The Right Choice Project

The mission of The Right Choice Project is to transform lives and add value to the holistic well-being of individuals though education, state-of-the-art laboratory testing, professional counseling, sex education curriculum, intervention services and treatment adherence services.

Day in and day out, South Louisiana is struggling to tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic in our communities. Louisiana ranks third in the nation for HIV case rates and second-highest in state AIDS case rates. In the River Parishes - St. John the Baptist, St. James, and St. Charles- prevalence rates of people living with HIV are incredibly high. On average, 300 people in every 100,000 in the River Parishes is living with HIV. Even with such high stakes, the epidemic remains difficult to combat. A combination of stigma, lack of access to health care, and lack of access to education about HIV/AIDS means that means that people live with and die of HIV/AIDS at an alarming rate in the River Parishes.

As the only HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention nonprofit organization located *within* the River Parishes, The Right Choice Project works with the local community, rather than on its behalf. This community trust and presence uniquely positions TRCP to create grassroots change.

Currently, TRCP conducts:
-a Youth Leadership Initiative, providing youth peer-to-peer outreach concerning HIV/AIDS education and prevention;
-a Mobile Unit to provide testing, counseling, antiretroviral, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PReP) enrollment to individuals across the River Parishes, as well as other health services, such as hypertension and diabetes checks, and;
-various community gatherings and social justice events, including a World AIDS Day Candlelight Vigil, a Back to School event, and a Gospel Youth Explosion event.

With your support, The Right Choice Project can continue to create transformational change across the River Parishes, helping those living with HIV/AIDS today while working with our youth to create a brighter tomorrow.

Testimonials

TRCP is a much needed service to our people living in St. John parish with 80 percent of students living in poverty income households.

We have a lack of transportation and people struggle for getting basic household needs. Medical cases for HIV must go into New Orleans for treatment and away from the River Parish communities, which becomes a challenging event.

Continuing testing and counseling would help bring attention to lifestyle changes and bring attention to such a great need for healthcare.

Larry Sorapuru, Jr.
Councilman-at-Large District A, St. John the Baptist Parish