CHICAGO (February 7, 2016) — AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and CALOR, formerly a division of Anixter Center, are joining forces to expand CALOR’s HIV/AIDS and STD services to the local Latino and Hispanic community. Located at 5038 W. Armitage Ave. in the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood, CALOR (Comprensión y Apoyo a Latinos en Oposición al Retrovirus) has provided assistance to Spanish-speaking people with HIV/AIDS and disabilities on Chicago’s west side for almost 25 years.
The organization will continue to operate as CALOR and plans to continue prevention, case management and substance abuse care with no anticipated disruption to patients. The hours of operation will be Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No jobs are expected to be cut as a result of the affiliation.
“As one of the leading providers of HIV/AIDS services to Chicago’s Latino community, CALOR has long been a place of hope and healing to thousands of families on the west side,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “Through this new partnership, AHF will offer resources to CALOR that will allow its management and staff to expand its operations and reach even more patients who need our help.”
In the coming months, AHF’s Latino Outreach and Understanding Division (LOUD) will also work closely with CALOR to increase awareness about CALOR’s services and link residents to medical care.
“We are excited to build upon our relationship with AHF in ways that will allow us to increase our capacity to offer care and health services to our patients,” said Omar Lopez, executive director of CALOR. “Their support will allow us to grow and continue to be a convenient resource for the families we’ve been able to assist for over twenty years.”
According to the City of Chicago’s Department of Public Health 2015 HIV/STI Surveillance Report, the most recent report, while new HIV infection diagnoses are declining overall in Chicago, Latinos still have a higher new HIV infection rate than white residents. In 2014, Hispanic residents currently represented 21.4% of AIDS diagnoses in the city. Also, since 2010, non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanics have accounted for increasing proportions of gonorrhea infections and primary and secondary syphilis cases.
In addition to its new affiliation with CALOR, AHF currently operates Chicago-area healthcare centers in Hyde Park (1515 E 52nd Pl #206) and on the South Side (2600 South Michigan Ave, Suite LL-D). The organization has also partnered with the South Side Help Center since February 2015.
For more information on AHF healthcare clinics, visit www.hivcare.org
