Our Mission
Love Heals, the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education, empowers young people in the fight against HIV. Our HIV-positive speakers are putting a face on the epidemic, and our youth empowerment programs are training a new generation of community educators and activists. Love Heals also creates and distributes educational materials, shares its expertise and advocates for young people’s right to HIV/AIDS education. We do this in partnership with hundreds of schools and community groups throughout New York City and the surrounding areas, reaching both young people and those individuals who impact their lives, and placing a special emphasis on outreach to high-risk communities.
Our Values
Love Heals believes that HIV/AIDS education is the right of every person and that it should be taught in a safe and neutral environment, in a nonjudgmental manner, and within the context of comprehensive sexuality education. Love Heals also believes that quality HIV/AIDS education must respect and value diversity, teach tolerance, dispel stigma, foster self-esteem and empower the individual. We believe that young people have the power to effect change and that their voices must be integrated throughout the organization. Finally, Love Heals recognizes that our own learning is ongoing and that it is incumbent upon us to keep sharing what we learn.
Ali’s Legacy
Alison Gertz was infected with HIV through a single sexual encounter when she was 16. Soon after discovering she had AIDS, Ali made her story public in an effort to help others and quickly rose to become an internationally recognized spokesperson for AIDS awareness and prevention.
Ali devoted her final years to providing young people with the information they needed to protect themselves from contracting HIV. She knew that if it had happened to her, it could happen to anyone.
After Ali died in 1992, her three best friends—Stefani Greenfield, Victoria Leacock Hoffman and Dini von Mueffling—continued her mission by cofounding Love Heals. Today, we reach more than 40,000 young people each year.
Love Heals News
Since its inception, Love Heals has garnered significant press attention—from stories on Ali Gertz and the history of Love Heals, to the latest reports on articles highlighting our innovative programs, courageous HIV-positive speakers and celebrated fundraising events. Visit Love Heals News to learn more.