Dear Dr. Fenton,

For ten years, North Jersey Community Research Initiative "NJCRI's" Project WOW! has been receiving funds to provide HIV prevention services to young men of color who have sex with men in the Greater Newark Area by the Center for Disease Control. With CDC's new funding announcement, PS11-1113, which is a response to President Obama's National HIV/AIDS Strategy, pre-decisional site visits have been conducted by CDC staff across the country, but no site visits were conducted to any AIDS Service Organizations or agency in the state of New Jersey. This is of great concern given the recent data released by CDC expressing the rise in HIV and STI infection among men of color who have sex with men.  New Jersey ranks number five in the United States with the most reported HIV cases and Newark which is New Jersey's largest city, also has more reported HIV  cases than any other city in the state.  

As a community member who is very familiar with the services offered at North Jersey Community Research Initiative, I am petitioning that CDC allocate HIV prevention funds to the state of New Jersey under the PS11-1113 announcement. This potential loss of at least $1.5 million over a five year period will lead to an increase gap in services and lack of programming for young men of color who have sex with men in New Jersey, especially in the Greater Newark Area, if no funds are allocated.

Thank you for attention.