A GREAT conference I attended recently

Hi, I'm Bo Keppel, an AmeriCorps National AIDS Fund member in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In December I received a full scholarship to attend the National Rural Health Association's annual Rural Minority and Multicultural Health Confernce in Albuquerque. It was a fantastic conference and I urge you to apply for a scholarship next year when it will be held in Memphis, TN. There were many excellent presentations and LOTS of great information and goodies to share with clients.

A presentation of particular interest was the one on rural women and HIV. Here's the summary I wrote for my AmeriCorps and health department bosses, just to whet your appetities:
____________________________________________________________________

HIV/AIDS Prevention for Women Living in the Rural South, Mary Bowers, MSW, DOHHS, Office on Women’s Health Public Health Advisor

Women represent a growing number of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the US, and HIV/AIDS is increasingly affecting women, adolescents, and minorities in rural and Southern areas of the country. These facts were made concrete through a presentation of United States maps representing population dispersal, racial dispersal, poverty, unemployment, hospitals, rural health clinics, and much other data. The presenter listed the disparities of sexism and racism, oppression, stigma, poverty, under and unemployment, crime and incarceration, limited resources and geographic isolation as barriers to preventing HIV infection among rural women of color. We must also take into consideration the gender-based, cultural, socio-economic, psycho-social, geographic and biological risk differentials for women, as well as the risk violence against women adds.

What can we in prevention do? We must reach women where they are, in workplaces, hair salons, bars, daycare centers, schools, public assistance offices, church, home. We must provide woman-centered services through a gender-centered approach by communicating in the standard community language which is non-condescending and non-judgmental; by building women’s self-esteem and self-determination. We must push for the development of microbicides and other female-controlled barriers. As part of prevention we must also work to see women receive routine wellness checks which include risk assessment and counseling, STD testing and reproductive health check-ups.

This complete and relevant presentation was offered in PowerPoint, a copy of which I have received from the presenter. If you are an AmeriCorps National AIDS Fund member working with rural women and would like a copy, please email me at roberta.keppel@state.nm.us and I'll send it to you

If you'd like info on next year's conference or the National Rural Health Association, go to their website at http://www.ruralhealthweb.org/.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Team Charlotte went above and beyond the call of duty helping out with two full day testing events for NBAAD. HIV/AIDS rates are high among the African American community, so our team tried to test as many people as we could. We first teamed up with the Mecklenburg Health Department's testing event at Johnson C. Smith University, a historically black University located in the heart of Charlotte. The day included testing 81 students and doing outreach around the campus. We even managed to get our feet on the evening news (they were trying to keep things confidential)! The following weekend the team traveled to Rock Hill, SC, to give Catawba Care Coalition a helping hand in their testing event with Clinton Jr. College, another historically black school. Although we had high hopes in continuing to test the same number of people as last year, the day was still successful because we managed to test 18 individuals. The team was in great spirits and had high energy for both events and we might have even recruited some new members for next year!

MLK Jr. National Day of Service, Team Chicago

For Martin Luther King Day, Team Chicago assisted with a Chicago Cares day of service event that began at the United Center. Although I have to admit that the mood among our team members at first was far from jubilant due to the cold and early morning start time, the positive atmosphere that soon flooded the United Center as the day got rolling definitely lifted our spirits. As “Roadies”, we were assigned to checking in volunteers, answering their questions and helping them find their buses, which would be heading out later that morning to various sites around Chicago. It was definitely a hectic morning trying to keep up with the thousands of people who came to the United Center that day, but we found that most people were smiling and happy to be there, and we were happy to do what we could to assist them. It was certainly inspiring to see so many people dedicating their time and energy that day to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and that spirit of service permeated our team experience. I think that we all felt that there is something special about being in Chicago during this point in the history of our country, for although there are many hardships there is also great opportunity to be of service to our communities.

Bronwen White
Team Chicago

"Together We Can" Team Charlotte's MLK Day of Service!!

