A Brief History of AIN and the Work We Do

About AIDS Interfaith Network

A Brief History of Our Organization and the Work We Do

AIDS Interfaith Network was created in 1986 by a group of clergy and pastoral and lay counselors who were providing spiritual and emotional support services to persons living with HIV/AIDS. These same individuals were attempting to educate clergy, churches, and their congregations about HIV/AIDS in an effort to promote a more compassionate response to those who were struggling with the disease. Rapidly, AIN began to see that clients needed practical support as well as spiritual support, and began recruiting and training volunteers from local churches, synagogues, and other faith organizations to provide in-home, non-nursing support such as, laundry, cooking, cleaning, and other light housework.

These efforts resulted in the creation of the Care Team Program, which has now received awards for outstanding volunteer work from two sitting U.S. Presidents and is the centerpiece of our volunteer services. Pastoral Care Services and Volunteer Support have been integral parts of the history, mission, and purpose of AIN.

Recognizing the changing face of persons with HIV/AIDS, in 1991, AIN expanded efforts to outreach traditionally underserved populations who were now being affected and infected with HIV. Two minority access programs -- the African American Health Coalition and Manos Unidas -- were created to provide specific Outreach, Advocacy services, and HIV Education to these population groups. These programs link clients to our services and to support services throughout the continuum. Understanding the need for culturally competent community-based services, AIN developed multicultural staff to better meet these needs. In 1995, we began providing a Spanish language interpreter/translator program: Interpretation serves clients who only speak Spanish, and assists other organizations with this service.

Upon learning of the possible closing of Oak Lawn Community Services in 1999, AIN worked with Dallas County Health and Human Services and other agencies to absorb 7 former programs of OLCS. Two Volunteer programs were combined with the AIN Volunteer Program to create a continuum of volunteer services and opportunities. Advocacy Services joined the AIN Client Advocacy program and also became our client intake/casework/enrollment component. Two Transportation programs, the Daire Center adult day center program, and the Meals Program also became part of AIN at this time. These programs were logical extensions of the mission and purpose of AIN and helped create a continuum of practical, emotional, and spiritual support programs for clients. With the addition of these programs, AIN became one of the largest HIV/AIDS service providers in Dallas at that time.

In the current day AIN continues to provide ten different client service and HIV/AIDS prevention programs. The purpose of AIN is to serve with compassion those who have HIV/AIDS and to work to prevent the further spread of HIV and it underscores our mission: AIN is a multicultural, faith-based, nonprofit HIV/AIDS service organization that provides direct care services to meet practical, emotional, and spiritual needs of persons with HIV/AIDS and prevention programs for individuals, groups, and communities.

We have been providing a combination of prevention and care programs for 25 years. Currently we serve 2,000 individual men, women, children and youth who have HIV/AIDS, and make over 20,000 contacts with other at-risk individuals in targeted communities. The Core Values of AIN are Service, Respect, Inclusion, Collaboration, and Compassion. Our Vision is to offer HOPE and ultimately to HELP create a world without HIV/AIDS.

AIDS Interfaith Network
501 N. Stemmons Fwy., Suite 200
Dallas, TX 75207
214.943.4444

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