SunServe Tony Lima, CEO You have to walk before you can dance, at least according to SunServe's social calendar. March 2023 is shaping up to be their most significant month of the year with two major events on back-to-back weekends. OutClique magazine had a chance to talk with Tony Lima, SunServe’s CEO. The Florida AIDS Walk is Saturday, March 18, 2023, followed by their Studio 54-themed Glam Gala on Friday, March 24, 2023. And topping it all off, SunServe is announcing a new partnership mid-March that will bring their services to thousands of people across the state of Florida. This could be both the biggest and most hectic month in SunServe's history while also being their most impactful and triumphant. Progress SunServe's work is extensive. Their youngest client is just three years old while the oldest is likely a centenarian. They help people facing food and housing insecurity. They provide therapy, psychiatry, and life coaching. They help people dealing with substance use disorder, offer vital services to the transgender community, provide mental healthcare and life coaching to LGBTQ Youth, most recently opening a home for those LGBTQ youth that are homeless. The organization also has a specialized education and advocacy department that trains corporations, police departments, educational institutions, and other organizations on LGBTQ sensitivity and inclusion of the transgender community. SunServe also operates the first-of-its-kind senior daycare center. Their main office is in the heart of Wilton Manors and always has food on hand. If a client comes in hungry, he/she/ they are fed as they wait for service. People seeking help can receive treatment or care immediately, regardless of their ability to pay. Most recently, through a partnership with Project Soar, SunServe has added an assisted living option for substance use disorder clients, which currently houses eight people. Oftentimes, mental health issues are the core problems that affect our communities. By continuing to improve and expand their programs and hiring the top mental health and social work professionals in South Florida, Lima says
SunServe will be able to provide mental health and case management beyond Broward County's borders. "Our work for the last 20-plus years has mostly been relegated to Broward County. Our footprint is expanding significantly. My goal is to continue to grow our organization so that we can provide services not only in Broward but expand our work into Miami-Dade and Palm Beach. SunServe will soon be able to serve more people in our most marginalized communities throughout South Florida." Walk the Walk The first big event for SunServe year after year is the Florida AIDS Walk. Financially speaking, the annual event kicks off SunServe's most crucial week of the year. The walk draws thousands of participants on dozens of teams representing several non-profit organizations to Fort Lauderdale Beach Park for a walk and music festival. Team SunServe will be bigger than ever this year. The organization has spent much of the last year reaching out to make new ties in the community and cement old ones. This year they have enlisted other civic-minded groups and businesses. Bears of South Florida, Peak Fitness, Center for Spiritual Living, Cheer Fort Lauderdale, and GYM Bar are just some of the teams fundraising under SunServe's umbrella. "These are organizations out in the community serving different purposes," Lima said. "These folks volunteer and fundraise under our moniker for Florida AIDS Walk to benefit SunServe." By partnering with SunServe for the walk, these groups are beginning what could be a long-time allyship. "Part of what we're trying to do with these partners is enlisting them to be ambassadors for SunServe. It's not just a means of raising more money; it's a means of expanding our ambassador circle to, in a simple way, explain the work we do and bring more community members in for services and care. Our friends at these organizations are committed to SunServe's mission and are very invested in the community. When our message is amplified, we can reach more individuals needing support."
OutClique.com | 49
