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40 years ago, a group of volunteers, led by Kerry Stoner, banded together to support people with HIV and AIDS. This group founded the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, which later became Allies for Health + Wellbeing.
The Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force served several functions. The first was to provide emotional support for people living with HIV and AIDS. This included helping people find housing, providing companionship, going to the grocery store, and more. Additionally, they provided legal services. If someone lost their job because of their condition or needed help getting on disability, the task force provided them with legal care. The third function they served was putting out accurate information related to the disease into the community.
“That was our founding group who worked on that,” Mary Bockovich, CEO of Allies for Health + Wellbeing, says. “They were all volunteers until 1989. Kerry Stoner was our first executive director.”
Bockovich explains that funding opened up in 1990 after the Ryan White CARE Act was passed, which opened more doors for the task force to provide even more services.
“In 1992, Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force obtained what is known as Ryan White Part B funding, which is supportive services for people living with HIV, but it also provided housing, support, and all kinds of specialized care,” she says.
In 2025, Allies for Health + Wellness is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit still providing crucial services to people living with HIV and AIDS and is celebrating 40 years doing so. Their mission is “To improve health and wellbeing, provide integrated medical care, supportive human services, and community-based education for individuals living with, or at risk of, HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections.”
Allies provides services such as legal assistance, counseling, testing for HIV, STIs, and Hepatitis C, transportation assistance to and from medical appointments, housing programs, a food pantry, and more.
“We have what’s called an emergency financial assistance line where folks can get help with utilities or rent if they’re in threat of being evicted,” Bockovich says.
The nonprofit has had a huge impact on the community. Bockovich shares that what she’s heard frequently from people is that Allies provides a place where people don’t feel shame, and where having HIV isn’t a source of embarrassment, fear, or stigma.
The organization has also expanded beyond solely HIV care. They also have a clinic that provides primary care, PrEP, gender-affirming care, routine gynecological care, HIV specialty care, and STI testing and treatment.
“It’s a broad-based clinic that’s open to all individuals regardless of their insurance, or lack thereof,” Bockovich says.
They also, in the last year, have added an in-house pharmacy. While they have offered a mail-order pharmacy since 2007, now it is in the same building, so patients can pick up their prescriptions right in the same building after seeing a doctor.
While celebrating their birthday, Allies held their annual event on Friday, April 11, where they presented the Kerry Stoner award and recognized their cohort of Bright Young People.
The event, which served as an anniversary celebration and birthday party, was held at the Roxian Theater in McKees Rocks. The celebration took the place of the annual Allies Ball. The theme was “party like it’s 1985,” modeled after a New York City nightclub of the 80s called Danceteria. The club was frequented by stars like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Idol, and more.
This year’s Kerry Stoner award, presented each year by Allies to someone who has shown commitment to Stoner’s legacy and vision, was presented to Michael Hellman. Hellman is a longtime volunteer with PATF and Allies, who has also advocated for people living with HIV.
Additionally, 10 individuals were recognized among the “constellation of excellence” of this year’s Bright Young People. Every year, the organization recognizes “people who are making a real and tangible difference in our community and working toward a bright future, particularly in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
The people at Allies have been working hard for decades to provide the necessary care for the community.
“We have helped folks manage all the different issues that arise in their life,” Bockovich says. They have evolved according to the needs of the community.
“We’ve gone from an agency that helps people die with dignity to an agency that helps people maximize their health and quality of life in a variety of ways.”
There are several ways to give support back to Allies. If one has the capacity, financial assistance always helps, but there are also volunteer opportunities with the organization. There is hands-on volunteering with the food pantry, by helping unload and unpack their monthly delivery. There is also help to be given through community outreach and working information tables at events during Pride season.
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