ALBANY - February 22, 2007 - The Frederick McDonald Trust (Bank of America, trustee) awarded a $5,000 grant to the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York. This grant will support 20 clients located in the city of Albany through the Emergency Utility Assistance Program. Each client will receive a one-time payment of $250 to assist with winter utility payments and circumvent the total disconnection of their utility service.

In addition, The AIDS Council of Northeastern New York has received a $2,500 donation from The MVMA Foundation, for the purpose of creating an interactive Prevention Webpage targeting adolescents and pre-teens through the purchase of new software and photos and the engagement of a webmaster to improve graphics and color schemes, create games and interactive quizzes and increase traffic to the new and improved page.

Mohawk Valley Medical Associates (MVMA) is an Independent Practice Association (IPA) formed in 1983 by Schenectady area physicians. The IPA has grown to over 2000 physicians since then, and has an exclusive arrangement with MVP Health Care to deliver health care to its members. MVMA is the oldest and largest IPA affiliated with MVP, with approximately 80,000 MVP members in the 9-county geographic area.

The MVMA Board of Directors formed the MVMA Foundation in November 2003 as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) private foundation to benefit charitable organizations that engage in the promotion of health either by delivering health care services or by providing public education within the MVMA geographic community. The organization’s specific and primary purpose is to promote the health of individuals living within Schenectady, Saratoga, Fulton, Montgomery, Warren, Washington, Albany, Rensselaer and Schoharie counties.

The AIDS Council of Northeastern New York is a not-for-profit human service agency whose mission is to reduce the risk, fear, and incidence of HIV infection, encourage the independence of people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS and to promote understanding of their needs. In operation for 23 years, the AIDS Council is the preeminent provider of HIV/AIDS services in a fifteen county region in Upstate New York with offices in Albany, Glens Falls, Hudson, Plattsburgh, Schenectady, and Troy.