Champion of Hope Mary Jenks

Today we’re celebrating 40 for 40 Champion of Hope Mary Jenks! Mary has been supporting AID Atlanta since the very beginning. In fact, she was a member of the original group of friends who met in Graham Bruton’s living room and decided to do something about the looming AIDS epidemic in Atlanta. Mary served as an inaugural member of AID Atlanta’s Board serving as Secretary. Mary fought alongside our founder, Graham Bruton, to get the word out about this new virus that was decimating members of the gay community. They created informational brochures to distribute in bars, they developed a hotline that took calls from desperate people from all over the country, they organized marches and fundraisers, and they met with city officials. They also took the necessary steps to legitimize their efforts by institutionalizing AID Atlanta as a non-profit organization. It was through the efforts of this extraordinary friend group that AID Atlanta became a beacon of hope for those who believed all was lost, and we will forever be in their debt.