see a difference in an area of service that has meaning for you. That can be HIV care, drug user services, LGBTQ+ care, supportive services and more!

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According to the CDC, Black and African American men who have sex with men, whether they identify as gay, bisexual or other, are more affected by HIV than any other group in the US. In 2018, 26% of all new HIV diagnoses were LGBTQ+ people of color (POC).

Younger Black men are also more likely to become HIV positive.

That’s where MOCHA Buffalo comes in. MOCHA is a group that

works to educate LGBTQ+ POC about living sex-positive lives. It provides this community with a safe space to network, socialize and access social healthcare, as well as support groups designed by and for LGBTQ+ POC. Additional services include individual support and care management services. MOCHA offers HIV, STI and hepatitis C testing and education on-site, as well.

While MOCHA was founded in 1996 as the Men of Color Health

Awareness project, MOCHA Buffalo officially became part of the Evergreen Health's supportive services in May 2021. At Evergreen, we are proud to work with a dynamic group representing a powerful mission. MOCHA is located at 200 S. Elmwood Avenue Monday, Wednesday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

By creating a space for LGBTQ+ POC, MOCHA is opening the

door for conversations and action around safer sex practices with a demographic who needs it the most. For more information on MOCHA Buffalo, follow them on Facebook and Instagram!

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A N I N C L U S I V E S PAC E FO R PAT IE N T S TO R EC EI V E C A R E Moving across the country and starting a new life with a new job isn’t an easy endeavor, let alone during a global health pandemic. When Kevin moved to Buffalo in 2020, he had a lot of anxiety surrounding the relocation and the transition into a new community. As he saw the incidences of COVID-19 increase, he worried about what that would mean for him since he’s living with HIV. When Kevin was looking for a healthcare provider for his primary and specialty care, he saw how Evergreen was tightly woven into the LGBTQ+ community and decided to become a patient.

“The model of a ‘one-stop-shop’ for people and communities that are often overlooked and marginalized is what sets Evergreen apart,” said Kevin. “Back in Minnesota, I got involved in the HIV community and non-profits. They’re great organizations but the Twin Cities does not have an organization like Evergreen where everything is all under one roof. I think it’s just such a superior model of service for the HIV community, but also for LGBTQ+ healthcare and healthcare for people who use drugs. Evergreen gives patients a place to go where their needs are understood and they’re not going to be judged.”

When vaccinations became available in early 2021, Kevin was ready. The process was quick and efficient and he felt supported by the staff at Evergreen.

For Kevin, a COVID-19 vaccination means relief. He now has increased protection against COVID-19, which means he can start thinking about adjusting to life in Buffalo and becoming more integrated into the community. “I feel like I can put myself out a little more than I could before and expand my social circle,” explained Kevin.

By providing excellent care to those who need it most, Evergreen is working toward a more equitable future for Western New York. We are proud to be an inclusive space for patients to receive care, providing care and services for patients like Kevin.

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Evergreen Health’s donor community is large and diverse, helping to support programs and

services that cover a broad spectrum of people from different backgrounds with varied lived experiences. What motivates one donor to make a gift may be completely different from what inspires someone else to give.

The Evergreen Health Foundation team wants to help educate our most passionate supporters

about all of the great things happening at Evergreen and our affiliates. To do so, we are launching a new donor-exclusive speaker series in January. People who have made a contribution to Evergreen Health, the Pride Center of Western New York or Community Access Services in the previous 12 months will be eligible to register for free lunch-and-learn sessions featuring team members from different departments throughout the association.

Speakers will touch on the work that they do in the community and share impact stories about

the people they work with thanks to your support. Participants will be able to network with other passionate members of the Evergreen donor community, as well as have time for questions and answers with the guest speakers.

Featured topics include but are not limited to: HIV testing and prevention, housing, care

coordination, community training and education, behavioral health, syringe exchange program, MOCHA Buffalo: a supportive service program for LGBTQ+ people of color, transgender support programs, primary and specialty care and more.

Sessions will take place at noon on the first Wednesday of the month at the Evergreen Commons,

67 Prospect Avenue in Buffalo. On-site parking and lunch will be provided. Registration is limited to ten guests per event, so RSVP as soon as you receive a donor-exclusive email invite detailing what speaker and topic are scheduled. Be warned: sessions will fill up fast, so register ASAP!

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AN INTERVIE W WITH COMMUNIT Y ACCESS SERVICE'S E XECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KIM BROWN

K

im Brown, executive director of Community Access Services (CAS) dedicates her career to giving back to the community she came from. CAS and Brown have a shared mission to address the epidemic of HIV and other diseases that challenge the welfare of urban communities in Buffalo and Erie County by assuring the availability of comprehensive care services including prevention education and treatment. By offering a variety of services to help patients reach their health and life goals, like testing and counseling services, CAS is able to offer support for men and women to access healthcare and learn about healthy living.

An Evergreen Health affiliate, CAS is always busy serving the community. Currently they are focusing on two promotions: at-home HIV testing kits and Testing for Turkeys. Read more about these events, how the Evergreen Health Foundation’s donations impact people in the community and the recent recognition Kim Brown has been awarded.

Can you explain to people who might not know what CAS does, including the services and population that you serve? We are an affiliative of Evergreen Health with an overarching mission of assisting communities of color with accessing equitable healthcare and addressing chronic illnesses, specifically HIV, that impact marginalized communities. As an organization, we provide HIV testing, education and prevention services to communities of color.

We believe in ensuring that everyone has access to care. We have targeted zip codes for high risk populations with 14215 being one of the primary zip codes, hence why we're housed in this section of the city of Buffalo. Our goal is to be accessible, whether it be through private transportation or public transportation to the community. We call our location the heart of the city of Buffalo.

What services does CAS provide to the community? Our services entail recruitment and outreach, conducting community-wide events in hopes of reaching individuals who are at-risk to provide education about these services and HIV— focusing on how they can be safe and obtain testing services. We partner heavily with other communitybased organizations in the surrounding community.

Pre-COVID 19, we did a lot of offsite events, to meet people where they were and spread the word of why it’s important to be tested for HIV and other STIs. In addition to our community-based services, we also provide services to people who are incarcerated in the Wende Hub. We do peer education training and provide linkage and navigation services to people coming out of the correctional facility and into the community. It’s a great way to ensure that people are reintegrated back into the community and they have the tools and resources necessary to address their healthcare needs. We really strive to meet individuals where they are.

You mention HIV being a major factor in our education efforts. Can you tell us more about that? It’s no secret that people from communities of color often experience health disparities and discrimination within the

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The Foundation has been instrumental in securing funds to be able to provide for outside the box of what we're traditionally funded to do .

- Kim Brown

system of healthcare. HIV has been disproportionately impacting communities of color since the very beginning of the epidemic. As communities of color, we don’t always have access to care or information regarding our health care options. Additionally, there’s a lot of stigma in the community around the risk factors associated with HIV, so to speak. We have a lot of people who shy away from knowing their status for a multitude of reasons: fear of being ostracized or judged. We know that with the healthcare system and its treatment of people of color have contributed to poor health outcomes. There is room for improvement to ensure health equity for communities of color.

Additionally, we practice a harm reduction approach with all of our services and interventions. We assure people that we’re here for them. We don’t judge them and we’re on their side. This is a safe space.

What has the impact been from donations through the Evergreen Health Foundation? We are given the ability to reach out of the box in terms of what we would generally provide under our grant-funded services. It has allowed us to provide food pantry services, which is something that we’re self-funded to do. We have also had the ability to provide the community with personal protective equipment (PPE) during COVID. At one point in time, it was very hard to get gloves, masks and sanitizer, so we wanted to do our part to ensure that the community had what it needed to remain safe during these unprecedented times. We’ve been able to effectively provide that to the community during our outreach. The foundation has been instrumental in securing funds to be able to provide for outside the box of what we’re traditionally funded to do.

Can you tell me about some of the events you have going on? We are working in collaboration with the New York State Department of Health and the AIDS Institute to help promote at-home HIV testing kits, free of charge, to individuals who sign up through information provided on our social marketing campaign. You can also visit our website for more information on how to access these kits. People can actually get a test kit mailed to their home; they can do the testing from the comfort of their home. We have the opportunity to provide that person some support around the results of that test, whether it be reactive or non-reactive.

Can you speak about Testing for Turkeys? I’ve been here at CAS since 2018 and I believe this event predates me. It started off with the organization receiving a donation from one of our community partners and saying, ‘Hey, why don’t you distribute these turkeys to the people you serve?’ and we just grew it from there. We’ve been doing it annually and ensuring that anyone who comes in within the week prior and leading up to Thanksgiving would receive a free turkey for completing a HIV test with us. It’s greatly received. It is an opportunity for us to connect with the community and engage with them in a different way. We know that the need for the community we serve is great, therefore we try to go above and beyond to support the community.

We are always looking for sponsors to support our events. Especially this event, it takes a lot for us to pull it off.

When feasible, we like to give side dishes, too. It’s great when we get donations for that, as well. We would love to keep growing this event.

Do patients receive a physical Turkey for getting tested? Yes! We’ve provided turkeys ranging from 16 to 20 pounds. We have some people who have larger families so we try to give them enough to feed their entire family and celebrate the holidays. Those interested can either call to set up an appointment to get tested or drop in. The promotion is for the week prior to Thanksgiving on November 24, during our business hours.

Do individuals need health insurance to get tested? We offer HIV testing free of charge. For STI testing services and treatment, our Evergreen Health Primary and Specialty Care Clinic requires insurance. However, if someone is not insured or under-insured, that person can be supported to obtain insurance. There is also a sliding fee scale for patients who choose to pay out of pocket.

