Rick Heffernan is one of two recipients of the $2,500 Kenneth Lackner Scholarship for 2025. Through nearly five years of volunteering with a drop-in for sex workers at Ribbon Community, Rick has witnessed firsthand how systemic inequities affect real people accessing HIV care and prevention. Now completing his Master’s degree in Public Health at Simon Fraser University, Rick aims to apply these experiences alongside his new academic knowledge to contribute to collaborative, evidence-informed policies that reduce harms associated with substance use and improve care for people living with HIV and others underserved by our health system. Over the years, some recipients have chosen to share their names and stories, while others opt for privacy. In line with our value of “we honour every journey,” we give each recipient the choice about what they do or do not want to share with our community. Previous recipients include Kim Hoang (Henry) Tran, Henry Wu, and Shawn W. Edwards.
Funding for the scholarship comes from interest on the AIDS Vancouver Endowment Fund, held at the Vancouver Foundation. This allows us to provide one or two scholarships to community members. Some years, we use current donations to ensure we can provide recipients with an even $2,500. To talk about contributing to the Kenneth Lackner Scholarship financially, please contact Ribbon’s Executive Director Sarah Chown at 604-696-4655 or SarahC@RibbonCommunity.org.
Each year, well over 1,000 clients connect with Ribbon Community. Our programs and services are powered with over 2,000 hours contributed by nearly 100 volunteers. One way that we honour all of the people who make our work possible is through the Kenneth Lackner Scholarship. This scholarship was first established with a legacy gift made by Kenneth, a longtime bookkeeping assistant at AIDS Vancouver. This scholarship provides an opportunity to honour the contributions of Kenneth as a staff member and a donor, as well as the contributions from volunteers, clients, and people living with HIV.
To find out when the Kenneth Lackner Scholarship will be accepting applications, please sign up for our monthly newsletter, The Ribbon Inside, connect with us on social, our visit us at our office or one of the clinics. This scholarship is offered once per year. All Ribbon Community volunteers and clients, as well as people living with HIV throughout British Columbia, are eligible to apply.
