Bill Karnes, 55, was diagnosed with HIV in the early ‘90s. Back then, he said, a diagnosis felt like a death sentence.
But then he found support at the Damien Center, the state’s oldest and largest HIV/AIDS service organization.
“I didn’t think I was going to see 27, I am more than twice the age I thought I could be,” said Karnes, who has been a Damien client for 30 years. “I have seen the Damien Center grow and become such an important part of this community, and an important part of my life and so many others.”
Now, the Damien Center has a new 56,000-square-foot home at 1420 E. Washington St.
The nonprofit’s leaders celebrated the opening of the new Mosaic Building on June 4. The three-story building will serve as the organization’s headquarters. The former headquarters, at 26 N. Arsenal Ave., will still be used to provide services.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Damien Center President and CEO Alan Witchey reminded attendees that June is Pride Month. He said members of the LGBTQ+ community are disproportionately affected by housing insecurity, food insecurity and health conditions, such as HIV.
But the new space, Witchey said, will enable the Damien Center to help more people. He said the new building will help the organization’s goal of eliminating HIV and other health inequities in Indianapolis.
“This is a place where we stand our ground that we are here for the community,” Witchey said. “We are not backing down. We are going forward.”
The facility features separate medical, mental health and dental clinics. It has a pharmacy, a laboratory and a private entrance for patients seeking testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections. There is also a computer lab, a food pantry and a cafeteria that will serve hot meals Monday through Friday.
Witchey said the building was named after a three-story mosaic that covers the building’s elevator. The mosaic is inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and more than 4,000 community members helped create it.
“We are a mosaic of various services that connect together and really make a beautiful tapestry of services as well,” Witchey said. “So we thought it was great to have that name represent both aspects.”
It’s also an ideal location for people seeking services from the Damien Center. The campus is along the future Blue Line route and in an area that Witchey said has some of the highest rates of HIV in the city.
The new facility is next to Cafe Oztara, a coffee shop and workforce training center from the Damien Center that opened in February.
The cafe offers a 10-week training program, which Bill Karnes is set to complete this month. In his 30 years as a client, he’s watched Damien Center change locations and expand programs.
And at the Mosaic Building, he hopes to become even more involved with the organization.
“Damien Center makes me feel like a valued human being,” he said.
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Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian or on Bluesky @darianbenson.bsky.social.
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Damien Center opens eastside coffee shop, training center
Cafe Oztara was created as a sober safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.
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