SUNBURST PROJECTS CLIENTS HIT HARD BY COVID-19 CRISIS
Sunburst Project’s new Executive Director Jacob Bradley-Rowe says COVID-19 has hit his clients particularly hard. “We have been inundated with calls for help,” Bradley-Rowe said. “Our clients are hurting. They can’t afford to feed their families, buy diapers and formula for their babies, or pay their rent and utility bills” he said. “Our clients are immunocompromised and face unique challenges during a pandemic. Some are sick with COVID-19,” he added.
Sunburst Project’s clients live below the poverty line and have lost income and jobs due to the pandemic. “We need help building our Emergency Assistance Fund so we can provide immediate aid to our clients who are in financial crisis. Whether it’s paying for childcare so our HIV positive mothers can see their doctor, giving food vouchers to clients who are hungry, or providing transportation to pharmacies for life-saving medications, our Emergency Assistance Fund is vital to our work in the community,” Bradley-Rowe said. “From the calls we’re receiving, we need to raise $20,000 as quickly as possible. Some of our clients are in dire circumstances and this fund allows our social workers to help in ways that are very impactful. Every donation helps, no matter how small, and can be made through our website at www.sunburstprojects.org. Between now and August 17, 2020 all donations will be matched up to $12,000 due to a generous matching challenge gift from the Loveall Foundation for Children and an anonymous donor,” he added.
Bradley-Rowe joins Sunburst Projects after 18 years in the non-profit arena; working with several non-profits in the Sacramento area including Donate Life California, Capital City AIDS Fund and the Friends of the California State Fair. He has spent the last 15 years on various non-profit boards such as The Imperial Court of Sacramento, the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center, and NorCal AIDS Cycle. Bradley-Rowe and his alter ego, drag queen Precious Cargo, are well-known in philanthropic circles and have been active in the LGBT and HIV community for many years. “Sunburst Projects has touched my heart for quite some time. I was a member of the first Team Sunburst to ride the NorCal AIDS ride. Hearing the stories of how the organization provided such crucial support to those in need left a lasting impression on me. It’s an honor for me to step into this leadership role for an organization I have admired for so many years,” Bradley-Rowe said.
Bradley-Rowe has also begun work on expanding Sunburst Project’s mental health services. “We will be launching our new mental health clinic in late fall, 2020. We are increasing our office space, hiring new mental health clinicians and social workers, and working with community organizations on a new HIV testing program at our facility,” Bradley-Rowe explained. “I am excited to work to meet the challenges of the next decade in the HIV/AIDS community. Our goal is and always will be no new HIV transmissions and supporting those living with this disease,” he added.
