Every weekday morning, you can find Project Lazarus Executive Director Ian Bicko meandering through the grounds of the organization, coffee in hand, chatting with residents or swapping jokes with staff. It’s clear to see that the Pennsylvania native found his calling in the Project Lazarus mission, both as a leader and as a personal advocate for communities living with HIV.
“Project Lazarus is an experience. It engulfs your senses in a way that’s impossible to quantify, but you immediately feel connected as an individual and as part of a larger community. Everything comes together: the smells of cooking in the kitchen, the laughter of our staff members, the peace you feel in the gardens. There’s just so much about this place that makes you feel at home — by design,” Ian said.
The organization’s legacy as a trailblazing entity was established at the height of the HIV/AIDs epidemic in 1985, providing hospice and caretaking services to individuals and families affected by the virus. Project Lazarus has experienced many different iterations of its services and programming since its inception, as community needs shifted in response to the development of antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication and the increased accessibility of health services for people living with HIV.
Today, Project Lazarus serves historically marginalized individuals living with HIV. This includes people impacted by housing and food insecurity, a history of substance use, mental health diagnoses, and more.
Program candidates are predominantly self-sustainable, which means they only require basic assistance. They are accepted through a referral process managed by the organization’s clinical program staff, who assess their medical needs and paperwork and conduct an interview prior to potential acceptance. Once they are admitted into our program, individuals receive person-specific case management and daily programming and are provided with nutritional services and access to harm reduction and mental health services, if needed.
Although Project Lazarus was once recognized for directly providing substantial care and clinical services to meet hospice needs, the current model provides holistic programming through a collaborative network of community partners, including CrescentCare, Access Health Louisiana, Priority Health, and Avita Pharmacy, among others. The clinical staff advocate for residents by connecting them to appropriate resource partners when they need financial or legal assistance.
At times, the strength of the organization’s legacy has shadowed its evolution. For about 10 years, the Project Lazarus board, team, and volunteers have worked hard to relay the extent of updated services and appeal on behalf of its residents, whose demographics have changed from primarily affluent gay men in the 80s to early 2000s, to individuals and communities who are commonly unhoused and affected by poverty. This history, while positive, is something that the organization struggles to convey to the community, which still ties HIV diagnosis to a gay lifestyle. However, HIV diagnoses are disproportionately impacting under-resourced or disinvested black and Hispanic/Latino communities in the southern U.S., specifically the Greater New Orleans region.
Enter Ian Bicko. Since assuming the role in December 2024, Ian has become known for his easy, laid-back demeanor and for bringing revitalized energy and outreach methods to Project Lazarus. He, too, crossed the threshold of Lazarus with its history as a hospice etched in his mind.
“My perspective has evolved over time … I knew when I accepted the role that I was inheriting a 40-year legacy, but the connection and emotional commitment that people have to this place is eye-opening. We don’t view people as statistics and numbers; we view them as a whole,” Ian said.
“It was one of the ways I understood how the organization had such a continuous impact on the community, and how it continues to be such a strong resource,” he added.
Ian’s work days consist of back-to-back meetings, outreach efforts to establish the organization’s current model as a community resource and partnering with major donors and organizations who support the “housing-first” model. This approach prioritizes establishing housing as an immediate need, so individuals can focus on improving their quality of life without additional strain.
“Services at Lazarus are still relevant today because of the people that we are serving … The individuals with the most need in our community are often ‘invisible’. They are people with compounding issues that we encounter every day in New Orleans. It’s nearly impossible to drive to work, or to go to the grocery store, or to go to church without experiencing someone who most likely qualifies for our services,” Ian said.
New Orleans is recognized as a “Fast-Track City” participant, which is part of a global effort to end HIV by 2030, organized as a global partnership between cities and municipalities around the world and four core partners – the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the City of Paris.
This program tasks the city with achieving the goal of achieving 95-95-95 goals; ensuring that 95% of people know their status, 95% of people who are aware of their status are enrolled in care, and 95% of that population achieves viral suppression.
“The question I pose to New Orleans is, what does it take to meet those people where they are? We won’t reach those goals (of ending HIV) unless we act collaboratively,” Ian said.
As part of the effort, the Project Lazarus team strives to step forward into a space of community education and advocacy, moving forward into 2026. Ian said the nonprofit will achieve this through securing more digital resources to facilitate community outreach and by hosting public training sessions at the site’s Wellness Center.
At the moment, Project Lazarus is seeking assistance to update the facility’s current technology and residential features, which include fencing and gardening updates. Ian is hopeful that new supporters who are passionate about ending homelessness and advocate for harm-reduction programming, will join the ranks of long-time Project Lazarus supporters.
“Someone has to finish the work we started in 1985.”
To support the Project Lazarus #GivingTuesday campaign, go online to onecau.se/_dmp2f1. To learn more about our organization, you can visit www.projectlazarus.net.
