Friday, April 15, 2011

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS

Hey Ladies, Gents and Kiddies of all ages!

Since December 2010, we’ve been getting busy. On World Aids Day 2010, in conjunction with Safe Horizon’s “Safe Harbor” program at ACORN High School in Brooklyn, NY we visited four classes. It was the first time GET DOWN and FACES NY did a joint, interactive presentation. It was always GET DOWN’s goal to have education be a key component of what we do. So now, our feet are officially “on the ground”, along with our charity partner, FACES NY.


FACES NY Education Team Member educate the ACORN High School Youth.




FACES NY Education Team Member dispels the myths.


Viewing the GET DOWN PSA.




The kids at ACORN were so inquisitive. There are so many myths and misconceptions out there about HIV, what it is, what is AIDS, and how is HIV contracted. Still, 30 years later, the same questions. Not much as changed from when I was in school, except that now there is more information out there and way more research has been done. So why is it that there is still so much misinformation, especially among the youth? HIV/AIDS Education, or lack thereof, is a key barrier to prevention. With limited resources, qualified personnel and training, the education system can only go but so far. Another is school attendance. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) lists “poverty and out-of-school-youth” as a factor. Simply put, if you are not there, you can’t receive the information.

We consider ourselves “gap-fillers” because that’s where local organizations like FACES NY come in and bridge the gap between educators and lack of training, resources and tools. The GET DOWN PSA was cited by educators at ACORN High School as being a “modern teaching tool”. For this reason, we hope you will continue to support GET DOWN and FACES NY in the coming years.

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT GET DOWN? Just by reading and following our Blog, commenting, sharing our links, following us on Twitter and friending us on Facebook. You can also blog for us every once in a while. It’s by and about people like you, people who care about what’s going on in the community and understand how HIV/AIDS affects everyone. It’s a global pandemic. The blog is our voice and offers a way to have conversation and dialogue.

We also need your financial support for FACES NY. Budgets and monies for HIV/AIDS education, counseling, treatment were adversely affected by the deep and long recession. That’s why the GET DOWN team is walking with FACES NY (TEAM #0638) at AIDS WALK 2011.



Walking with TEAM FACES NY at AIDS Walk 2010.


I personally hope to best my last year’s goal. To support my walk, which benefits FACES NY, a 501c3 HIV/AIDS organization, please make a donation by GOING TO THIS URL: http://aidswalknewyork2011.kintera.org/kimjford

Let’s GET DOWN TO BUSINESS! Thanks so much!

In peace and progress,

Kim J. Ford
Creator and Chief Bottle Washer
GET DOWN PSA Campaign & Movement

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