ICARE History

ICARE was established by a group of volunteers in 1986 in the basement of a local Iowa City church. At that time, HIV/AIDS carried with it a strong stigma and was viewed solely as a disease resulting in painful death, usually within months. Through growing awareness of the illness and treatment options, the stigma is slowly changing and AIDS is seen more and more as a chronic, manageable disease.

In the beginning, ICARE offered practical support for clients by scheduling doctor appointments and providing rides to and from the hospital, as well as general information. ICARE was a resource center, but today it is so much more. Thanks to private donations and generous grants from the Iowa Community AIDS Partnership and many others, the organization now provides comprehensive case management and housing placement services in addition to Hepatitis immunizations and HIV/AIDS testing. For a complete listing of services, go to our Services page.

In 2004, the ICARE Board of Directors requested that MECCA Services, a community-based not-for-profit organization, assume management of the program. This decision would allow ICARE the financial stability and funding to grow the program to what it is today, serving people in 27 southeastern Iowa counties.