transheadlinesGrant Received by Mazzoni Comes from Philly AIDS Thrift and will Launch a new Program that Supports Trans Women of Color Living with HIV
PHILADELPHIA—Mazzoni Center is pleased to announce it has received a grant of $15,000 from Philly AIDS Thrift to launch the L.I.F.E. (Living in Fullness Everyday) Academy, a new program designed specifically for trans women of color living with HIV. L.I.F.E. Academy will build upon the existing infrastructure of Mazzoni Center’s OUR Way program which focuses on improving the social determinants of health that impact trans women of color.
“I’m happy this Philly AIDS Thrift grant will allow us to provide support to BIPOC Trans women living with HIV to empower them, and ensure that they know their lives, experiences, and voices matter to us as a community, to Mazzoni Center, and to Philly AIDS Thrift,” said Tatyana Woodward, Mazzoni Center Community Affairs Manager, who will be overseeing program delivery.
Members of the inaugural cohort will meet each month for a total of six months and will complete a variety of skill-building workshops such as GED & College Prep, Job Readiness, Self-Care and Self-Empowerment, Coalition Building & Community Organizing. The program is structured to enhance the ongoing development of Trans women with the ultimate goal of independence, productivity, and self-advocacy. Sessions will culminate with a graduation ceremony and celebration.
“Mazzoni Center has a longstanding history of eliminating barriers to care and providing necessary services to marginalized and at-risk populations living in the greater Philadelphia area,” said Chelsea Switzer, Mazzoni Center Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer. “We are grateful to Philly AIDS Thrift and its Board of Directors for their support of innovative programs like LIFE Academy and for their longstanding commitment to the health and well-being of people living with HIV.”
For more information on the L.I.F.E. Academy, contact Tatyana Woodard at twoodard@mazzonicnter.org
About Mazzoni Center
Mazzoni Center is the oldest HIV/AIDS service organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a recognized leader in providing comprehensive, community-based healthcare to LGBTQ communities, with an intentional focus on most at-risk populations (men of color who have sex with men, trans women of color, and other communities of color).