Our mission is to prevent women from acquiring HIV by providing them with prevention, education, and opportunities which increase their prospects for becoming more actively engaged in preserving their physical, emotional, spiritual health.
To provide prevention and education workshops, street outreach, and support groups, in addition to counseling and case management.
To empower marginalized women and increase their self-worth.
To provide women with the information, support and linkages they need in order to overcome barriers and transform their lives.
The organizations activities, include street outreach, workshops, support groups, case management, individual counseling, referrals, HIV counseling & testing. These activities focus on increasing self-esteem and feelings of self-worth in women whose lives have often been written off by both society and themselves. This sense of worthiness translates into feelings of power and self-determination resulting in women being receptive to information, support and connections to overcome their many challenges and transform their lives.
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The Women of Color AIDS Council, Inc. (WCAC) is a nonprofit 501c (3) founded in 1992 by a group of devoted community women, five of which were HIV positive. These women came together to address the problems and failures of HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs, as well as the inability of health care and social services to provide an appropriate level of care to HIV+ women of color. Over the years, the organization's services have grown to address the needs of community women, including peer advocacy, individual counseling, and facilitated access to outside resources and information.
WCAC is the only peer-led, peer-driven organization specific to women of color in Boston. The agency's prevention and education services are specifically designed to serve African American and Latina women; however, we embrace all women, including but not limited to: 1) commercial sex workers; 2) former and current welfare recipients; 3) incarcerated women; 4) HIV-infected women and those at high risk for HIV; and 5) substance abusing women. Central to all of WCAC's services are key components, which endeavor to halt the dual epidemics of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS, and successfully provide women of color with skills, information and support they need to take the steps necessary to attain self-sufficiency.
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