“Telling my family was the hardest thing. I mean, you’re 15 and you have to say, ‘I’m HIV positive.’ ”
— Ethan, an AcadianaCares client
Read Ethan’s story.

Our History

We began our work in 1985 as Lafayette C.A.R.E.S. (Concern for AIDS Relief Education and Support). At that time, during the HIV/AIDS pandemic, we were focused on providing education and services for prevention and care in Lafayette Parish. Since then, we’ve grown to serve clients in seven additional parishes: Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion.

Thanks to advances in medicine and the increased availability of care, a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence. However, the circumstances that make people vulnerable persist, including poverty and homelessness, addiction and mental illness. We have found the greatest success in a holistic, long-term, client-centered approach that addresses these underlying factors.

AcadianaCares is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Mission

AcadianaCares is a client-centered organization dedicated to empowering vulnerable communities affected by HIV/AIDS, inequities in health care, homelessness, and substance use issues to change their lives by embracing a holistic approach to a healthy and self-determined life.

Objectives

•  Increase use of regional services for those living with HIV/AIDS
•  Improve the quality of life for those living with HIV/AIDS
•  Develop and expand relationships with other agencies that provide services to people living with HIV/AIDS
•  Promote behavioral change in high-risk populations
•  Address the myriad issues that contribute to the HIV/AIDS epidemic such as poverty, unstable housing, substance abuse and mental illness

We are unable to respond to emergency needs. If you have a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.