Stonewall Community Foundation Awards HEAT Program $35K Grant

By Office of the President | Nov 4, 2025

At the close of October and LGBTQ+ History Month, we pause to reflect and take deep pride in a moment that embodies the very heart of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. What we celebrate is more than a grant—it is a living testament to progress, resilience, and the power of care. It honors the people who show up each day to serve, and the young lives forever changed when we make space for hope and belonging.

On October 16, 2025, the Stonewall Community Foundation marked its 35th anniversary at Revel 2025 in New York City—a celebration of courage, community, and care. During the event, Stonewall announced a $35,000 grant to Downstate’s Health & Education Alternatives for Teens (HEAT) Program, a Brooklyn-based initiative recognized nationally for affirming, youth-centered healthcare. The award honors HEAT’s three-decade commitment to providing compassionate medical, mental health, and HIV prevention services for LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults—care delivered with dignity, inclusion, and hope.

This moment carries deep historical resonance. In June 1969, the Stonewall uprising in Greenwich Village ignited a movement that redefined what it means to stand for equality and human dignity. Decades later, that same spirit endures through the work of the Stonewall Community Foundation, whose 35-year legacy has advanced inclusion, equity, and well-being for LGBTQIA2S+ people everywhere. That shared spirit of purpose connects directly to Downstate’s long-standing role in public health leadership and its unwavering dedication to care that meets people where they are.

In 1992, Jeff Birnbaum, M.D., MPH, founded the HEAT Program, the first and still only comprehensive care program in Brooklyn devoted to LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS. Under the leadership of Dr. Birnbaum and Breanna Watson, MSPH, CHES, CLC, HEAT Deputy Executive Director, Downstate continues to embody the mission of Downstate as both an academic medical leader and a community anchor. Together, they have strengthened HEAT’s position as a trusted home for culturally responsive, evidence-based care while expanding opportunities for youth leadership, prevention education, and holistic wellness.

The $35,000 grant from the Stonewall Community Foundation represents an investment in HEAT’s future and a public affirmation of the work that has defined Downstate for decades. It will help HEAT expand outreach, connecting more queer and trans youth with affirming healthcare and prevention resources, enhancing gender-affirming and mental health programs, strengthening youth leadership through peer navigator and ambassador initiatives, and increasing visibility for innovative, youth-driven healthcare models to fight stigma and improve outcomes.

We extend our gratitude to the leaders, clinicians, researchers, outreach staff, and youth partners who have built and sustained HEAT for over three decades. Their unwavering dedication has made the program a safe, affirming, and life-changing resource for young people in Brooklyn and beyond.

The path from Stonewall to Central Brooklyn is shaped by courage, compassion, and community. We carry that legacy forward, ensuring that every young person, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, can access care that affirms their worth, protects their health, and celebrates their humanity.

Thank you to the Stonewall Community Foundation for its trust, partnership, and belief in this vital work.