Casey, Brady Announce HIV Prevention Grant

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and Congressman Bob Brady (D-PA) announced a $1.5 million Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant to benefit Philadelphia FIGHT’s Youth Health Empowerment Project (Y-HEP). The organization’s group works with young people to help reduce HIV infection rates through community outreach and awareness campaigns.

“This grant will help Philadelphia FIGHT continue its valuable work to reduce the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among vulnerable communities in Philadelphia,” says Casey, who along with Brady, both wrote letters of support to urge the CDC to approve this grant to the local AIDS organization.

Mark Seaman of Philadelphia FIGHT says that the funding will be used to implement the “I AM” project, an initiative created by the Y-HEP staff and participants to help peers reduce the risk of HIV transmission. The project includes social media outreach, the creation of a culturally and age-appropriate safe space and the inclusion of the target population in the project’s ongoing content and development.

“I fully support the work of Philadelphia Fight,” says Brady. “And, I applaud the organization for developing the ‘I AM’ project that is designed to get out a message that will help save the lives of high risk teens and young men of color. This is important work.”