Team Charlotte worked with Hyaets Inc. to have a successful MLK Day celebration. Hyaets is a small non profit organization based in the Enderly Park Community on the west side of Charlotte. This is an impoverished community, where the children deal with a struggle of violence and unity on a daily basis. The team members of Hyaets Inc. work to provide a safe place for the children of the neighborhood and to be good neighbors in the biblical terms.
For our day of service we really reached inside of ourselves to come up with a day focused on the great works of Dr. King. The day, entitled “Together we can”, was focused on two of King’s most popular teaching themes, unity and nonviolence. We had children from Enderly Park and from a local church’s youth group as our audience for the day, aged 3-18. We began at noon with a quick lunch prepared by none other than the lovely ladies of Team Charlotte and a few volunteers. The youth of the Hyaets community and of Park Road Baptist Church came together to learn more about the life and legacy of Dr. King. We began with a speech outlining the life of Dr. King. Next we moved to a game with quotes by King. This gave all participants the opportunity to really think about the things Kings said and how they are still relevant to all of our lives today. Our next activity was a puzzle activity that was all about unity and working together, the students LOVED it and they really understood the point of the activity.
In addition to all of that fun, we left the warmth of the building to brave the cold and be Guerrilla Gardeners in the Elderly Park community. We roamed the streets of the neighborhood with our shovels planting pansies at abandoned houses and lots also for some friendly neighbors who enjoyed our company. This was a huge success, the children had a wonderful time, and the whole team enjoyed themselves as well; there was even a student who had such a good time that she believed she had found her calling to be a gardener.
As we wrapped up our day we listened to the entire I have a Dream speech as we watched a slide about the Civil Rights Movement, with a concentration on the nonviolent protest that King lead. After viewing the slide, it was time to reflect, the floor was open for discussion about what we had seen and heard during the day. In the slide there was a photo of President Obama and during the discussion one of the students said “Tomorrow part of Martin Luther King’s dream is going to come true when Barack Obama becomes President”. Although this was a simple statement you could tell that many of them hadn’t made that connection before that moment. It was so wonderful!
We all enjoyed ourselves and each of us made a special connection with at least one child! My favorite part of the day was seeing each of my teammates just jump right in and give there all to each child and activity! It took a lot out of us but we really worked as a team and the day was a big success. Having Maggie there to share the day with us made it that much better. The whole experience made a lasting impression on Team Charlotte as a whole and I’m sure we touch a few kids’ lives.

Solita Jefferies
Team Charlotte

MLK Day of Service-Team Indy

Team Indy’s MLK Day of Service was wonderful. We started out with a business-oriented meeting about our long-term project in the morning and served during the afternoon. For me, it was truly a rewarding afternoon. I was thrilled to return to my alma mater, the place that truly taught me about life, becoming an adult, and giving back to the community.
Our service hours consisted of an HIV 101/ HIV panel discussion for a group of girls in a medical magnet program here in Indianapolis. In my everyday work, this is all I do. I talk to youth about HIV, STDs, and safe sex. But, what made the day special was having my entire team beside me in concert, passionately talking to these eight young ladies about HIV and the importance of our work during this service year. Aside from that, it was refreshing to watch my team members take command of their portion of the discussion and deliver it effortlessly.
When we were finished with our presentation, we opened the floor for questions. The ladies were not shy at all. They asked intelligent, blunt questions until they had no more. As time wound down, we passed out HIV and STD pamphlets that covered the bases of transmission and how to protect yourself from infection as well as free testing cards.
The next day, when I read my email, there was one from my high school teacher that allowed us to give our presentation during her class. It read, “Hey there Jamie! It was so special to have you back in class (smile). Thanks for bringing the calvary, the students loved it. Love you lots.”
After I was done reading it, I knew we had accomplished what I had envisioned for the day.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!!!!

