In the final week before Christmas support organisation Body Positive has seen a steady stream of HIV-positive people come through its doors seeking financial help. "Our budgeting advice service has been stretched to the max," says Body Positive's General Manager Bruce Kilmister. But advice is all the support most of those in dire need have been able to receive as the organisation's last resort financial resource for help financially stressed people with HIV, the Wellness Fund, is bone dry. "I've been talking with the AIDS Foundation and they have agreed to release some of our half share of the World AIDS Day collection proceeds early into our bank account tonight which means we will hopefully be able to provide some relief in a few cases. But it won't go far" Kilmister says many HIV-positive gay and bi men only just get by on sickness benefits which he describes as "just subsistence living." For those who are not already in financial strife the reality of their situation often only becomes apparent once the Christmas break is over. He expects to see another stream of desperate men when Body Positive re-opens its doors early in the New Year. "It's very hard for them to front up and ask for this support, the ones we see have just run out of options." Donations to the Wellness Fund can be made through the link below. You can discuss this New Zealand gay community news story in the GayNZ.com Forum.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 21st December 2012 - 11:05pm