The community of Victory Programs and the Boston Living Center (BLC) joins Boston’s LGBTQ+ community in mourning the passing of Frank Ribaudo, the visionary co-founder of Club Café. Frank was a legendary entrepreneur, a tireless HIV/AIDS advocate, and a foundational pillar of support for our organization.
Our thoughts are with his husband, Joe Posa, his friends, his colleagues, and the entire Club Café family as we navigate this profound loss.
To Victory Programs and the BLC, Frank was more than a supporter—he was a sanctuary builder whose open-hearted generosity helped hold our community together during its most difficult chapters.
Before We Had a Home: The Club Café Kitchen
Frank’s impact on the Boston Living Center is woven directly into our origin story. In the mid-1980s, when the HIV/AIDS epidemic began to devastate our community, resources were scarce and safe spaces to gather were even scarcer. Before the BLC had a physical building of its own, Frank took immediate action.
Every Monday night, when Club Café was closed, Frank opened the restaurant’s kitchen. He allowed community members to gather and cook hot dinners for friends and neighbors living with HIV/AIDS. These grassroots community dinners provided not only vital nutrition but also a safe, dignified space where people could share information about programs, therapies, and find unconditional support.
These dinners laid the groundwork for what the Boston Living Center would become, establishing a legacy of nutrition, care, and connection that continues to define the BLC’s daily meals program today.
Decades of Leadership, Service, and Celebration
Frank’s commitment to the BLC and Victory Programs did not stop in the kitchen. Over the next forty years, he dedicated his time, leadership, and entrepreneurial success to sustaining our mission:
Board Leadership: Frank served as a dedicated Board Member for the Boston Living Center in the years prior to its merger with Victory Programs, helping guide the organization through critical periods of growth.
Years of Victory Society: He was a proud and active member of the Years of Victory Society, ensuring long-term sustainability for our programs.
Benefit Event Partnership: Frank turned Club Café into a premier venue for community fundraisers, hosting a multitude of events in support of Victory Programs and the BLC, including Drag Brunches, Casino Nights, and the annual Homes for the Holidays event.
The Thanksgiving Tradition: To this day, Club Café continues to donate a portion of the proceeds from their annual Thanksgiving Dinner directly to support BLC members.
Dinnerfest Host Committee: Frank served on the Host Committee for several of Victory’s annual Dinnerfest events, personally donating auction items from Club Café—such as dinners and gift baskets—to maximize fundraising efforts.
Strengthening the Community “Beyond the Bars”
Frank believed deeply that health, wellness, and community connection were essential to overcoming adversity. In 2003, alongside his close friend Michael Tye, Frank co-founded the Harbor to the Bay AIDS Benefit Bike Ride, serving for 22 years as its treasurer, crew member, and organizer to raise vital funds for local AIDS service organizations.
He also championed getting the LGBTQ+ community “out of the bars and onto the fields.” To promote health and wellness, Frank established Club Café’s Community Support Fund. By dedicating funds raised through recycling and coat checks, he established a program that still donates more than $30,000 annually to sponsor LGBTQ+ sports leagues—from softball to kickball—ensuring everyone had a place to belong.
Honoring a Shining Star
Frank’s legacy of compassion has been recognized at the highest levels within our community. In 2014, to mark the 25th anniversary of Victory Programs’ Boston Living Center, we proudly honored Frank as a BLC Shining Star—a distinction reserved for individuals who made a monumental impact on the lives of our members living with HIV/AIDS and who never lost sight of what is at the heart of the BLC: compassion, support, and love.
Additionally, Frank and his business partner Jim Morgrage were presented with the BLC’s prestigious Peter Daniel Clark Award in recognition of their open-hearted generosity and unconditional love. Frank was also honored in 2016 with the Dr. Cal Cohen Founder’s Award from the Community Research Initiative, recognizing his steadfast commitment to advancing care and community support.
We are infinitely grateful for the decades Frank spent bringing our community out of the shadows and into the light. His warmth, vision, and radical hospitality will never be forgotten.
Rest in power, Frank.