Amida Care Partners with Coalition for the Homeless to Bring Supplies to New Yorkers in Need

With winter around the corner, on September 28 Amida Care donated hundreds of gloves, fleece hats, water bottles, canvas bags, antibacterial wipes, and other items to the Coalition for the Homeless, the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping the homeless.

“As the weather turns colder, the homeless men, women and children we serve desperately need hats and gloves to make it through the winter. These and the other essential items that Amida Care has so generously donated will be put to immediate use by vulnerable New Yorkers, and will truly show them that someone cares,” said Tim Campbell, Deputy Executive Director for Programs of Coalition for the Homeless. “The Coalition for the Homeless wishes to thank Amida Care for your compassion on behalf our homeless neighbors.”

Amida Care was established as a nonprofit Special Needs health Plan (SNP) in 2003 by several New York City community health organizations that recognized the importance of providing a coordinated model of care to people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2014, people experiencing homelessness, regardless of HIV status, became eligible to enroll in SNPs, which are specifically designed to engage vulnerable individuals in care and provide integrated social support services. There are over 60,000 homeless people living in New York City. Amida Care made a similar donation to the Coalition for the Homeless last year, donating hundreds of gloves, hats, ear warmers, and other items.

“Amida Care is proud to partner with the Coalition for the Homeless,” said Douglas Berman, Senior Policy Advisor for Special Populations of Amida Care. “A staggering 9% of people living with HIV who are in medical care are homeless. Amida Care thanks the Coalition for the Homeless for its vital work to help thousands of homeless New Yorkers every day.”

Once SNPs became available to people experiencing homelessness, Amida Care began to develop a program to reach this vulnerable population. Homelessness and housing instability are one of the most significant barriers to accessing health care. Amida Care’s Homeless Outreach, Management and Empowerment (HOME) program assists members who are homeless or at risk of homelessness by connecting them to specially skilled health care providers and offering assistance to help them reenter their community.