This year for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Team Tulsa marched in the parade with my host site, HOPE Testing Clinic. We all wore red for HIV/AIDS awareness. During the parade, we handed out lollipops with information about HIV testing for Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day that is coming up on February 7, along with other clinic and testing information. We also handed out information about the Oklahoma HIV/STD Hotline that is answered during the day at HOPE. We carried my clinic's banner that encourages people to get tested (which I did trip over while carrying!). This year's parade was the biggest in Tulsa's history. Not only were people celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr., but President Obama's picture was on many of the floats as well. This extra significance made the parade all that more meaningful for myself, and the others involved. All the local television stations were there, and I had a few people tell me they saw us on tv. It was just an awesome feeling being involved in the biggest MLK parade ever in Tulsa, the day before President Obama's first day in office all while getting the word about about HIV testing in Tulsa.

Samantha Young
Team Tulsa

Team DC - MLK Jr. National Day of Service

Team DC spent our MLK Jr. National Day of Service volunteering at the DC Health Expo held at the huge convention center in downtown DC. While most of our agencies had their own booths at the event, we volunteered our time to the National Kidney Foundation. They had a large segment portioned off for their work which was identifying a person's BMI, taking blood pressure, filling out a questionnaire to assess risk for kidney disease, and offering people a chance to speak with the eight volunteer doctors on hand.

We were assigned to assist people in making their way around to the various centers. We provided answers to people in line, assisted in filling out the questionnaire, and took them to the consultations with the doctors. A few of us had the opportunity to chat with people while they waited in line for their consultations. Often times, the clients would remark on how nice it was for the doctors to offer their time and how happy they were to be able to see a doctor as they didn't have health insurance. A lot of people took their kids with them to talk to the doctor about problems that were not kidney related.

This service day turned out to be really nice as we got to meet several interesting people who were also volunteers, spend time working in the larger community (which we often forget about as we our the bubble of our own agencies), and walk around and visit other booths at the Expo (some definitely walked away with good loot). It was also really good to see medical professionals volunteering their time and being friendly and courteous to the clients they saw at the NKF booth and in the whole convention center. Finally, it's just always nice to spend an extra day and connect with our team members and we are all so busy during the week! These extra events allow us to learn about different corners of DC as a team that we might possibly not have a chance to experience.

The day showed us that there is a very real need in the DC community for proper healthcare. Over 1000 people went through the National Kidney Foundation booth and were provided with potentially life-saving information so the event was really powerful. Although non-profits, foundations, and community-based agencies can give people incredibly important knowledge and tools, it is obvious that real social change will only come through collective action at all societal levels.

Team Detroit MLK Day

MLK Day 2009 for Team Detroit was a day of collaboration with another AmeriCorps group, City Year Detroit. City Year always puts on a big event for MLK Day and we decided to join them in their day of service after meeting them at an AmeriCorps Teams in Michigan Conference. Our team members gathered early in the morning in downtown Detroit for a kick off rally for the day of service. City Year recruited all kinds of folks to volunteer for a day of service in commemoration of Dr. King. They were not all necessarily students who had the day off, but rather individuals who were teachers, businessman, young and old who wanted to come together for a day of service and action in the Detroit community.

After the rally, we were stationed at the Holistic Community Development Center with other City Year members. The Holistic Center is a place for the members of the community to get involved with everything from prayer to dancing to educational as well as community engagement projects. The building was quite old and needed a bit of cleaning and organizing. Half of the group worked on cleaning and organizing a closet that had been neglected for several years and needed much TLC. The other half of the group worked on cleaning up a kitchen in preparation for another AmeriCorps team who was scheduled to come in and paint the room. Both groups worked hard at sorting, cleaning, dusting, mopping and making the Holistic Center spic and span. We all worked up a healthy sweat and met some new friends during the day. Overall, cleaning up the Holistic Center went very well and the people there were very, very thankful for all the help we provided that day. MLK 2009 was a great way to meet other AmeriCorps members and to improve our Detroit community!

New Mexicans Represent MLK & Obama!!

