AIDS is no joking matter, and AIDS Project Los Angeles, simply known as APLA, knows this better than anyone. One of the United States' largest organizations providing services to over 10,000 residents of Los Angeles County who have HIV and AIDS, APLA has been leading the way in education, care, counseling, case assistance, treatment and advocacy.

APLA was founded in 1982 by Nancy Cole Sawaya, Matt Redman, Ervin Munro and Max Drew, who came up with the idea for the organization after realizing that AIDS had become one of the most-feared diseases and that information regarding it was sorely lacking. The foundation began with a telephone hotline, and after fund-raising efforts on the part of the founders, APLA set up its first office on Cole Avenue in Los Angeles.

APLA's mission is straightforward: to improve the quality of lives of the many people who are suffering from HIV and AIDS, to reduce the number of HIV and AIDS-related cases and to lobby for fair and effective HIV-related laws and public policies. The organization seeks not just to educate and raise public awareness on the disease, but also to encourage fair and equal treatment for patients with regards to better health care and access to medical services.

APLA has launched several programs towards their goals, including their “Home Health Assistance/Hospice Services,” later renamed the “Buddy Porgram,” housing needs for patients, the “Necessities of Life Program” which gives out groceries, and initiatives in medical transportation, home care, mental health, legal and insurance problems and public health benefits. The organization relies on the generosity of its donors and supporters, as well as the income from their various fund-raising events in order to keep APLA running.

APLA continues to thrive on the active efforts of its volunteers, its core staff and Board of Directors, as well as all of the dedicated medical and health professionals who have given their time and efforts towards making the world a better place for everyone.