Sunday, October 14, was a delightful day for the 5,100 people who attended the annual AIDS Walk Austin, which supports HIV/AIDS work by 18 varied organizations in Austin and Central Texas. However, the money raised fell dramatically short of what is needed — less than half last year’s total. It’s a widespread phenomenon that is affecting services across the country this fall, a critical fundraising period for many charities.
The nation’s attention — and heartfelt generosity — understandably have been focused elsewhere for the last month, but the daily crises and suffering of our own local folks has not gone away. The capacity of Austin’s charities to meet the community’s myriad needs is greatly impaired, as the economy crimps donations from some and as New York seems more urgent to others.
It’s never too late to give! Just because the Walk itself is over, the contribution box isn’t closed. And if you made a pledge that you haven’t paid yet, be sure to turn it in! We hope that Austin will dig a little deeper and provide the resources that enable our local organizations to do their critical work in every field, including AIDS.
This article appears in gas mask.