Team New Mexico had an awesome Martin Luther King Jr. Day!! We were less one member because Bo was sick :( The boys and I worked with EcoVersity, in Santa Fe, on a service event that took only three days to organize and ended up attracting 60 people! EcoVersity focuses on sustainable living and ecological responsibility through education programs offered throughout the year. On a tour of their facilities we learned how to make bio fuel out of algae from a fascinating ten-year-old, how bees store honey for the winter, and that some turkeys just can’t stop gobbling (and Becky thinks it's hilarious)!

For the service part of the day we weeded the greenhouse. One would think this is a fairly simple task, but no. It took four of us all morning to clear out the grass and nasturtium of a pretty small area. Both plants had overgrown their space and were beginning to kill the other greenhouse plants. Although there was physical labor involved, the greenhouse was 80 degrees and humid (Stephen and I felt at home), and there was soothing music playing as we worked. We did encounter some difficulties when stinging nettles gave Stephen a massive rash on his hands and arms! Luckily, a woman had just stopped in to warm up from outside and told us a natural remedy was the juice from the nettle leaves themselves. Pauly was brave enough to help Stephen and massage the leaves until the juice came out while Ben volunteered to finish the job Stephen had started – woohoo teamwork! Unfortunately, the nettles also stung Ben and gave him a small rash on his arms & hands, but it did not get nearly as bad as Stephen’s. Luckily, the ten-year-old girl came around at this time and gave both the boys some algae oil (the bio fuel I had mentioned earlier) which is also apparently a good skin remedy and has many other uses.

Around lunch time we found out that most of the plants we had weeded would be back and overgrown in less than two weeks! This fact was slightly disappointing considering all the work we had done. For lunch we had homemade vegetable soup with green chili (a New Mexican favorite!) and got to talk with the other volunteers. Then we went on a tour of the grounds where we learned about all of the projects EcoVersity runs. This included spending almost an hour talking to the ten-year-old about her algae project.

In all, we had a fun day where we actually learned something about the environment and felt like we were doing our part. We all look forward to the next adventure of Team New Mexico!!

OBAMANOS!!

Happy 2009 from Team Chicago!!

World AIDS Day Team Tulsa

Monday, we kicked off the first day of a week-long World AIDS Day event at my host agency, The University of Tulsa. With campus wide sponsorship and support, I planned and facilitated a three day testing challenge at which Sam, Erica, and I tested a total of 38 students during lunch over a three day, 12 hour period. Students received free t-shirts for being testing and several professors offered extra credit to students who volunteered at and attended the main even. 

The week ended with an evening dinner and a panel discussion.

I am still receiving phone calls and compliments about the impact of the event on those in attendance. Everyone was really moved by the stories of the guest speakers which consisted of two heath professionals/prominent community members who are both infected with HIV, the regional rep. of the NAMES Project AIDS Quilt (who spoke about the panel displaying fallen Tulsans), and a local doctor working in the field for over 20 years who provides groundbreaking client care to over 350 local HIV patients. 

There was such a surreal quality to the evening, every aspect of this event made this epidemic feel so urgent and important. I was especially moved to see one speaker become emotional when he realized that someone featured on the AIDS Quilt was a very close friend of his. Another speaker shared her story of being infected by her college sweetheart when she was only 21 years old.

Yolanda Arnold

Team Tulsa

World AIDS Day - Team Indy

World AIDS Day: December 1, 2008

Part One
Church of grandeur.
Prestige, Responsibility, and Power walk through the doors
In the form of the leaders and directors in HIV prevention and outreach in Indiana.
The guests make a small dent in the large sanctuary
With their new red-ribbon pins adorning their lapels.

The atmosphere is mellow –
Fueled by the AIDS Quilt which invites reflection
And the names of Hoosier victims that scroll across the screen.
Candles are passed.
The choirs sing.
The pastor opens the podium for the professionals to share the facts:
HIV IS in our state; it has left its mark; and it shows no discrimination.
Then to the video and discussion on HIV in Kenya that briefly takes us to another place.
We sing; we pray; and we conclude: “remembering, bearing witness, and living hope.”

