AIDS CARE: Belmont Issues Eleventh-Hour Plea for Funds

      Belmont city officials issued a community-wide plea for financial contributions Wednesday "in an eleventh-hour attempt to keep the doors of Belmont House AIDS Hospice open" through July, San Mateo County Times reports. Community said that leaders believe there is a "countywide obligation" to rescue the hospice, which is the only local facility of its kind. The hospice has until January 31 to come up with $120,000 needed to operate through July. The shortfall is a result of Catholic Charities' November announcement that it would be pulling its support in 60 days, saying that "the small operation costs too much for its size." According to the Times, while "the County AIDS program has promised to kick in $40,000 towards filling the gap, the last $80,000 the hospice needs remains in limbo." Belmont Community Development Director Daniel Vanderpriem said Belmont will ask each of the other 19 cities in the county "to contribute based on how many patients from each city have stayed in Belmont House since it opened 2 1/2 years ago" (Heywood, 1/22). Vanderpriem added, "We think we can come up with a long-term solution if we can buy a little time." The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the "Belmont City Council will meet Tuesday to try to work out a finance plan" (Wilson, 1/22).