Our History

Strongest Link began as a grass roots organization, powered by the vision of Jack Armitage, an Essex County resident who realized that AIDS was not only an inner-city problem, but a disease advancing through a cross-section of society. Strongest Link began in the Fall of 1988 to offer a haven of support for those impacted by the disease, by establishing the first peer support group and the first educational program in the area. Incorporated in 1989 as a 501 (c) 3, Strongest Link continued as a largely volunteer group until 1990 when it became a professionally staffed, full-time AIDS service organization serving Essex County.