I cut out early to make it to a second event.

Part Two
At the other end of the city, I enter a public building.
The room is packed.
I find myself as the minority and can quickly count the white people in the room.
I recognize clients, fellow case-workers, and volunteers.
The dinner, the music, and the stories have passed.
I take my seat just in time for the fashion show to begin.

It is a celebration of life, of those who have fought and continue to fight the battle in their bodies and in society.
Of those whose lives have been affected, but still find reasons for joy.
The energy is high.
I find myself at ease and honored to be a part of something so profound.

The moment I had been waiting for finally arrives.
The client I had been seeing for months was about to present.
Though he and I had spent hours discussing employment, income and housing,
Medications, side-effects, drugs, and struggles
Tonight was the night I was able to see his passion.
Tonight was the night he was not known as an HIV survivor, unemployed, or too sick to make his appointment.
Tonight he was a much anticipated fashion designer.

I could not have been more proud.
I was deeply touched by the support he received in that venue –
Support that could propel him through the difficult days ahead.
This is what is needed, I thought; this is what it is really about.

A Reflection
The contrasting events each served their purpose.
The first, an atmosphere for professionals to remember;
The second, a place for clients to celebrate.

I drove home with an appreciation for diversity in Indianapolis.
Many different people dedicated their evenings to the AIDS cause.
I was encouraged to see their support and excited to witness their advocacy.

But I also drove home with the recognition for the need of unity;
Why two starkly different events
That separated races and classes?

I realized that Indianapolis has room to grow –
Not only in testing, educating, and caring for the masses,
But also in sharing, supporting, and celebrating with one another.






By:
Amanda Quillen
Team Indianapolis
National AIDS Fund/ Caring Counts AmeriCorps 2008-2009

World AIDS Day, Team DC

To honor World AIDS Day, our team helped at The Women’s Collective WAD Celebration. The Women’s Collective provides comprehensive life services to African-American women in the DC area. They work to create a safe, non-judgmental environment for all women, girls and families. TWC is a warm, friendly building with a staff that obviously cares about everyone who walks through their doors.

Our day began with a time for food and fellowship followed by an exciting (to say the least) presentation about safer-sex techniques. Women from all over the city and even a few men learned about condoms, stds, and how to pleasure themselves and their partners from a woman clad only in tights and a bustier. We were both informed and entertained. Many questions followed and even a pop quiz with a prize for the winner was given.
The group then listened to presentations from five of our AmeriCorps members about the services their host organizations provide to women. Our members from HIPs, Our Place, Miriam’s House, The Women’s Collective and Children’s National Medical Center were there to talk about their programs. This was followed by a panel discussion and an opportunity for questions. Everyone seemed happy to learn about our placements and all the great things they are doing for DC.
Next, a visitor from the DC Rape Crisis Center treated us to a crash course in self-defense. She taught our group how to confront everything from cat calls to muggings. We all repeated the phrase “elbow, elbow, smash that crotch!, kick the knee, scrape the shin, stamp the foot!” By the end of our session everyone felt safer, empowered, ready to defend themselves on the street, and a little tired.
These activities all tied into the larger aim of our celebration and the goal of both World AIDS Day and The Women’s Collective: to empower people physically, emotionally, and mentally and to become a tighter, more informed community. People of all backgrounds joined together to celebrate those strong women who have passed, those who are struggling, and those who are surviving.
Women asked important questions and received valuable information. We all worked together to build a stronger, more empowered community. We laughed, we cried, and we kicked imaginary assailants in the knees. All in all it was a fun day and the perfect way to spend World AIDS day: celebrating what we have and making strides towards a bright future.


