North Philadelphia is home to two buildings that have provided innumerable benefits to people living with HIV/AIDS. Calcutta House was founded in 1987 and this year celebrates 25 years of providing HIV/AIDS health care and housing. Calcutta currently houses 27 individuals with HIV/AIDS, split between its two facilities: Independence Place, 1601 W. Girard Ave., and Serenity Court, 1221 N. 19th St. Calcutta House was originally located in West Philadelphia and was founded by the Mother Teresa Brothers of Charity. At the time, the operation was located in a four-story Victorian rowhome in the University City area and originally could accommodate five people. “These were individuals who were homeless and at the end stages of AIDS,” Calcutta director of development and communication Joseph Tozzi said. “They were homeless because of their AIDS diagnosis. They were so weak because they lost their jobs and were abandoned by their families because of the diagnosis.” Tozzi said the house wasn’t classified as a hospice but a place where people could be eased and comfortable during their last days. “The brothers were there for a couple of years but were then reassigned to another project,” Tozzi explained. “So they turned over the management of Calcutta House to a group of volunteers.” Those volunteers helped evolve Calcutta into a viable nonprofit organization, developing a board of directors and securing 501 (c)(3) status. “From that point on, they began to start raising money because they knew they had to expand in terms of serving more people,” Tozzi said. Calcutta eventually branched into two different locations: Independence Place, an 18-bed facility designed for residents who are able to live more independently, which opened in 1996; and Serenity Court, a nine-bed operation catering to those approaching the end of their lives, which opened in 2004. According to Tozzi, there was a lot of support from faith-based organizations in the beginning and Calcutta House has since expanded its funding to include grants from federal, state and local government and corporations. Tozzi noted the advancement of HIV/AIDS medicines prompted the agency to expand its services to include employment and other resources for residents, and its ability to help residents learn to live with the disease was integral in securing further support. “That was the appeal to get a lot of funding. We were improving the lives of these individuals and helping them live independently,” he said. While people are living longer with the disease, Tozzi said he thinks that in the past few years the epidemic has flown under the funders’ radar, compared to other illnesses and infections. For more than a decade, Calcutta received a $300,000 grant from the Department of Public Welfare, which licensed the organization. But that grant was discontinued last summer. “There is a perception that AIDS has been cured because of the availability of pharmaceuticals. Certainly, it is not the death sentence was 10-15 years ago,” he said. “Other diseases and issues have moved up in the pecking order in terms of receiving grants.” With the plethora of HIV/AIDS-focused organizations and groups around Philadelphia, however, Tozzi said Calcutta House has long provided a unique service. “We offer something that is distinct. Different organizations have different focal points and there has always been a need for the services that we provide,” he said. Currently, there is a waiting list for Calcutta. Tozzi said residents who are ready to move out can’t find affordable housing in which to live independently, leading to the wait list getting longer. Calcutta House will host a fundraising event from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 28 at the Hyatt at the Bellevue, 200 S. Broad St. The event will also honor Sister Joanne Whitaker for her nine years of dedication to the organization. Whitaker was the first executive director and was involved in fundraising and opening Independence Place. The event will include an auction in which guests can bid on a two-night/three-day stay for two at the Tropicana Las Vegas or two club-seat tickets to the Dec. 23 Eagles game. Tickets to the event are $100 and include an open bar and free food. For more information, email [email protected].