Inside AIDS Response Effort: HIV Services, LGBTQ+ R.I.S.E. Center & Harm Reduction in Winchester VA
The SpectrumShow Notes
This video is an in-depth **interview and community profile** of the **AIDS Response Effort (ARE)** and the **LGBTQ+ R.I.S.E. Center** in **Winchester, Virginia**, documenting their HIV services, harm reduction programs, and local support resources.
Executive Director Katie Vance and Co-Director Matt Buracker explain ARE’s 35-year mission to support people living with HIV, provide free HIV and STI testing, offer medical and non-medical case management, and operate essential community programs such as a harm reduction initiative, food pantry, LGBTQ+ library, and a gender-affirming clothing closet.
The episode also covers current funding challenges, the importance of inclusive community spaces, and practical ways the public can help sustain ARE’s work through donations, volunteering, and advocacy.
👉 Learn more: [https://aidsresponseeffort.org](https://aidsresponseeffort.org) 👉 Donate: [https://aidsresponseeffort.charityproud.org/Donate/?cid=25863](https://aidsresponseeffort.charityproud.org/Donate/?cid=25863) 👉 Volunteer or get involved: [https://aidsresponseeffort.org/get-involved/](https://aidsresponseeffort.org/get-involved/)
If you found this profile valuable, please like, subscribe, and share to help others discover the work of ARE and the R.I.S.E. Center.
00:00 — Inside an LGBTQ Community Center in Virginia 00:39 — What the AIDS Response Effort (ARE) Actually Does 01:24 — Medical Support Services for People Living With HIV 02:21 — What Happens When Someone Comes Here for Help? 04:01 — Why an HIV Organization Created an LGBTQ Center 05:05 — How the Organization Began During the AIDS Crisis 05:41 — Is There Really an LGBTQ Community in the Shenandoah Valley? 06:38 — The Region This Center Serves 07:14 — What Happens Inside the R.I.S.E. Center 07:56 — The LGBTQ Library Hidden Inside an Old Bank Vault 08:18 — How the Center Supports LGBTQ People During a Difficult Year 09:47 — The Biggest Threat Facing the Organization: Funding Cuts 11:32 — Why HIV Program Funding Is Being Cut Across Virginia 12:08 — How You Can Support the ARE and the R.I.S.E. Center 14:08 — A Program Most People Don’t Know About: Harm Reduction 15:54 — Final Thoughts and How to Get Involved
Transcript: https://spectrumpodcast.org/2025/11/11/are-the-r-i-s-e-center/
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