You’ve been the recipient of two special awards this fall. Would you mind talking about them? This year I was nominated as a Buffalo Business First Women of Influence. It was a great honor to be surrounded by other recipients from different organizations and businesses with a heart for community. It was truly an honor, as I think of myself as someone who just wants to give back to the community from which I come. I think it’s my responsibility. I’ve been afforded so many opportunities so to have a hand in the community and be recognized for community-based services as an influencer was really amazing. In addition to that award, I also received the Black Achiever’s Award, which is a big deal. It’s nearing its 50th year in awarding honorees and it has been awarded to African Americans who have made a positive impact on the city of Buffalo. I’m just really honored to be among them. It was very humbling. I had a pretty busy September!

If any of our readers want to donate specifically to CAS, how would they do that? When anyone donates to the Evergreen Health Foundation, they can specify that their donation goes to Community Access Services. We also have a donation page that’s located at caswny.org/donate.

Thank you, Kim, for the work you do in giving back to the community!

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P

lanned giving is the process of making a significant charitable gift during a donor’s life or at death that is part of their financial or estate plan. Smart planned giving is usually best accomplished as part of a donor’s overall financial situation and enables donors to

make bigger gifts to nonprofits than they could make from their regular income.

Planned gifts take a number of forms. There are outright gifts of assets such as cash, property

or artwork. Other types of planned gifts provide a financial benefit on top of tax deductions for donors. Charitable remainder trusts provide an income stream for individuals and at the death of the donor; the charity receives what is left in the trust. Some planned gifts are payable upon the donor’s death, such as a life insurance policy where the beneficiary is a charitable organization.

Evergreen Health has the Evergreen Society, which allows donors to include Evergreen in their estate planning.

Planned giving serves a dual purpose. Planned gifts help support worthy causes. At the same

time, they can be useful in helping individuals make more substantial gifts, as well as address their own financial needs.

Planned giving doesn’t have to be complicated. Below are two easy steps you can take to

include Evergreen Health in your philanthropic giving. To learn more about the Evergreen Society or to get information about including Evergreen Health and its affiliates as part of your estate plans, contact us at foundation@evergreenhs.org.

To include Evergreen Health in your will:

Suggested wording for your will:

I give to Evergreen Health Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, in Buffalo, NY, the

sum of $_____, for its general purposes.

I give to Evergreen Health Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, in Buffalo, NY_____%

of my estate, for its general purposes.

To name Evergreen Health as a beneficiary of your retirement plan:

Retirement plans come in many forms: 401(k) or 403(b) plan, Keogh or Individual Retirement

Accounts (IRAs), stock bonus plan, Employee Stock Ownership Plan, a defined benefit or contribution pension plan, profit sharing plan or annuity plan.

Naming or changing your beneficiary(ies) is very easy. You can often do it without lawyers

and you are likely to find your retirement plans offer online options to change beneficiary names and the % of the benefit assigned to each.

Legal Designation: Evergreen Health Foundation Address: PO Box 1106, Buffalo, NY 14201

Tax ID number: 16-1472048 Relationship: Non-profit organization

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The Evergreen Health Foundation was proud to welcome our supporters to a Donor Appreciation Event. Top row (left to right): Darnell Haywood, Evergreen Health Foundation board member; Richard Ridenour, Evergreen Health Foundation executive director; Erin Johnson; Ekua Mends-Aidoo, chief people & diversity officer; Karen Brim. Bottom row (left to right): Mary Beuth; Phil Beuth; Amanda Pollard; Linda Jones; RafiQ SallehFlowers; Cannon Flowers, Evergreen Health Foundation board member; Ron Luczak.

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Philanthropic guests mingled during our Donor Appreciation Event. Top row (left to right): Martin Steck, Evergreen Health Foundation board chair; Brian Kawaler, PhD, Evergreen Health board secretary; Peter Munich; RafiQ Sellah-Flowers; Joe Grieco. Bottom row (left to right): Bob Drajem; Linda Drajem; LaDia Hutchen; Darnell Haywood, Evergreen Health Foundation board member; Andrew Feldman; Joy Feldman, Esq., Evergreen Health board chair.

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Evergreen Health has been providing respectful, non-judgmental care to underserved communities in Western New York for nearly four decades.

The challenges have changed over the years but our mission and values have remained constant. Your support has

I

been essential in making this work possible.

As the world adjusts to life with COVID-19,

nternational Overdose Awareness Day was started in 2001 by Sally Finn at the Salvation Army in

the need for our programs and services is

Melbourne, Australia and takes place annually on August 31. Since 2001, many community members,

greater than ever. To help us continue

organizations and government groups have joined to hold events to raise awareness and commemorate

our vital work, click the link below to visit

those who have been lost to drug overdose. International Overdose Awareness Day aims to honor the our donation page.

Thank you! lives lost to overdose and reduce the stigma associated with it. Through mourning and remembrance, we can celebrate the lives of loved ones. It is also an opportunity to educate people that overdose death is preventable and raise awareness about evidence-based practices like overdose education and Narcan.

The goals of Overdose Awareness Day are: