The mission of the Center for Health and Hope is to support and advocate for persons infected and affected by HIV and AIDS, globally and locally, with programs of education, prevention, care, and treatment. The Center was envisioned by Dr. Donald E. Messer, President Emeritus of the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. It began functioning in 2000 and formally became a 501(c)3 organization in 2006.
The Center was started as a response to the epidemic of HIV and AIDS, along with a need for compassion, not condemnation, especially from faith-based organizations and congregations. Messer has served as the Co-Chair of the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Committee, which he helped to create in 2004. The Center's new Executive Director, Justin Levy, started with the Center in October, 2024, having previously served as a member of the board, a volunteer, and a donor.
In addition to the Center's humanitarian work, the Center stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in the pursuit of equality, justice, care, and human rights.
Since 2016, Hope UMC has hosted the Center’s annual fall breakfast fundraiser, Gathering to HEAL (Help End AIDS in our Lifetime), with proceeds supporting dozens of post-secondary scholars in Kenya. Along with scholarships, the Center will raise funds to build two homes for vulnerable families, in addition to sponsorship of a medical camp. Members of Hope UMC will participate directly in both the construction and the implementation of the medical camp during a mission trip to Meru, Kenya, in July 2026.
To learn more about the Center's work in Kenya, Rwanda, India, and the USA, visit their website at centerforhealthandhope.org.