Adam Pepper and Rachel Gutfreund
National AIDS Fund AmeriCorps, Team DC 2008

Team Charlotte World AIDS Day

Team Charlotte- World AIDS Day Reporting

For World AIDS Day Team Charlotte was lucky enough to get to participate in a testing event at The University of North Carolina Charlotte. Student organizations and the Health Services office organized a day of HIV awareness and invited the county Health Department and Team Charlotte to bring information and services to complete their program. The day focused on trying to stop the ongoing spread of HIV through the uniting of these groups and a push for everyone to know their status. Students were encouraged by fellow classmates and campus staff to take the time to recognize World AIDS Day and get tested. Team Charlotte was on hand to help support the seventy four students who tested and to provide hundreds of other students on campus with vital facts and information to protect themselves and live healthier lives.
Two members of the team worked the information table in one of the main hubs on campus. They were able to provide condoms, statistics, and impart their knowledge on students as they pass from class to class, sending many of the seventy four who tested in the right direction. These two team members stood alongside ten student groups who had also set up information tables as a sign of their support in the fight to educate young people. The remaining four members of Team Charlotte helped the Health Department staff counsel and test seventy four students in a matter of a few hours. This task could not have been accomplished without the enthusiasm and organization of these four team members. Not only did these four women help things run smoothly, they were there to help bring support to nervous students who were getting tested for their first time.
It was an amazing experience to be able to see the coming together of all these young people, all very close in age to the members of our team, and to get to help them in empowering and educating themselves. The slogan of the day, “Are you positive you’re negative” resonated throughout the school and everyone involved in the days event felt an overwhelming sense of pride for the number of students who were able to say that in fact, they were positive they’re negative.

World of Desserts: Team Detroit's World AIDS Day Service Project

Carrie, Kara, DiAnt'e and Stacie at World of Desserts

This is DiAnt'e from team DETROIT!! I'm honored to discuss with you a joyous occasion that Team Detroit had in honor of World AIDS Day. Our team volunteered at a fundraiser called, 'World Of Desserts'. The fundraiser was to benefit The Michigan AIDS Fund and also to celebrate the new merger between the Michigan AIDS Fund and the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project (MAPP). The event was hosted by Fox 2 News anchor Charles Pugh (who is also a DJ on WJLB in Detroit) and featured prominent politicians, healthcare workers, and volunteers. Detroit locals, as well as many from the surrounding areas, came out to show support. The benefit consisted of many vendors from the Detroit metro area showcasing the very best desserts that Detroit has to offer.

Our duties consisted of everything from setting up the venue to coat-check to actually taking part in making desserts (me!). Overall, we enjoyed ourselves and were honored to be a part of this event. This benefit helped the Michigan AIDS Fund and Midwest AIDS Prevention Project kick off the new merger between the groups into a new organization serving our community: the Michigan AIDS Coalition. Our new partnership allows a greater chance at making a greater difference in the field of HIV/AIDS in the Detroit area every day!

DiAnt'e Washington
Team Detroit

Team Detroit Makes a Difference at Alternatives for Girls

Peaches, Kara and Usama all working hard!

As a team we decided to make a difference at Peaches' agency, Alternatives for Girls; a homeless shelter that also provides substance abuse treatment and other forms of life skills building for young women ages 12-21. Our day began with buckets and towels to clean AFG’s kitchens (there were 4 of them). We split the team and the work and began making a clean new difference at AFG. The work was not a grand-scale parade but it was very rewarding and fun to be part of a Make a Difference Day.

Stacie Cooper
Team Detroit

World AIDS Day, Team Chicago

For World AIDS Day, Team Chicago volunteered at World of Chocolate, a fundraiser for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC). We volunteered as part of the event strike crew, which meant we were free to sample the buffet and different chocolate concoctions from local restaurants and chocolatiers. One of my favorite vendors, the Palmer House, offered chocolate ice cream made with liquid nitrogen, and truffles stuffed with pop rocks.

In addition to visiting with staff from the AFC, our team had the opportunity to meet and talk with many of last year's NAF AmeriCorps members who are still in the area. We had a nice time discussing our host agencies and swapping stories.

