The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) awarded a $25,000 grant to Whitman-Walker Health to help equip and train the staff in caring for survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, according to a WWH press release.

WWH provides services for the HIV and LGBT communities of Washington, DC. The grant marks the first time in over a decade that ETAF has awarded funds to WWH. Interestingly, the Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, which part of WWH, is the only building in the world named after the movie star and AIDS icon.

“The work that Whitman-Walker Health does to help people living with HIV is impressive and is very much aligned with Elizabeth Taylor’s passionate commitment to the cause,” said Joel Goldman, ETAF managing director, in the release. “Our foundation is thrilled to present Whitman-Walker with these funds to help us further our shared mission.”

“We are so excited to re-engage with the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation vis-à-vis our work on intimate partner violence,” said Don Blanchon, WWH executive director. “We know that instances of sexual violence among our patient population are all too common. There is an urgent need for supportive, culturally competent, and all-encompassing care, which this funding will help us provide.”

To learn more about HIV and intimate partner violence, read the POZ article “Positive Women’s Network Brings Trauma Awareness to Primary Care” and the POZ opinion piece “Trauma and HIV: A Call for Intersectional Approaches”