History | About CARES

A Personal Story

“In August of 2000, I stepped foot in the CARES clinic and I was in crisis mode. I was treated expeditiously, with dignity and respect. What I did not know until I entered the building that first day was that CARES is not only state of-the-art in their method of treating AIDS, but they are in the business of providing hope, dignity and compassion.

I truly believe that I am still alive today because of CARES' multifaceted approach to treatment. CARES was very aggressive in the treatment of my difficult case. My doctor worked tirelessly looking for the most affective therapy possible, as it meant life or death for me. He never gave up and he continued to focus on improving my quality of life."

History

During the early 1980s, AIDS reared its ugly face in our community, just as it was appearing in so many other cities across the country. Clearly, this disease needed to be addressed with a concerted effort. In 1989, our community did just that by joining forces to address the epidemic in a resounding way.

With the help of UC Davis Health Systems, CHW Mercy, Sutter Health, and the county of Sacramento, we formed CARES to serve people with HIV/AIDS. A few years later, Kaiser Permanente joined the effort.

In the last 21 years, our mission has remained the same: to transform lives through HIV/AIDS care, research and community awareness. Yet as we move forward, we’re aiming for a future where HIV doesn’t exist. In 2009, we celebrated our 20th Anniversary by embarking on an aggressive plan to strive towards ending all new cases of HIV by 2015. Learn more about our new campaign, Are You the Difference?, by clicking here.