Who We Are

Our Story

AIDS Athens was founded by a group of Athens residents who attended a forum on AIDS at the University of Georgia in February 1987. The group initiated AIDS Athens later that year, and received nonprofit 501(c)(3) status two years later.

In October 1995, members of AIDS Athens approved changes in the structure of the organization and renamed it the AIDS Coalition of Northeast Georgia, as the organization grew to serve clients living in 10 Northeast Georgia counties.

In August 2004, the AIDS Coalition was renamed AIDS Athens to emphasize the reaffirmation of its mission to serve all local people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.

In 2016 the agency was renamed Live Forward to focus on the journey of our clients towards healthy outcomes, housing stability and independence.

  • The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that over one million Americans are living with HIV / AIDS and 50% of those infected are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

  • Live Forward serves all 10 counties in the Northeast Health District (District 10) of Georgia. Our service area includes: Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton counties.