Mind, Body & Spirit!

The rumors were out there, no one confirmed them, this story did.

The former CFO of AIDS Foundation Houston (AFH) is being accused of stealing over $100,000 from the non-profit agency during the time period from 1996 until 2007. Shame! Shame Shame! In this day when funding is short to non-profits, where people are struggling to pay rent or buy groceries, this person is accused of stealing money from one of the oldest and largest AIDS organization.

What Services might have been affected? Who knows?

A few years ago AFH had to cut back services that supported the community. One service was the food pantry, Stone Soup. Over the past few years, Ryan White funding was cut to the Houston area which ultimately led to the decrease in funding in most agencies. Every year the agency organizes the AIDS Walk, which raised thousands of dollars for the Houston community. AFH also raises money for Camp Hope that takes kids infected by the disease for a week long adventure in the country.  It seems that every event that AFH hosted, supported and collaborated on, during this time period that the alleged person stole from the agency, could have been affected by the theft, including paying staff, giving much needed raises to staff or just functioning on a daily basis.

SHAME ON THOSE WHO STEAL FROM A NON-PROFIT AGENCY!

As someone who has worked in the non-profit environment for almost 10 years, I know the challenges that agencies struggle to over come. Working for a non-profit doesn’t always mean a hefty salary, co-workers always reminded ourselves, ‘we don’t do this for the money, it’s the rewards of seeing the client get their needs met.’

It takes someone who is dedicated and has love for the clients that are served by the agency, to stay working in the arena of non-profits. When you work for a non-profit agency, you put more into it than your time, heart and love, you sometimes put your own money into it to make sure clients get the best.

Taking money from an agency is like taking away services for the clients. With the struggles that any non-profit agency goes through, it is a shameful act to to steal that hard earned money.

SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!

AFH’s official statement posted on their site: STATEMENT

This story is sad, no one should steal from non-profit agencies!

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