Alliance is here for our community during the coronavirus outbreak. You can support our work at alliance.nyc/giving.

Alliance Responds

Not unlike the HIV/AIDS crisis that dominated our early years, COVID-19 presents similar and new challenges to assume our front line position and provide help and haven to the most vulnerable New Yorkers who need a hand or require a lifeline. 

This is what we do.  This is who we are.

Our values of tenacity, flexibility, accountability, creativity, and kindness, continue to guide us as we:

• Demonstrate our kindness through weekly wellness phone calls, reaching out to Alliance’s 6,000+ clients with words of encouragement and connection to resources, sustaining relationships into the future.

• Keep our harm reduction and syringe exchange services open to ensure the health and safety of our program participants fighting HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, and by meeting people’s needs through respect, honesty, hope, and help.

• Develop new ways to distribute and deliver food pantry packages to reduce hunger and food insecurity in these difficult times.

• Continue to ensure access to medications, food, and other basic needs through one-on-one counseling, harm reduction, and support through our housing program.

Alliance Community Center Updates

Alliance offers services by appointment at all Alliance community centers:

• Alliance Midtown Central (64 W 35th Street) is open Monday - Thursday from 9:00am to 5:00pm (please note there are no onsite services on Fridays). HIV/HCV testing available by appointment and walk-in.

• CASA Washington Heights (W 161st Street between Amsterdam Avenue & Broadway) is open Monday - Thursday from 9:00am to 5:00pm (please note there are no onsite services on Fridays).

• Alliance's Keith Haring Harlem Center (315 E 104th Street) is open Monday - Thursday from 9:00am to 5:00pm (please note there are no onsite services on Fridays).

• LES Harm Reduction Center new service site at 35 E Broadway is open Monday - Saturday from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

• Pelham Grand (1870 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx) by appointment only.

• Luis & Lillian's Outreach Center (150 1st Avenue)

Phone Counseling & Referrals Available

We are here for you, offering phone counseling and referrals. Please call us at (855) 427-2692 or (212) 645-0875, x0. Leave a message, and we will call you back.

Home-Delivered Meals

• God’s Love We Deliver: (212) 294-8102 or contact your case worker for help.

• Emergency Food Hotline: (866) 888-8777 or 311 for the nearest food pantries and community kitchens.

• Alliance Food Voucher Program: contact your care coordinator/counselor to see if you are eligible.

Pharmacy Access

If you need to access your medications or pharmacy help, please call your treatment adherence specialist:

• Midtown Central call Sam at (646) 831-6789

• CASA Washington Heights call William at (646) 832-6250

• Pelham Supportive House, Bronx, call Manny at (646) 799-8685

A Statement From Alliance Executive Director/CEO

March 16, 2020

An update on Alliance Operations

(NewYork, NY)—I want to take a moment and connect with you directly as the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to impact our communities.

The well-being and safety of Alliance program participants, peer educators, staff, and colleagues is our top priority and will always be at the heart of every decision we make.

As this unfolds, we will be making adjustments to the way we work, balancing safety and service. Following guidance from the CDC and local and state officials, Alliance is taking a number of steps out of an abundance of caution:

Effective TUESDAY, MARCH 17, Alliance will be operating at limited service capacity at four Alliance community centers:

• Alliance Midtown Central (64 W 35th Street)

• CASA Washington Heights (W 161st Street between Amsterdam Avenue & Broadway)

• LES Harm Reduction Center (35 E Broadway)

• Pelham Grand (1870 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx)

(Note: Alliance's Keith Haring Harlem Center and Luis & Lillian's Outreach Center are closed from Tuesday, March 17 - until April 2020; specific details to follow)

Key staff will be onsite, serving pre-packaged meals, assisting with medication pick-up, and providing limited counseling and advocacy services to respond to urgent situations for our program participants, and respond to inquiries and questions related to the interruption in our services.

All meetings, groups, testing services, trainings, and events have been cancelled or postponed.

Our leadership and staff are conducting work remotely, have set up systems to remain in constant contact, and will continue to engage with our program participants and respond to inquiries and questions related to the reduction in our services.

Alliance has served as a lifeline to New Yorkers facing chronic health challenges for nearly 30 years. We want to make sure the people we serve are okay during this difficult period. We hope to resume full service capacity in the coming weeks, and are relying on guidance and leadership from local health officials.

While there continues to be much uncertainty as this situation evolves, I am proud of the tireless efforts of Alliance staff, Peers and Board members to be supports for each other and the people we serve.

We encourage you to check our website at www.alliance.nyc/coronavirus for updates in the coming days and weeks.

Please stay calm and safe,
Sharen I. Duke

Additional Resources:
New York State HIV/AIDS Hotline (800) 541-2437
New York State Spanish HIV/AIDS Hotline (800) 233-7432
In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1.

A Statement From Alliance Executive Director/CEO

March 11, 2020

Alliance is here for our community during the coronavirus outbreak

(NewYork, NY)—Over the last few weeks, the world's attention has turned to the Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) as the volume of confirmed, and suspected, cases has increased substantially across the globe and now in our country.

There are several dozen cases in our area, and more outside of New York City, and we are concerned about how this virus will alter our daily lives in the weeks and months ahead.

At Alliance, for nearly 30 years we have been committed to creating a safe and healthy environment for all who walk through our doors. Even as the world around us may seem uncertain, we are steadfast in our support and committed to doing all we can to support our clients, peers, volunteers, and staff.

What we’re doing
Alliance has enhanced our sanitation measures in all of our facilities, equipping them with antibacterial wipes in a number of spaces. We are sanitizing doorknobs, surfaces, and rooms in our building daily. We have reminded all to practice the strictest safety measures when dealing with food and personal hygiene, and if feeling ill, to stay home. We also have postponed our third annual Dining Out For Life New York event on April 30, which raises significant funds to support our vital food and nutrition programs. We plan to host the event sometime this summer and will make an announcement later this spring.

What you can do
Throughout our daily lives, we recommend all in our community to follow the CDC's recommendations to limit exposure to the Coronavirus:

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. You can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if no soap and water is available.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Stay home when you are sick to protect yourself, coworkers, and others with whom you come in contact. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

• Keep your immune system strong. This includes getting a flu shot to protect you from the flu, getting enough sleep, and eating well.

Working together
Since our founding days, Alliance has offered a safe, non-judgmental space to all who seek our support. Please embrace that philosophy because your actions matter. And we must treat all with respect. Together we can fight racism and xenophobia emerging from fear of the Coronavirus by showing kindness and compassion at this time.

We urge you to please take a few moments to learn the facts from valued sources. For more information, visit the World Health Organization at who.int or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.

And, as you adapt your daily lives based on this challenge, consider the challenges faced by the thousands of clients Alliance serves each year. They count on us to feel better, live better, and do better. And we are as committed as ever to create positive change in our community.