HIV/AIDS has impacted our life’s in one way or the other rather it be a family member or close friend, or the town gossip of somebody who is suspected to have the disease.  During the Month of February and the early part of March let us find ways to combat stigma and educate the people about HIV/AIDS in the African American Community.

Here is a fact that many may not know: Blacks account for 13% of the US population but account for 53% of all new HIV infections according to the CDC.  To me as a young black male that number is alarming because that means there are people out there that don’t know they are living with HIV.  The question maybe asked “Why aren’t these people getting tested?”  The answers vary, but the number one thing is stigma.  Stigma from peers, from uneducated people, doctors, churches, places of business and the number one enemy  the media.  There is nothing more nerve wrecking then taking an HIV test and waiting for the results, but to add insult to injury is when you have stigma going on top of nerves.  During these next six weeks let’s reflect on how we can empower the black community to get tested and inspire others to test.

Whirlpool Angels who made pick-up day a cinch: Michelle Bowie, Milissa Gomez and Mary Beth Waning. Photo by Matthew Bradley.

Once again, Whirlpool employees have generously donated time, talent, funds and gifts to brighten the holidays for 33 CARES  clients and their families.  62 children will be receiving gifts in 2010.

Mary Beth Waning coordinated the event at Whirlpool this year, with the Whirlpool PRIDE Network and the Whirlpool Young Professional Network. 

Fundraising began with Blue Jean Fridays in September, when Whirlpool employees donated one dollar to wear jeans to work on Fridays.  This effort, sponsored by the Whirlpool PRIDE Network, raised $1,624 for the Angel Tree program.  During the first week  of December, the Whirlpool Young Professional Network held a bake sale which raised another $1,200.

In November, each Benton Harbor/St. Joseph-area Whirlpool facility put up holiday trees with anonymous Angel ornaments for each child participating in the program.  The ornaments listed the gender and age of each child, as well as any wished-for or needed items.  Employees were able to choose an ornament and shop for that child. 

The bitter cold and swirling snows of Monday, December 13th found members of both the Kalamazoo and Benton Harbor CARES staff working alongside Whirlpool’s Michelle Bowie, Milissa Gomez and Mary Beth Waning to get the gifts loaded and ready for distribution.

Our staff is especially grateful for Whirlpool’s continuing support of our clients and our mission.  Please check out our website, www.caresswm.org in the coming days to see stories in our blogging section, sharing how the Angel Tree program touches the lives of some of the families we serve.

Happy Holidays!

“Mitch” is being recognized by the Iota Iota Omega Chapter of AKA for his commitment to educating and informing the community about HIV/AIDS. 

A “meet and greet” with the 12 honorees will follow at the church.  After the ceremony, there will be information-sharing about health concerns that affect the black community.

Governor Granholm recently recognized the 6th Annual Black AIDS Awareness Campaign. Here is the official copy.

          On behalf of the citizens of Michigan, I, Jennifer M. Granholm

          hereby recognize the

               6th Annual Black AIDS Awareness Campaign 

WHEREAS, the health of Michigan citizens has steadily improved over the last decade, however Michigan’s Black citizens are more likely to have poor health and die early from preventable diseases and conditions; and

WHEREAS, the percentage of racial and ethnic minorities continues to grow in Michigan, with Michigan’s Black citizens experiencing a 7% increase since 1980; and

WHEREAS, Blacks represent 14% of Michigan’s population yet 59% of  those living with HIV/AIDS; and Blacks are more than nine times as likely to be infected with HIV/AIDS than whites; and

WHEREAS Michigan’s Surgeon General has called upon various stakeholders to identify populations with disparate health care and outcomes and develop ways to reduce disparities in these populations, and

WHEREAS, Blacks are less likely to receive early care, treatment and appropriate medications and die sooner from HIV/AIDS; and

WHEREAS, The Michigan Department of Community Health is committed to the health and safety of all people and must rise to the challenge of reducing all health disparities, including HIV/AIDS, in communities of color; and

WHEREAS, Continued investment in prevention, care and awareness efforts need to be focused, relevant, and accessible to reach the goal of a Michigan without HIV/AIDS in all populations; and

WHEREAS, The Black AIDS Awareness Campaign provides an opportunity to fight HIV/AIDS in the Black community by encouraging individuals to get educated about HIV/AIDS, get tested and know their test results, get involved in advocating for resources necessary to fight this disease, and get treated if you have tested positive for HIV or been diagnosed with AIDS;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby encourage all Michigan residents to strongly support the “6^th ANNUAL BLACK AIDS AWARENESS CAMPAIGN” and urge all Michigan residents to strongly support this campaign and participate in events that are planned across the State from February 1 – March 15, 2010.

The pages you see in front of you are a complete overhaul, not just a simple paint job. And why are we doing this?

Well, we want to tell you about all the benefits of CARES. And we naturally want to give you all the latest info on worldwide HIV research and even promote our local events. But that’s only a start, and frankly, if that’s all this site came to be, it would be a bit one-sided.

It’s our mission to maximize the quality of life for those affected by HIV and to do all we can to reduce transmission rates of HIV, so we also want to hear from you. After all, the issues you live with are the inspiration behind our nonprofit.

You can read and comment on our new blog. We’ll bring interesting weekly posts and maybe even a contest or two. The best way to join in is to grab our RSS feed and add us to your Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube friends list. We’ll do the same and promise to chat with you every chance we get.

“But who’s writing this blog?”

For now, three people will be the primary writers for this blog. Amy Bartell will bring you news and updates about this site. Kelly Doyle will lend her thoughts on what’s happening at CARES and throw in a few quips now and then. Last, but not least, Barbara Sharpe will keep us all up to speed about special events and what happens with your donations.

But that’s not to say others at CARES won’t be a part of the conversation – we wouldn’t be surprised if our workmates join in.

Talk with you soon. Please let us know if you’d like any particular topics covered.

- Amy Bartell