[August 22, 2019]

'Out of the Closet' Thrift Store Opens in Houston to Impact Houston's HIV/AIDS Epidemic

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will open Houston's first Out of the Closet Thrift Store on Saturday, August 24th, with a grand opening celebration starting at 10:00 a.m. rain or shine. Located at 1435 Westheimer Road in Houston's Montrose District, the facility will also house a state-of-the-art AHF Pharmacy and administer confidential free, rapid, one-minute testing for HIV and other STD's.

The grand opening will offer discounts on an array of trendy clothes, furniture and housewares, as well as live music featuring the Latin beats of Houston's own Cristina Tribute Show, free food, games for the kids and an opportunity for attendees to take a free, rapid HIV test and register to win a 2019 Buddy Kick Scooter. The ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m., with remarks by AHF President and CEO Michael Weinstein and AHF Texas Regional Director Bret Camp. Residents from across the area will be joined by local dignitaries and civic leaders.

"Saturday's grand opening will offer the chance for Houston shoppers to be among the first to discover the unique finds and hidden treasures for which 'Out of the Closet' is famous," said Jonathan Kreuyer, General Manager of Out of the Closet Stores. "With twenty-three other locations in California, Florida, Ohio, Georgia and New York-and one in Amsterdam-AHF's Out of the Closet Thrift Store chain is the nation's largest retail fundraising venture for HIV/AIDS services, and ninety-six cents of every dollar earned is directed towards local HIV/AIDS awareness efforts and our mission to provide HIV/AIDS care to those in need."

AHF's Out of the Closet location will be familiar to the residents of Houston, as the building housing the new thrift store, is the location of the Montrose Paint Wall, the renowned mural painted by French Houston-based artist, Sebastian "Mr. D" Boileau, who regularly trends on social media.

With 23 locations worldwide, Out of the Closet Thrift stores aim to make HIV testing easy while providing people a fun place to shop and donate gently used goods in support of the fight against HIV/AIDS. Out of the Closet Thrift Stores are often connected to an AHF Pharmacy, to also provide a convenient one-stop experience for clients to shop and pick up their medication.

"We are pleased to expand our presence and services in Houston with the opening of the Out of the Closet thrift store. We know that along with the testing services it will provide to the immediate community, the City of Houston and the surrounding municipalities, we can shift the trajectory of the local HIV epidemic," said Michael Kahane, AHF Southern Bureau Chief.

HIV in Houston:

According to recent statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

1. Houston ranks 8th nationally in the number of total reported AIDS cases
2. 6 out of every 10 diagnosed HIV infections in the Houston/Harris County are African American.
3. An estimated 1 in 90 Houstonians is living with HIV/AIDS.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.2 million individuals in 44 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us @aidshealthcare.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190822005450/en/

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