Relieving HIV and opioid addiction fuels nonprofit

A nonprofit organization tasked with preventing HIV and supporting individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS has extended its nearly statewide reach over the years.

Since 1985, the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association – known as “Four As” – has grown into the state’s leading HIV/AIDS support and advocacy agency. As the face of AIDS has changed, the group has grown to meet the constantly changing needs of clients, while remaining focused on improving the quality of life for those affected by the disease.

Today, Four As services can be accessed by 91 percent of the state, including from an office in the Mat-Su that opened three years ago with the help of a $455,882 grant from the Mat-Su Health Foundation. A more recent Health Foundation grant for $200,000 will help fund the continued operation of the local office and its efforts to meet the demand for services that exists here in the Valley.

Robin Lutz, Four As executive director, said the benefits of that funding extend beyond individuals to the community as a whole.

“Mat-Su Health Foundation has been a tremendous support to public health in the Valley,” she said. “Without their support, we would not have the resources to do this work.”

This kind of investment in the community is nothing new for Health Foundation. Since its inception in 2007, when it became part owner of the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, the Mat-Su Health Foundation has returned more than $138 million of its share of hospital profits to the community through scholarships, sponsorships, and grants to nonprofits across the Valley.

The nationwide epidemic of opioid addiction and overdose has extended the Four As mission. In addition to providing support and referrals to treatment and recovery services, the organization also collects and disposes of used syringes. It distributes the life-saving Narcan – a treatment designed to rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid emergency – directly to individuals most at-risk for overdose.

“The work we do in the Valley through harm reduction services is a proven public health model that reduces the transmission rates of HIV and Hepatits C in the community,” Lutz said. “It also provides a safe and affirming space for people to access services, often including referrals to treatment and/or recovery services.”

Prior to the Wasilla office opening in 2022, that work was done through Four As’ mobile van. The opioid addiction crisis heightened the need for a more permanent, readily available solution. Since that time, the group has served hundreds of Valley residents and their families and has become the largest distributor of Narcan in the Mat-Su.

“Our program is special because we offer a judgement-free environment for people who use drugs to access services, improve their health, and prevent overdose,” she said. “We see ourselves as a vital part of the solution to the opioid epidemic and integral to the Valley's efforts to keep residents not just alive, but healthy and thriving.”