RAIN empowers people living with HIV and those at risk to be healthy and stigma free.
RAIN envisions ending HIV in our community.
At RAIN, our goal is to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and families affected by HIV in the Charlotte metropolitan area. Since our establishment in 1992, we've been steadfast in providing comprehensive services with integrity, compassion, and a commitment to achieving quality outcomes in HIV services.
Our Impact:
Over the years, RAIN has touched the lives of thousands within our community. We are recognized for our unwavering dedication to improving the quality of life for those we serve. Our
experienced staff is here to assist clients in accessing vital medical care and medications, offering emergency assistance for essentials like rent, utilities, and food, and addressing a
range of issues that impact health and overall well-being. The trust we've earned from our community is reflected in the fact that our primary source of referrals is from existing and past
clients.
Who We Serve:
RAIN serves a diverse range of individuals, from youth as young as 13 to adults, who are living with HIV or at risk. Our aim is not only to provide critical services but also to reduce the
stigma surrounding HIV through education and advocacy. We empower our clients to recognize and combat HIV-related stigma whenever they encounter it.
Accessible and Inclusive:
We believe in accessibility and inclusivity. Our services are available in person and via telehealth, ensuring that we can reach individuals wherever they are. Additionally, our services are
offered in both English and Spanish, recognizing the importance of linguistic diversity within our community.
Advocacy for All:
At RAIN, advocacy knows no boundaries. We advocate for all people living with HIV, regardless of their race, gender, immigration status, or sexual orientation. Our commitment to equality and
justice drives our work.
Inspiring Change:
Our work is about more than just services; it's about inspiring and empowering people to live their lives fully. We aim to open minds, foster understanding, and break down the barriers of
stigma associated with HIV. By doing so, we hope to create a world where everyone can live with dignity and without discrimination.
At RAIN, we're not just an organization; we're a network of caring individuals working together to build a brighter, more inclusive future for all.
To end HIV in our community and we have the tools to end it!
The Centers for Disease Control says that if a person is living with HIV is virally suppressed or undetected – meaning that the virus is so low in the blood that it cannot be detected – that person cannot transmit HIV to another. The CDC’s promotional program for this is called U=U: Undetectable = Untransmittable. Current medications are highly effective at depressing HIV in the body. Just one pill a day can accomplish viral suppression. RAIN is working tirelessly to find individuals who are living with HIV who don’t know their status, engage them in medical care, and taking their medications daily.
With the introduction of medical technologies – like PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) in the past decade, we have the tools to end the spread of HIV. Just one pill a day taken by individuals at risk for exposure to HIV dramatically reduces the risk that the individual will contract the virus. Medications, combined with condom use, nearly eliminate the possibility of getting HIV. RAIN is diligently seeking to connect persons at risk for exposure to HIV to medical care and using these prevention strategies.
Of course, there are important programs and services that must accompany these strategies to fully end HIV in our community.
HIV/STI testing is the first step in RAIN’s programs to end HIV. RAIN provides many testing opportunities in the community.
Reaching the right people. RAIN’s outreach strategies go into areas of the community with the highest rates of HIV.
Support Services. RAIN provides medical case management, peer navigation, PrEP/PEP cases management, mental health counseling, substance use services, health insurance enrollment, and emergency assistance for housing, utilities, and food.
RAIN provides a complete array of outreach programs and client services to help end the spread of HIV in our community.
Rev. Debbie Warren and a group of committed volunteers seeked a way to engage the faith community in meeting the challenges of HIV/AIDS prevention and end of life care; RAIN was birthed out of this commitment and was founded RAIN in 1992. This early, ecumenical response of volunteers staff helped to frame the community’s dialogue about HIV/AIDS, replacing judgment with understanding, prejudice with compassion and ignorance with knowledge.
With the advent of antiretroviral therapies, RAIN transitioned from providing end-of-life care to meeting client needs of treatment education, access to medical care and medications, and emergency assistance which impact health and quality of life. Staff members provide services to clients with integrity and compassion. RAIN is known for quality outcomes in HIV services and has received recognition from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ford Foundation and the state of North Carolina HIV/STD Care Branch. RAIN’s work has been featured on the CBS Evening News, NC public television and in two national HIV/AIDS magazines, HIV Plus and A and U. In 2016, POZ – an award-winning online and print resource for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS - selected four RAIN staff members for the annual POZ 100, a special recognition of the contributions of individuals living and working in the South who are committed to ending the HIV epidemic.
After 30 years of service, Debbie Warren retired in 2021 and Chelsea Gulden, MSW, was promoted to President and CEO that same year. In her prior role, Chelsea led the agency’s client programs for over ten years and has nearly two decades of experience in the field. She is well-respected for her expertise locally and nationwide. Chelsea has presented at national conferences and published through her role in research.
An ordained Baptist Minister, Rev. Warren received her Masters of Arts from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, and Clinical Pastoral Education at Carolinas Medical Center.
She founded RAIN (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network) in 1991 by encouraging congregations to address the needs of isolated people with AIDS. During this time she worked as a caregiver at the House of Mercy where her experience as a minister crystallized the needs of people who were dying as well as the needs of their partners and loved ones. During the day, Debbie counseled and nursed and in the evenings she planned, organized and sought assistance to start a nonprofit.
Her vision and leadership united faith communities and the wider community to address the critical needs of people living with HIV and AIDS. Congregation-based volunteers were now meeting, working with and loving their CarePartners (clients). These volunteers who had been unaware of their neighbor’s suffering were drawn into the very fabric of their lives.
Debbie’s focus provided the resources to enable HIV positive people to live a healthy life and take leadership roles to become trainers, community advocates, and peer counselors. She is a founding member of NCAAN (NC AIDS Action Network) and was active in state and national advocacy efforts. She taught at the US Conference on AIDS and in May 2010 was invited to join experts on HIV/AIDS at The White House as part of a dialogue on the role of public-private partnerships in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Not surprisingly, her work has been acknowledged with several national awards and she has appeared on CBS Evening News.
She created a legacy of increased understanding and solidarity among individuals living with HIV and AIDS.
