By Scott Anderson
he Philadelphia Center has worked for 33 years to build a better future for those in northwest Louisiana living with HIV and AIDS. As the nonprofit center moves ahead with testing, education, and treatment services, it continues to battle in other arenas. “There’s still a lot of stigma around HIV and AIDS,” Hershey Krippendorf, development director for the Philadelphia Center, said. “So much stigma that people are not wanting to get tested.”
The Philadelphia Center opened in 1990 as concerned citizens responded to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. It has become the state’s HIV/AIDS resource center for Region 7, which serves Caddo, Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, Bienville, Red River, DeSoto, Sabine, and Natchitoches parishes.
“We’ve had lots of victories since then,” Krippendorf said. “Nowadays, the anti-viral medication that is out there is allowing people to live longer lives. HIV is considered a chronic disease now and not something people die from. A lot of our folks who are passing on are passing on from old age or co-infections.” A Louisiana Department of Health quarterly report showed 2,159 people in the region living with HIV, including 115 new cases reported in 2021.
The Philadelphia Center offers a variety of services free to the community, including case management, transportation, food vouchers, housing/utility assistance, support groups, and substance and mental health counseling.
The center also operates Mercy Center, a 24-hour supportive housing program for previously homeless people living with HIV/AIDS. It provides a place where people living with HIV and AIDS can live as productive and active lives as possible.
Medical services, including confidential testing for HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis, are also available. Test results are available in 20 minutes, and no appointments are necessary.
The PrEP Clinic offers a daily preventive medication that significantly reduces the risk of HIV transmission. The syringe service program provides access to sterile syringes and other injection equipment, as well as safe disposal options.
To support its mission, The Philadelphia Center hosts an annual art auction fundraiser. This year’s event, themed “One Night Only: The Philadelphia Center on Broadway,” will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. on Aug. 19 at Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino in downtown Shreveport. The main attraction is the live and silent auction. Auction items include artwork from local artists and gift baskets donated by local businesses.
Tickets for the auction are $35 before July 31 and $75 after. The auction also will accept bids by text. The goal for this year’s event is $75,000: “This fundraiser supports our mission to empower those living with HIV, eliminate new transmission, and enhance wellness,” Krippendorf said.
The Philadelphia Center purchased a new building on Creswell Avenue about a year ago. Funds from this year’s auction also will support the renovation and construction of an HIV clinic, Krippendorf said.
