Caring Communities

For over 30 years, Caring Communities, has been dedicated to care, wellness, and support in the response of the HIV and AIDS crisis in North Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania. We pride ourselves on our outstanding reputation for offering a safe, inclusive environment for all people, regardless of race, gender, or any status otherwise. Beginning in 1994, our agency has grown to serve 13 counties and provide a wide range of social and healthcare services including:

• Medical case management for people living with HIV, including emergency financial assistance that helps with medical costs, transportation, food insecurity, housing, and utilities.
• HIV and STI screening, testing, treatment, and risk-reduction counseling
• Expert HIV medical care at our Health and Wellness centers
• PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) options for those at high-risk of acquiring HIV
• Sexual and reproductive health services, including contraceptives
• Mobile HIV and STI testing services at partnering venues
• Free condoms at our offices and community partner locations

In 2024, we assisted 252 individuals living with HIV and had over 2400 individuals visit our Health and Wellness centers. This could not have been accomplished without our devoted and caring staff, dedicated grant funders, and the generosity of community members who donate to our cause during events like Raise the Region and other fundraisers.

Community donations are especially important, as they help us fill gaps in our grant funding, allowing us to offer help beyond the boundaries of grant eligible services. Just a few ways donations have helped in our mission of connecting through care, wellness, and support:

• Cover laboratory or medication costs for uninsured individuals, so they owe nothing
• Supply clients with basic cooking utensils/tools and microwaveable dishes (because a can of food from our food pantry can’t help if the individual doesn’t have a can opener or a microwave safe dish)
• Provide clothing and footwear for clients requiring specific items to start new jobs or receive job training
• Continue to invest in new rapid testing technologies for HIV and STIs to lower the wait time for test results and link patients to treatment faster
• Purchase specialty condoms to make people excited about using condoms and prevent new HIV and STI infections
• Coordinate social events for our case managed clients to help them find peer support and overcome feelings of isolation and stigma that often accompany an HIV diagnosis

When you donate to Caring Communities you can be assured that donation is going directly to helping patients and clients, as we never use donated funds to cover staff salaries, rent, or other operating costs.

Help us achieve our vision of creating healthier communities for all. Thank you for supporting Caring Communities.

To learn more about us, please visit www.caringpa.org

Who We Are

Caring Communities For AIDS is a non-profit, community-based AIDS Service Organization (ASO) located in Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Bloomsburg, and Towanda, Pennsylvania. We are here to help give you peace of mind and support by providing testing and prevention services. We offer free and confidential HIV/STD testing and Case Management services for those who are living with HIV/AIDS. 
Caring Communities serves 13 counties throughout Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania.