Jun 25, 2021
June 25, 2021 (Rochester, NY) - Trillium Health is proud to announce that NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has presented the MOCHA Center with an award for Pride Month! Jonathan Jordan accepted the award on behalf of MOCHA Rochester, and DeJuan Burnell accepted the award on behalf of MOCHA Buffalo in a virtual ceremony.
Founded in 1996 as the Men of Color Health Awareness Project, the MOCHA Center has been serving Western New York’s Black and Brown communities for 25 years. The MOCHA Center originally focused on men of color, however, over the years it expanded to support, educate, and empower all LGBTQ+ people of color – especially youth. The MOCHA Center provides a safe and affirming space for Queer people of color to gather, share experiences, and learn from each other.
The MOCHA Center staff members proudly represent their community and provide confidential HIV/STI testing and sexual health education. The MOCHA Center also provides programs and support groups for transgender and non-binary individuals, as well as LGBTQ+ Black and Brown teens and young adults.
The MOCHA Center became a part of Trillium Health in 2015, with two offices in Rochester and in Buffalo. In May of 2021, the Buffalo office became a part of Evergreen Health in an effort to improve services for LGBTQ+ communities of color. Rochester and Buffalo are unique communities that are 75 miles apart, and connecting to a local community health center was the best way to link people to care. The Rochester office remained a part of Trillium Health – providing the same programs and services.
Congratulations to the entire MOCHA team! Learn more about the MOCHA Center on our website: https://www.trilliumhealth.org/patient-and-community-services/mocha-center
###