Bruce House is saddened to hear of the upcoming closure of the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT).
The local “AIDS Committees” were the original vanguard of community response to the AIDS crisis. Created in equal parts to support the sick and dying, advocate for support and education in a time of rampant homophobia and societal scorn towards sexually transmitted infections. ACT and its contemporaries served pivotal roles not only in HIV but also in queer rights and in fostering more compassionate communities.
This work continues.
Bruce House has seen a doubling in service users since 2019. While newcomers account for much of this increase we cannot discount the rise in new HIV transmissions nor the growing population of people aging with HIV who may need our services now or in the near future. Clients’ needs are increasingly complex and often requiring long-term support. This is exacerbated by the increasing gaps in medical care, housing, and other support services. ASO’s are called upon to do more than ever before.
Bruce House is financially stable with an appropriate reserve fund for emergencies; however, our ability to deliver programs continues to be challenged by increasing need for our services. While we have seen some growth in fundraising over recent years, that growth does not replace sustained funding. Increasingly, fundraising requires more work and reaching a larger number of individuals to make modest gains in proceeds.
We are fortunate to have strong community support with outstanding third-party events produced by community members. Without these Bruce House would be challenged to maintain the current level of fundraising and community awareness. We do not have the staff capacity to meet fundraising goals without external support.
We give our thanks to our ACT colleagues past and present for their dedication and ground-breaking advocacy and community service. We also wish to recognize the impact this will have on current ACT staff, who face the professional challenges of this transition while also preparing for the personal impacts as they face loss of employment.
In solidarity with all those living with HIV and their allies,
Bruce House