Diana Ross kicks off World AIDS Day in Dallas — and ways you can help affected populations

Friday night in Deep Ellum, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will present a party with a purpose. If you haven’t RSVP’d already, chances are you won’t get to see Diana Ross perform at the free Bomb Factory concert. But there are still plenty of things you can do for people in Dallas-Fort Worth impacted by AIDS.

Sunday, December 1, is World AIDS Day. The internationally recognized day is dedicated to raising awareness of the disease caused by HIV infection and remembering those who have died from it. The Dallas concert, which also features R&B singer KeKe Wyatt and singer/actress Teyana Taylor, is part of a series of concerts, marches, rallies, and more to be hosted by AHF. Three other high-profile concerts will take place in the days that follow, in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Miami. None of those, however, will feature the legendary lead singer of The Supremes.

Imara Canady, national director of communications and community engagement, says Dallas was the right place for a big show because there’s still a lot of work to do to educate people about the prevention of HIV/AIDS in the area. According the the latest information available from AIDSVu, a data library presented by Emory University, in 2017 there were approximately 16,528 people living with HIV in Dallas. The vast majority of those were black and Hispanic men.

Innovative prevention education, especially in communities of color, is key to drawing that number down, Canady says. The effort is nonstop, but until there is an end to HIV and AIDS, here are three local organizations that need help caring for those already impacted.

Access & Information Network: works to prevent the spread of HIV and serves people living with HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable populations. Matches volunteers with their interests in areas such as meal prep, data entry, custodial work, and special events.

AIDS Outreach Center: the largest nonprofit AIDS service organization in Tarrant County. It is always looking for people to help clients get groceries through the food pantry at the Sandy Lanier Nutrition Center in Fort Worth.

AIDS Services of Dallas: provides housing and support services for low-income and homeless individuals and families living with or impacted by HIV/AIDS. It hosts a supper club every night and has a constant need for grooming products.