ACRC History

1988 A group of leading Stanford university physicians and researchers founded ACRC as a community-based agency providing access to new HIV/AIDS drugs available only through clinical trials.

1995 With the success of new drug treatments, ACRC began to provide HIV/AIDS direct services by doing street level outreach, triage, patient advocacy, drug treatment education, and HIV prevention.

1998 ACRC initiated the Living Now©, an HIV/AIDS peer education and training continuum of services, offering one of the most successful and renowned primary and secondary HIV/AIDS education prevention efforts in California.

1999 After discovering that over 80% of ACRC’s HIV positive clients were CO-infected with Hepatitis C (HCV), ACRC expanded its mission to address HCV health education and social services and developed the HCV Living Now© program. It remains the only Hepatitis c peer group education program in the nation.

2001 ACRC took over the HIV food program from catholic charities . Today we provide over 500 bags of groceries a week to those affected with HIV as well as $25,000 in Safeway vouchers in the last year. We currently have the only HIV food bank in San Mateo County.

2004 ACRC held its first gala auction fundraiser at the Kohl mansion in Burlingame CA

2005 ACRC held its second gala auction fundraiser at the Kohl mansion

2007 After seeing there was a need for client who were active drug users to obtain clean outfits and a general need for safe sex materials ACRC began it needle exchange program which serves about 1,200 clients a year providing clean syringes, condoms, and referrals to rehabilitation programs.

2009 ACRC took over the HIV drop-in center that was located inside Edision clinic at San Mateo General Hospital. We serve over 80 clients per week providing hot meals, computer access and referrals to other organizations.

2009 ACRC also converted its back store and parking area to a garden project called freshness to wellness providing fresh vegetables to the food program and the drop-in center.

TODAY ACRC continues to be dedicated to its clients providing services and referrals as needed despite budget cuts ACRC is continually working on new avenues of raising money to make sure that we will be here for our clients both current and future in years to come.