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I live in Kansas City, Missouri.
Kansas City is a very traditional Midwestern city. However,
there are many individuals and organizations fighting against
the spread of AIDS. AIDS is a disease that does not discriminate.
My concern and advocacy work is with the Latino/a, African-American,
and Native American communities. I often ask myself: Why these
people? The answer is they are a part of my ethnic make-up
and I cannot stand silent and see them denied services or
care.
I work at the Kansas City
Free Health Clinic as a Peer Counselor. As a Peer Counselor,
I work hard helping individuals keep their doctors’ appointments,
case worker appointments and I share up-to-date information
about HIV treatments as well. My goal is to also help clients
to empower themselves by asking questions such as: Do you
know how you contracted HIV? Do you know what your medications
are? Are you familiar with the side-effects? What is your
goal three months from now and how will you arrive at your
goal in your health care? Do you inform your doctor about
how you are feeling? Do you know what your CD4 count and viral
load are? In case there is an emergency, do you have a card
with your medications and personal information on it with
you at all times? What are you doing to keep from being re-infected?
As an activist, I am very
proactive in the community. I am now the Chair of the African-American
AIDS Project of Greater Kansas City. I realize that HIV/AIDS
is a problem in the African American and Latino/a communities.
Sometimes I have to just speak up and out and let the chips
fall where they may. I make no apologies for sacrificing my
energy and time because I believe it is making a difference
in Kansas City. I am appointed by the mayor of Kansas City
to be a part of the Ryan White Planning Council which deals
with both prevention and care. In the past I have served as
the vice-chair of Ryan White Title I for the Greater Kansas
City area. I am also a new correspondent for the Mokan
Plus. Mokan Plus is circulated in Missouri, Kansas,
Denver, Iowa, and Nebraska.
Because this disease surrounds
many political facets, I have to be a strong-willed individual
in order to help those who are facing difficulty.
As a minister, I work with
a wonderful group of individuals at St. James United Methodist
Church. Covenant to Care is a caring group of people that
work hard on ministering to those who are living with AIDS.
They provide words of inspiration, and make their presence
known with open arms and many times go out of their way to
make life more comfortable for those who are living with AIDS.
As a spiritual person, I
believe in the power of prayer, meditation and making daily
affirmations to feed my inner spirit. There are always those
who are out to dispel and pull you down, but I do not allow
them to define who I am. Each day to me is a day of thanksgiving.
I am often confronted with discrimination and marginalization,
but through it all I maintain a positive attitude and remain
on top because I am here for a purpose. I have no problem
sharing my inspiration with those who are down in spirit because
I know that there is someone greater than any problem that
confronts me.
If you are a minister, case
worker, or community activist, you are under a terrorist attack
by those who have no knowledge about HIV or of the feelings
of those who are living sad lives. Many of our sisters and
brothers have died because of the ignorance and we who are
alive have the power to change things. Personally, until some
churches repent of their discrimination and prejudices, humankind
will always be under attack on religious grounds.
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