Annual AIDS benefit (online only)

Thank you to all those who donated and all those who purchased. All works are now sold.

Works will be available for pickup starting Wednesday, December 3. In addition, works can be shipped. Shipping charges will be calculated separately by being in contact with the gallery at 617 262 4490 or erika@krakowwitkingallery.com.

Domestic shipping charges seem to range from $30-$90, but depending upon the work, that can vary further. International shipping is available, too.

Works of art in this exhibition have been generously donated by the artists. Each work is available for a $450 donation to:

THE DIMOCK CENTER’S BOSTON PEDIATRIC AND FAMILY AIDS PROGRAM

The Dimock Center, a private, non-profit agency has been in continuous use as a health facility since its establishment in 1862 as the New England Hospital for Women and Children. Dimock is Boston’s largest minority-owned, comprehensive community health and human services agency designated as a federally qualified health center caring for a primarily minority, low-income population.

Boston Pediatric and Family AIDS Program (BPFAP) was established in 1988. BPFAP offers an integrated network of care focusing on HIV infected women, infants, children and youth (WICY) by contracting five partner organizations: one community health center (Dimock 02119); two programs at Children’s Hospital (Children’s Hospital AIDS Program/CHAP and HIV Adolescent Provider and Peer Education Network for Services/HAPPENS 02115), a large tertiary teaching institute (Brigham and Women’s Hospital/BWH 02115) and a regional hospital network (Cambridge Health Alliance/CHA 02139).

As has been well documented, significant progress has been made with the provision of highly effective antiretroviral therapy as well as prophylactic therapy to prevent new infections from occurring. In addition, advances have been made in almost eradicating mother to child transmission as well as providing an almost equal life expectancy for those HIV-positive patients who adhere to their medications and achieve an undetectable viral load. All these advances are extraordinary. However, the social determinants of health can limit the successes of such advancements to reach the population that Dimock serves. The majority of their patients struggle daily to meet the basics of home, clothing, food, and safety on account of poverty, addiction, and systemic racism. For them, the successes of HIV treatment can be difficult to achieve. Their hierarchy of needs necessitates that the first-line focus be attainment of basic needs. Dimock can achieve this only by developing a relational trusting model between staff and patient. This takes a tremendous amount of effort, compassion, time and patience. The Boston Pediatric/Family AIDS Project focuses on building that trusting relationship allow the staff into their lives and empower them to achieve their goals.

More broadly, the Dimock Center is a national model in delivering integrated comprehensive health and human services to Boston’s underserved neighborhoods, targeting particularly the African American and Latino residents of Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain in the City of Boston and in Cambridge. These areas represent 45% of the cumulative totals of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) yet comprise only 39% of Boston’s residents. The majority of BPFAP’s patients are nonwhite: 46% are African-American and 37% are Hispanic. Women living here represent 59% of HIV female cases and 64% of AIDS female cases in Boston. Exposure categories are largely those with substance use disorders and their heterosexual partners. BPFAP reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of the target population and has in depth experience in the target area.

The network provides an array of key services for adult and pediatric populations including primary medical care, OB/Gyn services, mental health/social work counseling, family planning, eye/dental care, hepatitis services, adult/pediatric/adolescent HIV screening and specialty care, medical case management, peer advocacy and peer support groups, addiction services, pre-exposure prophylaxis services, intimate partner violence screening and counseling, transportation and child care assistance. The quality measures include but are not limited to evaluations of retention and viral load suppression rates. These among other measures gauge HIV care continuum as well as to evaluate and improve clinical effectiveness.

Thank you for your support and for helping us respond to this continuing worldwide epidemic.