As the federal government shutdown continues, nonprofits across the country are struggling to keep vital community programs afloat. In Charlotte, one of the city’s most trusted HIV service providers, is using emergency reserves to continue its work.
RAIN, founded in 1992, serves individuals and families affected by HIV across the Charlotte metropolitan area. The organization provides free testing for more than 120 people each month, along with case management, counseling, and a drop-in center where clients can shower, wash clothes, prepare for job interviews, and access food and clothing. According to RAIN, its mission is to end HIV in the community through education, advocacy, prevention, and comprehensive care.
“The entire drop-in center is funded by federal funds which are currently halted,” said RAIN CEO Chelsea Gulden in an interview with WCNC Charlotte. She explained that the nonprofit has been relying on unrestricted donations from its supporters to continue daily operations. “The shutdown is frightening for all of us, for our staff, for the organization … and for our clients and community at large. Their services are threatened and their jobs are threatened.”
At RAIN’s drop-in center, many clients experiencing homelessness rely on the space for safety, structure, and support. “We have regular clients that we see for care and treatment purposes, but we also have clients who are homeless, who are in need, and they’ll come here and just try to work on jobs all day, every day,” said Deion Pendleton, the center’s lead coordinator. “Within that process, we help them with résumé building and we help them with attire for interviews, attire for job fairs.”
RAIN’s reach extends well beyond the drop-in center. In 2024, the organization served 540 clients, with 69 percent identifying as LGBTQIA+ and 26 percent as Latiné. It conducted 1,550 HIV and STI tests, identified 13 new positives, and hosted 36 education and prevention events. Programs like The Drop recorded 847 client visits. Although RAIN receives donations and sponsorships and organizes annual fundraisers such as AIDS WALK Charlotte, Gay Bingo Charlotte, and the World AIDS Day Luncheon, federal funding remains critical to sustaining programs like the drop-in center.
The freeze on federal reimbursements has left organizations like RAIN navigating uncertainty amid a nationwide crisis. An Associated Press investigation found that one in three U.S. nonprofits depends on government funding, which has been frozen or delayed during the shutdown. The Urban Institute reported that government grants make up about a third of nonprofit revenue, and most organizations would run a deficit without that support.
Despite the funding freeze, Gulden said the community trust built over three decades remains central to RAIN’s work. “People need food, they need access to transportation, and they trust us. We’ve been in the community since 1992; we are a safe space,” she said.
RAIN continues to provide HIV testing, prevention services, and client support during the reimbursement halt and is accepting community donations to help sustain operations at carolinarain.org.