NFAN/Dining Out For Life

Words by Kaili Cochran

Before the mid-1990s, having HIV was considered a death sentence but with modern treatment, someone with HIV can have a similar lifespan as someone who is HIV-negative. 

Northeast Florida Aids Network is the only organization in Northeast Florida that focuses on HIV. Since its founding in 1989, NFAN’s mission has grown from focusing on end-of-life care to now providing long-term resources. 

Although there has been an advancement in technology and treatments, HIV is still a risk to anyone. But because it is no longer life-threatening, it has become a less talked about subject. 

NFAN no longer receives as many invitations to speak at schools or companies as they once had. Donna Fuchs, executive director of NFAN, suggested it could be due to the common belief that HIV is now easily manageable with medication. 

“People think this is now just a chronic illness where you just take some medicine and you’ll be OK. Which if you do get the medicine, is pretty much true but everybody is still just as vulnerable if you make a bad decision,” Fuchs emphasized. 

But there’s more to NFAN than providing medicine to those with HIV, it helps with the priorities that one may have before they can get medication. 

“HIV primarily affects demographics that typically don’t have healthcare insurance,” Fuchs said. “HIV sometimes isn’t even the most serious thing they have going on in their life.” 

NFAN helps assist with other barriers that are more pressing in a person’s life and it can range from homelessness, mental illness, drug abuse or domestic violence.

“So you have our case managers that get through all of those other barriers and issues because the person that’s hungry, homeless, has mental health issues probably isn’t going to take their medicine anyway,” Fuchs said. 

NFAN contributing to more than HIV treatment was an idea derived by Mary H. Lewis. 

Lewis was diagnosed with HIV and was told she was going to die. But, she had two kids and looked for other options to help her prolong her life. She eventually found NFAN and was able to get treatment. 

But it was still frowned upon for her to have HIV, and her license was revoked, which as you can imagine, was a setback for a mother who needed to provide for her family. At this point, NFAN provided her with everything but a food source. 

It was Lewis’s idea to create a place where food was obtainable for those who were going through what she had gone through herself. Lewis later passed in 2000 and the food pantry was renamed in her honor. It is known today as the Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry and is constantly being stocked by the community. 

Although there has been a progression in helping those facing HIV, the stigma around having HIV remains a major issue and is just as present in 2025 as it was in 1989. The stigma and lack of public awareness continue to limit community support and visibility. 

Going on 20 years, Dining Out For Life is a Dining Out For Life is an annual dining fundraising event raising money for community-based organizations serving people living with or impacted by HIV all across the country with events based in specific cities. All you have to do is eat out at participating locations and 25-50% of restaurant profits will go directly to NFAN and be used to help support those in need. In 2024, Mary H. Lewis food pantry and Dining Out For Life® provided 15,388 meals to 595 families. 

And beyond helping fight hunger, overall NFAN provided 570 clients with medical case management, 900 people were provided education, 491 families were provided housing assistance and 137 individuals were provided 1,259 months of health insurance premium assistance.

Now, 36 years after its founding, NFAN is still showing up for people in need, offering plenty of resources to make sure they help everyone they can.