As the event wound down it was time for us to get to work. We collapsed decorations and packed up bazaar items to store for next year. The work was both humorous and trying at times as we marveled at the variety of items available and struggled to find enough boxes and bubble wrap to store them. Every time we thought we had reached the end another glittery snowflake would appear seemingly out of nowhere. When the last box was finally packed we emerged, exhausted, into the frigid Chicago night with sweet memories dancing in our heads.

Elise Niedermeier
Team Chicago

It felt strangely familiar, traveling to Gallup for a conference and preparing to meet with AmeriCorps members from across the state of New Mexico. I was hoping it would be exciting and educational, but if not, at least it would be an experience. After a brief car ride of four hours (!) we arrived in Gallup to find it dryer than it had been in the central part of the state. We were in a border town of New Mexico checking into a conference in a known haunted hotel! The team was buzzing about the opportunity to enjoy this networking, but no one seemed too excited about any of the courses offered or the opportunity to work at the Red Rocks State Park conducting maintenance of the facilities. I couldn’t help remembering our disappointment last year on Make a Difference Day in Gallup when we found out that we would not actually be building a house for Habitat for Humanity, but digging trenches instead. It all seemed strangely familiar.
Most of us found the conference boring, the classes uninteresting and the celebratory dinner underwhelming. It felt as if the facilitators were not expecting as many of us. We networked with the other teams across the state. Most of the AmeriCorps members there were Teach for America members and I felt we made a difference in exposing them to HIV issues. We all shared the goal of “getting things done.” The major topic of conversation was “Where were you placed and what are you doing there?” Some members were placed in a deforestation program in Ruidoso to prevent forest fires in small New Mexico towns. Unfortunately, we did not truly bond with most of the attendees and felt they didn’t really acknowledge our contribution to AmeriCorps.
When it came to the AmeriCorps members working on the Red Rocks grounds or helping the children find their perfect pumpkins for Halloween, some of us thought it worthwhile and had a lot of fun. Others felt it a waste of time.
Overall, it was not all it could have been and as a team we agreed that the AmeriCorps National AIDS Fund Pre-Service was a blockbuster smash hit while the New Mexico AmeriCorps kick-off was a straight to DVD movie!
Love,
Ben and the rest of us homies!

For the 18th annual Make A Difference Day, Team Charlotte gathered together at a small church near the downtown area of Charlotte to make a difference in the lives of young children and adults of a high risk community. Here, we took part in a program called “Shac Saves Lives - Challenge Yourself Project.” This project, led by the devoted member of the church—Pastor Ann—is about having young people help others succeed. Although Pastor Ann had attempted to create a big extravaganza for the day, when Team Charlotte convened together for the actual event, we found ourselves involved in a very small and intimate gathering of people from the surrounding community –not what we expected.
...Nevertheless, some members on the Team gained special insight from seeing and hearing about the hardships that the members of the community had been through. Furthermore, the adults who were in attendance kept expressing how neat it was to see a group of young adults with such passion for humanity and equality give their time to show up to a small event like their own for Make A Difference Day. Overall, the members of Team Charlotte grew from this event by learning how to cope with unexpected hurdles. Even though we had prepared to give educational talks to a big group of teenagers and a big group of elementary school aged children, we were able to shift our focus and cater to the small group of adults and young children in attendance. The true successes were not in the things that Pastor Ann had planned, the successes came from the fact that Team Charlotte was able to remain flexible... So even though the Make A Difference Day event was not what Team Charlotte was expecting, our Team still learned something from the event.

Team Charlotte

Emmaus Ministries, located on Chicago's North Side provides counseling and resources to men engaged in prostitution. Many of the men are homeless,addictted to drugs, mentally ill or HIV positive and they rely on the Emmaus Ministry for meals, clothing and an address.

Team Chicago cooked a simple meal for the men. It was the most fulfilling time spent with them just talking and making them feel comfortable with us being in their space. No judgement. Just lots of fun and laughter. One Americorps member even played the piano. The men told us that they had never opened up to a group before. But with us Americorps Team Chicago they were willing to talk and share some of their experiences. They had a ball as did Team Chicago.

Regina Moffett
Team Chicago