While Hispanic Americans represent one of the fastest growing at-risk groups for HIV infection, Arizona AIDS service organization Chicanos Por La Causa will no longer be serving positive people in Maricopa County due to a lack of necessary funds, The Arizona Republic reports (azcentral.com, 1/9).

According to the article, the group was scheduled to receive $284,992 this fiscal year through the federal Ryan White CARE Act, up from last year’s $256,908. However this federal funding is not enough to sustain HIV programming—including medical care, psychological services and case management—beyond February of this year. The group has taken on between 50 and 100 clients at a time for the past seven years.

“We’re disappointed that we’re not able to continue the program,” the organization’s CEO Edmundo Hidalgo told The Arizona Republic. “Obviously there was a lot of hurt. There were a lot of clients that were very upset, very disappointed. But you have to do an evaluation and determine the viability of a program and services. This was the best decision for CPLC.” Until the contract ends next month, services will be shifted to other organizations temporarily.

The article notes that Hispanics currently represent 23 percent of Arizona’s 12,000 HIV cases.