From: MPetrelis@aol.com Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 16:55:40 EDT Subject: Action against Catholic Charities, Aug. 14 at 12 noon NEWS FROM AIDS-STATISTICS.COM August 12, 2000 For Immediate Release Contact: Michael Petrelis Phone: 415-621-6267 AIDS PATIENTS DEMAND G.A.O. AUDIT OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES; WAS FEDERAL MONEY USED FOR COSMETIC SURGERY? San Francisco, CA - AIDS patients and their advocates will hold a news conference at the headquarters of Catholic Charities, located at 814 Mission Street, near Fourth Street, on Monday, August 14 at 12 noon to demand increased accountability from the nonprofit AIDS service organization. The executive director of Catholic Charities resigned last week after spending thousands of dollars for lavish meals, laser hair removal and anti-wrinkle treatments. Catholic Charities received slightly more than $1.5 million in federal Ryan White CARE Act funds during FY 2000 - 2001, ostensibly for direct care services to people with AIDS. Questions are being raised about whether Frank Hudson, the ousted chief of Catholic Charities, spent Ryan White dollars for his personal beauty treatments. According to the August 11 San Francisco Chronicle The City's "Redevelopment Agency, calling Hudson's spending 'unconscionable,' reduced a contract with Catholic Charities to run residential treatment centers for HIV patients to $1 million from $2 million." The paper did not report how the one million-dollar cut for such centers will adversely impact people with AIDS. "We are demanding Catholic Charities release its two most recent IRS 990 tax returns so we can probe how the agency handles all of its donations," said Michael Petrelis, an AIDS patient and spokesperson for the AIDS-Statistics.com web site. "Congress must pay attention to how Catholic Charities uses Ryan White funding, and we won't be happy until the General Accounting Office performs an independent audit of the agency," Petrelis added. "A GAO audit of Catholic Charities is long overdue." San Francisco currently receives so much Ryan White money per AIDS patient that the amount is double what any other city gets. Even with $38 million in Ryan White funds, many AIDS organizations in San Francisco have long waiting lists for services. However, no impediments exist to pay executive directors high six-figure salaries and provide them with extravagant expense accounts for first class dining and travel. "We certainly have had a wake-up call," San Francisco Archbishop William Levada, head of Catholic Charities' board of directors, told the Chronicle. AIDS patients expect Congress to heed the wake-up call and investigate this agency. # # # Michael Petrelis Welcome to AIDS-STATISTICS www.AIDS-statistics.com 2215-R Market Street, #413 San Francisco, CA 94114