On the evening of Nov. 14, AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) threw itself an end of the year party titled State of Zero: A Progress and Partnership Celebration. The event, which took place at the AFC offices at 200 W. Monroe St., gathered staff and supporters to acknowledge partnerships across Illinois while celebrating organizational milestones and accomplishments in 2025. Guests feasted on jerk chicken and beans and rice and were entertained by a magician and a jazz trio before an informal awards ceremony.
During 2025, AFC, in partnership with stateside partners, led Illinois forward with the Getting to Zero Illinois Plan 2.0 focusing on improving quality of life for people living with HIV while preventing new transmissions and making new diagnoses earlier.
Among the actions this year were seven community conversations with over 450 attendees; 17 training or education events reaching over 500 individuals; a summer tour featuring 13 community events with 180 participants; 14 conversations with federal and state elected officials (with 2,200 miles traveled); and a provider summit where 115 people were engaged in dialogue on the best and most promising practices for re-engagement in care.
On top of these 2025 accomplishments, AFC also worked on a Medicaid-ready workflow and pilot plan with coalition partners to support same day access; an elevated housing policy aimed at stabilizing care and reduce vulnerability; and continued efforts to maintain and expand HIV care, treatment, and prevention across the State of Illinois, officials said.
AFC CEO and President John Peller started the program by speaking about six-year-old Ruby Bridges, who 65 years before on the same date became the first Black child to attend an all-white elementary school in the Louisiana. Ruby and her mother were escorted by federal marshals the entire school year past crowds of screaming men and women who spat towards her, threatened her life, and waved confederate flags.
He said, “With all the attacks from this current administration we’re in a moment where we need to have the courage of Ruby Bridges. We know we will get there…”
AFC Director of Special Projects Meg McElroy started the awards giving by presenting the Catalyst Award to Caitlin Wells of The Project of the Quad Cities. The Advocate Award was accepted by Ava Lee, representing the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, with Raven Santiago accepting the Collaborator Award for Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center. Judith Perloff accepted the Innovator Award for Chicago House, while the Visionary Award went to AFC Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy Timothy S. Jackson.
In his remarks, Jackson said, “When I learned that I was being honored with the Visionary Award, I had a hard time envisioning myself as a visionary. Because my life’s work in HIV advocacy is built on a promise that I made to my late aunt who died from AIDS related complications in 2006. That promise is that I will spend the rest of my life advocating on behalf of people living with HIV for the rest of my life.”
He added, “Every day that we have on earth, we get to advocate for people living with and communities impacted by HIV…that’s the work, that’s the vision.”
Jackson closed with a few lessons. He said, “Lean on your community in the ebbs and flows of life. As Audre Lorde once said, ‘without community there is no liberation.’
Persist if you can but rest you must. You can’t pour into the lives of others if your cup is empty…rest is also a part of the work. Lead with Hope…especially with everything ahead of us, it’s important that you lead with hope no matter how much it tries to hide from you.”
