When Daniel Holt first connected with Aliveness, it was 2012 and he had signed up to volunteer for Dining Out for Life. What he found wasn’t just a fundraiser, it was community.
“I had so much fun volunteering for DOFL,” Daniel says. “It’s like high school but without the bullies. Everyone feels safe, everyone can relax, The stigma isn’t there. It’s just people supporting each other.”
That night sparked more than just volunteerism; it became a lifelong relationship. So much so that on his wedding night, Daniel and his husband celebrated at Pizza Lucé because it was a DOFL restaurant. “We wanted our first night as a married couple to also give back,” he says.
Daniel also admits he has a soft spot for the DOFL Restaurant Guide (a list of all the restaurants in MN committed to helping Aliveness Project). “I love it so much,” he says. “As politics have gotten spicier in this country, it’s so nice to have a list of restaurants that are safe places in our state. It feels like a local version of the Human Rights Campaign Buyer’s Guide. As everything gets more and more polarized, it’s great to know which restaurants are friends to the queer community, HIV community, trans community, and beyond.”
But Daniel’s story with HIV advocacy started even earlier. Back in 2011, while working at the Minnesota AIDS Project, he crossed paths with Matt Toburen. “Matt asked me, ‘aren’t you a pharmacist?’ At the time I was only doing data work, but he helped me step into what I was meant to do.” When Matt later became Executive Director of Aliveness, Daniel knew the organization would thrive. “Aliveness are the cool kids in town,” he says. “A safe space for the HIV and gender-diverse population. Aliveness is a fantastic recipe.”
Today, Daniel is a Clinical Pharmacist at North Memorial Health Infectious Disease Clinic, bringing his expertise and compassion to people living with and at risk of HIV. He knows firsthand the challenges of navigating health systems and the difference Aliveness makes.
“I can’t say enough about how great the Aliveness Benefits team is,” he says. “They’re the ones helping people navigate the system, keeping people insured, making sure people have access to PrEP, PEP, and treatment. It is such a challenge having to fill out confusing paperwork, getting your mail, the privilege of even having access to mail, having a home, ect. It is so hard to keep Medicaid open on your own. What if a family member is having an emergency? This can all be so challenging to keep track of alone, that’s why I am so thankful for Benefits Navigators.” Daniel adds, “Insurance coverage is the key to open the door to health. Medication is life. Medication is existence. Without it, everything becomes unaffordable, and people’s lives get shorter. If you don’t have access to medication, your immune system will get hurt and it will take more effort to heal yourself every time. The Benefits team is how we end the epidemic, by making sure everyone has access to care.”
Daniel is committed to advocacy. In college, he made a promise he would fight for his community. That promise eventually led him into pharmacy and HIV care. “Being born in 1983, the circumstances could have easily been me. These are my friends, my community. Those of us who are privileged have an obligation to fight for those who can’t.
So what does he hope for Aliveness? “Sustainability. Growth. Expansion into more underrepresented communities. Greater collaboration across nonprofits. And your new clinical services? That’s huge! For the queer and gender-diverse community, I can’t think of a place people would want to go more than here.”
From his first DOFL shift to shaping HIV care in Minnesota, Daniel Holt embodies what it means to give back with both heart and expertise.
We know that with Daniel’s help we can create a healthier and more thriving community for all.
Thank you, Daniel. We can’t do this without you.
To learn more about the Aliveness Benefits Team or if you need support navigating your insurance visit: aliveness.org/benefits-counseling
