Trinity Church AIDS Walk Team Spans Generations

From first-time walkers to seasoned advocates, Trinity’s 2025 AIDS Walk New York team brings together parishioners and staff of all ages to put faith into action — one step at a time. 

On May 18, Trinity Church will participate in the 40th annual AIDS Walk New York, the world’s largest HIV/AIDS fundraising event. Led by the Rev. Jorge Ortiz, priest and associate director of Community Engagement, and Trinity’s LGBTQ+ Ministry, the team is heading to Central Park with a goal of raising $15,000 for GMHC and other organizations that serve thousands of New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. 

Support Trinity’s AIDS Walk 2025 team by walking, donating, or spreading the word. 

Originally founded as the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, GMHC launched in 1981 as a grassroots response to the emerging epidemic. Today, despite medical advancements and life-saving drugs, there are still 132,000 people living with HIV in New York City and over 1,600 New Yorkers diagnosed every year. By expanding education, testing, and access to healthcare among the most vulnerable populations, GMHC and other HIV/AIDS organizations hope to end the global epidemic by 2030 — meaning zero new infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, and zero stigma and discrimination. 

Trinity has participated in the AIDS Walk for over a decade. Father Jorge described how the church’s support fits into its mission as a parish: “We are called to share God’s love with one another, to respect the dignity of every human being as a child of God,” he said. “AIDS Walk is an opportunity to express solidarity with those who struggle and a powerful reminder that as a community we see hope when we unite to find solutions to the challenges that affect us all.”

Kenneth Stein, a member of Trinity’s LGBTQ+ Ministry coordinating team, thinks rallying together across generations is a powerful strategy to combat HIV/AIDS. “By walking together, parishioners of multiple generations learn from each other,” he said. 

AIDS Walk is a powerful reminder that we see hope when we unite to find solutions to the challenges that affect us all.” 

FATHER JORGE ORTIZ

One Trinity walker, Cindy Jay, is an ally who has worked to end the epidemic — both personally and professionally — for decades. Having spent her career providing healthcare and other services for people with HIV/AIDS, she has participated in the AIDS Walk for longer than she can remember. Driven by a desire to support the underserved, Cindy noted, “I see it as our responsibility as parishioners — and mine as someone close to the community — to raise awareness about the virus, to work toward eliminating disparities, and to keep walking as long as there is a need.” 

That sentiment was echoed by Esme, a 12th grader in Trinity Youth Group and a member of Trinity Youth’s Gender Sexuality Alliance, who will be joining the AIDS Walk for the first time this year. “A lot of the people I surround myself with align with the LGBTQ community,” Esme said. “So having that connection with people who have experienced stigmatization, it motivates me to advocate for them where they cannot.” 

Esme sees Trinity’s participation in AIDS Walk as an expression of its compassionate and welcoming community. “Belonging to a church where it’s acceptable to be who you are is very important to me.” 

Join us to donate or walk on Sunday, May 18. 

Shown above: Trinity Church AIDS Walk team in Central Park, May 21, 2023.