Our Texas Health Impact Cohort is designed for grassroots organizations currently leading work and developing innovative work focused on two key areas: 1) Linkage and Engagement to Care and 2) Advocacy for People Living with HIV/AIDS, those vulnerable to HIV, and their families, particularly focusing on Black and Latinx transgender individuals and Black and Latinx MSM. With the largest funding commitment TPIF has received to date from ViiV Healthcare, we participate as one of thirteen AMP Grant Program Leads. TPIF is a proud member of ViiV Healthcare's nationwide cohort working to disrupt disparities and prioritize the needs of people living with and impacted by HIV. Through a generous Racial Equity Fund grant in 2022 from The Dallas Foundation, we have been funded to increase the number of Dallas County organizations participating in our inaugural Texas Health Impact Grant program.

Click on the organization's logo for an overview of each of their programs.

Texas Health Impact Cohort

Elevate North Texas is allocating resources toward the outreach portion of their Hotel Voucher Emergency Shelter Program for unsheltered young adults who are vulnerable to HIV. Increasing their outreach for the shelter program, they will reach a greater number of at-risk youths in order to provide linkage to care.

Hardheaded Foundation's C.A.M.P.B (Cultivating, Amplifying, Mobilizing and Protecting Ballroom) HIV Impact Initiative is a Program of The Hardheaded Foundation that enables homegrown strategies developed and supported by the “House and Ballroom Community” (HBC) priority population to inform the more equitable distribution of education, testing, network building, linkage/relinkage to HIV care, and support services for members of the House/Ballroom, Transgender and Gender Non-conforming communities of color in Texas who are living with or vulnerable to HIV.

Village Unlimited's Project E.P.I.C. addresses social isolation through community conversations virtually and in-person to address HIV Stigma and loneliness. Project E.P.I.C is modeled after Peer Health Navigation Services provided to the African American community as a part a Stigma Reduction Campaign.

The Velvet Arts Project is addressing social and structural barriers and encouraging safe and supportive communities to help improve health outcomes for communities of color by providing HIV Awareness, mental wellness, and suicide prevention to communities of color with emphasis in LGBTQIA+ persons and women by curating safer spaces where we elevate our issues, our culture, our excellence, and our joy.

The Borderland Rainbow Center provides a safe space, education and networking among providers and our community members at highest risk to HIV.

Eagle Pass SAFE has expanded services in the following areas: linkage to HIV care, linkage to mental health and support services, as well as our stigma reduction campaigns.

AIDS Walk South Dallas provides educational seminars, motivational speakers, and workshop sessions on various topics from HIV and Mental Health, Viral Suppression, Medication Adherence, New Medication Options, Disclosure, Stigma, HIV Criminalization, Life After Diagnosis and so much more. They create space that provides an opportunity to build skills and leadership, share experiences, mentor new leaders and support veteran leaders.

Living Positive San Antonio operates a program to help alleviate transportation barriers to and from support groups, meetings, and medical appointments. LPSA also provides hot meals for members who attends support group meetings, and sanitation kits for members currently experiencing homelessness.

Montrose Grace Place facilitates a collective of youth called Youth Voices Empowered which advocates for increased access to housing and other systems change for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness through art, training, speaking opportunities, and community-building techniques to advocate for change. They take creative expression and create an artistic project to share with the community that focuses on experiences of People Living With HIV/AIDS and those vulnerable to HIV including youth who do sex work and those who use IV drugs. Their project focuses on reducing stigma, which increases access to testing and care, and strengthening support networks among LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness.

allgo operates The Woodard Circle, a program for PLWH in the Austin area which builds community and connection by holding space for members of the allgo community living with HIV. 

The Normal Anomaly Initiative reduces barriers to care through transportation, employment, and braver spaces. 

San Antonio Fighting Back battles the stigma surrounding HIV and PLWHA through education and testing through their campaign, Project HOPE (Healthy Outcomes for Prevention and Education). The campaign includes HIV testing and education, and Substance Abuse prevention. The purpose of Project HOPE is to reduce substance abuse and risky sexual behaviors among our youth and young adults by providing information on how drug and alcohol abuse can lead to infectious diseases and other health-related concerns.

Our Cohort's Footprint

Year two of our cohort consists of twelve outstanding organizations from across our state. This life saving program is made possible through our Texas Health Impact Grant, generously supported by ViiV Healthcare and The Dallas Foundation. Our mission is clear: to make a tangible impact on Black, brown, and indigenous communities either living with or vulnerable to HIV.

In our inaugural year, our cohort's collective efforts touched the lives of nearly 18,000 individuals. Notably, 59% of those served identified as Black/African American, while 40% identified as Latinx. This underscores our commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by these communities.

What excites us most is the innovative spirit driving our cohort's initiatives? They are pioneering novel approaches to combatting HIV, recognizing that true progress demands multifaceted solutions.

Together, we're not just fighting a disease; we're working towards ending an epidemic. Stay tuned as we continue to support and amplify the groundbreaking work of our cohort, driving meaningful change across Texas and beyond.