Preserve: $500,000 Nutrition Services Investment for People Living with HIV/AIDS
Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s Chicken Soup Brigade provides nutrition services to low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in King, Snohomish, Kitsap and Pierce Counties. Over the last year we served 1,445 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and other life-threatening conditions, and produced 171,141 meals and 38,481 grocery bags.
In 2007 Lifelong AIDS Alliance received $500,000 from 2007 Washington State legislature with a goal of studying the impact of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT)[1] on low-income people living with chronic illnesses, and providing healthful, disease appropriate food to individuals managing multiple diagnosis. This grant currently provides over 200 individuals in Snohomish, Kitsap, and Pierce counties with meals and/or groceries, while allowing Lifelong to monitor their health outcomes, and evaluate for potential Medicaid cost-savings of MNT services.
Unfortunately, The Governor’s proposed budget included harmful cuts to HIV/AIDS care and prevention programs – including the funding Lifelong AIDS Alliance depends on to provide food services in Snohomish, Kitsap and Pierce Counties. While the research on the impact of MNT is producing very promising results, Lifelong AIDS Alliance is concerned that individuals participating in the study may soon lose a critical lifeline. Of the 229 PLWHA whose food services are at risk, 96 live in Snohomish County, 70 reside in Pierce County, while 63 live in Kitsap County. The demand for food services among low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in these communities is far greater, with a waitlist exceeding 30, and growing by 2-3 additional individuals each week.
Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Pierce County AIDS Foundation, and Kitsap County HIV/AIDS Foundation respectively request that the Legislature preserves this critical safety net for PLWHA in our communities by reallocating the $0.5M MNT grant in Department of Health’s budget from research to direct services.
This budget change would preserve critical food services for over 200 people living with HIV/AIDS in Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap Counties, while allowing Lifelong to continue to monitor health outcomes of program participants by downsizing the study and internalizing its cost.
Preserve $500,000 for vital food services to people living with HIV/AIDS!
[1] Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is a nutrition service and procedure used to treat an illness, injury, or condition. MNT Involves an in-depth nutrition assessment of the patient or client; nutrition diagnosis; nutrition intervention, which includes diet therapy, counseling, or use of specialized nutrition supplements; and nutrition monitoring and evaluation
Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s Chicken Soup Brigade provides nutrition services to low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in King, Snohomish, Kitsap and Pierce Counties. Over the last year we served 1,445 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and other life-threatening conditions, and produced 171,141 meals and 38,481 grocery bags.
In 2007 Lifelong AIDS Alliance received $500,000 from 2007 Washington State legislature with a goal of studying the impact of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT)[1] on low-income people living with chronic illnesses, and providing healthful, disease appropriate food to individuals managing multiple diagnosis. This grant currently provides over 200 individuals in Snohomish, Kitsap, and Pierce counties with meals and/or groceries, while allowing Lifelong to monitor their health outcomes, and evaluate for potential Medicaid cost-savings of MNT services.
Unfortunately, The Governor’s proposed budget included harmful cuts to HIV/AIDS care and prevention programs – including the funding Lifelong AIDS Alliance depends on to provide food services in Snohomish, Kitsap and Pierce Counties. While the research on the impact of MNT is producing very promising results, Lifelong AIDS Alliance is concerned that individuals participating in the study may soon lose a critical lifeline. Of the 229 PLWHA whose food services are at risk, 96 live in Snohomish County, 70 reside in Pierce County, while 63 live in Kitsap County. The demand for food services among low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in these communities is far greater, with a waitlist exceeding 30, and growing by 2-3 additional individuals each week.
Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Pierce County AIDS Foundation, and Kitsap County HIV/AIDS Foundation respectively request that the Legislature preserves this critical safety net for PLWHA in our communities by reallocating the $0.5M MNT grant in Department of Health’s budget from research to direct services.
This budget change would preserve critical food services for over 200 people living with HIV/AIDS in Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap Counties, while allowing Lifelong to continue to monitor health outcomes of program participants by downsizing the study and internalizing its cost.
Preserve $500,000 for vital food services to people living with HIV/AIDS!
[1] Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is a nutrition service and procedure used to treat an illness, injury, or condition. MNT Involves an in-depth nutrition assessment of the patient or client; nutrition diagnosis; nutrition intervention, which includes diet therapy, counseling, or use of specialized nutrition supplements; and nutrition monitoring and evaluation
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