Non-Profit Organisation Awards 2024, Acquisition International | 23 there, that’s different. This allows a client to trust you enough to open up and let you guide them to care.” Operating in the nonprofit sector, there are no ulterior motives for HoT’s people. They are not driven by the prospect of a high salary or a sizeable benefits package, they are humble, imperfect, compassionate individuals who have found that their calling in life is to help others. As Sequan tells us, “we are fiercely passionate about being the voice of those who feel they have none, demanding better treatment of our ‘street family’ from medical providers and offering resources that weren’t available before, or even known about at all.” Sequan acknowledges that the work she and her team do is incredibly tough and has a profound emotional impact, which is why the organisation has started arranging a monthly mental health away day, where the team get together for the likes of trips to amusement parks or to go on hikes. The small nature of this team makes them more like a family than a group of co-workers, and every member knows that they are there for each other no matter what, be it a shoulder to cry on, a call for help, or to share in success. Funding is the primary issue for HoT, as despite having secured a grant from the state’s health department, this money only covers the bare minimum, leaving Sequan and the team searching for grant opportunities so that they may continue to reach as many people in need as is possible. For the rest of 2024, this reach is set to extend considerably, with HoT seeking to challenge Utah’s HIV-specific criminalisation laws. There are three of these laws currently in place and they are not grounded in science, but rather in fear and stigma. For its everlasting commitment to those living on the fringes of a society that wrongly deems them as outcasts, it is our privilege to recognise Hope on Ttapp as the HIV & Hepatitis C Testing & Support Organization of the Year 2024 – Utah. Contact: Sequan Kolibas Company: Hope on Ttapp Web Address: https://www.hopeonttapp.com/ HIV & Hepatitis C Testing & Support Organization of the Year 2024 - Utah The services offered by HoT include access to free Hepatitis C and HIV testing, and with an average of 2,000 new cases of the former and 125 of the latter every year in Utah alone, it is clear that something needs to be done to support these individuals. Other offerings here include mobile harm reduction services - the likes of wound care and costfree emergency contraceptives - as well as judgement-free prevention conversations, STD education, and barrier-free pathways to accessing life-saving medication. With a particular emphasis on vulnerable and under-served communities such as those involved in sex work and people experiencing homelessness, people of colour, individuals identifying as LGBTQIA+, and those recently released from prison, HoT’s extensive services also include transportation to medical appointments, medication delivery, patient advocacy and support, and 24/7 crisis intervention. More recently, on the back of an increase in STDs, the team now offer chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing, online PrEP - a daily pill that helps prevent HIV, and awareness and prevention classes delivered state wide. Founded by Sequan Kolibas, a woman living with HIV, and operated by a team of experienced staff, HoT is aided immeasurably by a team of loving providers, each of whom will treat without judgement and provide these confidential services in the comfort of a patient’s own environment. Slowly but surely changing the face of healthcare and how services are delivered, the team here strive to normalise conversations surrounding drug and sexual health, as well as putting an end to the stigma through their HIV peer support. In essence, it is the lived experiences shared by the members of this team that both unite them and instil a sense of trust within patients. As Founder and Executive Director Sequan Kolibas explains, “there is so much medical mistrust within our vulnerable populations, due to stigma and a history of being mistreated, that a college degree means nothing. But knowing how life is on the streets because you’ve been Hope on Ttapp (standing for testing, treatment, and peer-led prevention), otherwise known as HoT, is an esteemed non-profit organisation offering a mobilised and rapid point-of-care programme. By taking a stand against the US’ conventional medical establishments, many of which treat patients based on outdated mentalities and discriminating stigmas, the team are championing equal access to healthcare that can measurably improve people’s quality of life.
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