Mission
CARES is a not-for-profit agency founded in 1990. CARES' mission is to work in partnership with persons living with HIV/AIDS and other disabilities, serving as the catalyst for improving the unmet needs as well as create and coordinate the quality of life in local communities. It does so by helping communities assess unmet needs as well as create and coordinate the resources necessary to address these needs.
CARES' role in the greater community is to serve as a catalyst for:
- Facilitating the creation of partnerships between organizations and individuals,
- Identifying areas of unmet needs
- Developing community resources to meet these needs
- Promoting a coordinated community response
- Providing support and technical assistance to other providers
History
The Corporation for AIDS Research, Education and Services was founded in 1990 in response to many requests from persons living with HIV/AIDS for assistance in accessing housing and local services.
From 1990 to 1993, the agency assisted the State of New York and upstate providers in creating AIDS housing programs.
In 1994, CARES received its first grant from the State of New York to assist it in administering the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program. CARES began working with the Albany Housing Authority in developing and implementing a Shelter Plus Care rental assistance program. CARES also began the development of the Community AIDS Partnership of the Capital Region under the auspices of the Community Foundation for the Capital Region.
In 1997, the agency coordinated the first AIDSWalk. In that same year, CARES formed the New York State AIDS Housing Network, and worked closely with agencies in Albany to submit a successfully-funded application for Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance to HUD.
In 1998, funding was acquired for a second Shelter Plus Care Program. CARES provided a substantial amount of technical assistance to the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP), assisting in implementation of service programs at newly constructed AIDS housing sites.
In 1999, CARES expanded its work on the HUD Continuum of Care, completing an application for the City of Troy as well as Albany County.
In 2000, CARES amended its mission statement to provide services to a wider range of homeless/impoverished/disenfranchised populations. In this capacity, CARES wrote a portion of the New York State five-year plan to address the needs of homeless and special needs populations, completed a manual describing the application process for Continuum of Care funding, and obtained funding for a third Shelter Plus Care Program. The Community AIDS Partnership crossed a major threshold, having distributed a cumulative total of more than $1 million.
In 2001, the agency assumed property management responsibilities for the AIDS housing program previously owned by Capitol Hill Improvement Corporation. CARES also received funding from the Albany Housing Authority to administer a HOPWA program for the Capital Region that previously was funded through the State. CARES expanded its work with local homeless coalitions to Schenectady County, where it assumed staffing coordination duties and wrote the Continuum of Care application for Schenectady County.
In 2002, CARES received a grant from The Community Foundation for the Capital Region to coordinate homeless services in the Capital Region. During the year, CARES also assumed direct responsibility for convening the Community AIDS Partnership of the Capital Region, assuming the role previously played by the Community Foundation of the Capital Region.
In 2003, CARES worked with homeless service providers in Albany County to designate November as Homelessness Awareness Month to bring attention and awareness to the issue of homelessness. CARES also worked with homeless service providers in Saratoga County to submit a Continuum of Care application for Saratoga County.
In 2004, CARES implemented a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to identify and track homeless individuals and families in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady Counties.
In 2005, CARES worked with community leaders throughout Albany County to develop the Albany County Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. CARES began work with homeless service providers in Warren and Washington Counties and expanded the Saratoga Continuum of Care to include these northern communities.
In 2006, CARES secured funding through the National AIDS Fund to provide housing placement assistance for persons living with HIV/AIDS for a seventeen county region through the Northeastern New York Ryan White HIV CARE Network. The AIDSWalk celebrated its 10th anniversary. The Rensselaer County Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness was released through the coordination efforts of CARES. The HMIS was expanded to include Columbia, Greene, Jefferson, Hamilton, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Warren and Washington counties.
In 2007, CARES began to provide technical assistance and program monitoring for HUD-funded Shelter Plus Care programs administered through the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). CARES also coordinated the development of the Schenectady County Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.
In 2008, CARES was selected to serve as the lead agency for the Ryan White HIV Care Network of Northeastern New York under the direction of the New York State AIDS Institute.
In 2009, CARES coordinated the development of the Dutchess County Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.