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Her community is not exempt from the spread of AIDS
and she feels compelled to share her message of prevention with anyone
and everyone who can hear it -- yes, AIDS can happen to you and there
is absolutely no cure for it.
She is Miriam Williams, a TRUST counselor at Palmetto
Middle School who facilitates groups for students impacted by HIV/AIDS
and other mental health programs, and she will be honored at the Fifth
Annual Extraordinary Voices Luncheon hosted by Mothers' Voices-South
Florida on Friday, May 5, 11:30 am in downtown Miami's Hotel
InterContinental.
As a TRUST counselor for the past seven years,
Williams teaches children about substance abuse and misuse, and helps
them take responsibility for their mental and emotional well-being.
Her programs include information about HIV/AIDS transmittal through
drug use and unprotected sex. She was recently recognized as Teacher
of the Year for her community outreach approach to education,
including her role as school liaison for World AIDS Day.
Williams said she is touched by the recognition from
Mothers' Voices, but feels she is simply doing her job. In fact, she
was surprised to hear that her commitment to AIDS education was
unique.
"AIDS is not just an American problem," Williams explained,
"it's a global problem. Everyone needs to be working on
addressing these issues. There is no one in this country who at this
point is not either personally affected by AIDS or knows of someone
who has had to deal with the disease. It is everyone's problem."
Mothers' Voices also will recognize artist and retired
hospice oncologist Dr. Wilma Siegel and local attorney Richard
Milstein as Extraordinary Voices.
The luncheon will feature CBS 4 news anchor Angela Rae
as emcee and a special presentation by Mothers' Voices Teen Council
members Brett Segal, Chakevia Lewis and Melissa Zamora.
Segal, 17, is a Pinecrest resident whose father and
uncle died of hemophilia-related AIDS in 1989.
"I am carrying on the legacy of my father to be
sure that his quest to eradicate AIDS through education lives
on," Segal explained.
Ultimately, parents should be children's primary sex
educators, said Barbara Gaynor, Mothers' Voices-South Florida
president. She strongly urges parents to talk to their children about
sexual health as soon as they start asking questions.
Mothers' Voices teaches parents and caretakers how to
respond appropriately according to the child's age. The key, according
to Mothers' Voices, is training parents to communicate effectively
with their children, particularly about the risks associated with sex.
"People are assuming that AIDS deaths are declining just because
medications are keeping those who are HIV positive alive longer,"
said Gaynor, who
founded the local chapter of Mothers' Voices shortly
after her youngest son, John, died of AIDS. "But, the HIV
infection rate is as high as ever and the segment of the population
with the greatest increase is teenagers. Unfortunately, a lot of
parents feel that if they tell their kids about sex or give them too
much information, they will do it. Well, it's just the opposite."
Mothers' Voices-South Florida offers a variety of
programs and publications to empower parents, teachers and clergy to
start a dialogue with children about HIV prevention. The programs
include a two-day Raising Healthy Kids workshop to help parents to
become effective health educators, a two-hour peer education training
for mothers, a training workshop for the faith community to deliver
the HIV prevention-good sexual health message to their congregations
and a 36-page parent's guide available in English and Spanish.
"Miami-Dade County has the third highest AIDS
rate in the country," Gaynor explained.
Mothers' Voices-South Florida began four years ago
when a group of women personally affected by the disease became
concerned over the nation's wavering commitment, stagnant resources
and fragmentation within the AIDS prevention movement. The concept was
simple; everybody listens to mothers, a group that had not yet
organized in the battle against AIDS. The group became a chapter in
the national Mothers' Voices organization, now more than 50,000 voices
strong.
"When all parents are communicating effectively
with their children about HIV prevention, we can close our
doors," Gaynor said. "When our phones don't ring with
requests for programs, we will have done our job."
For more information about Mothers' Voices, call
305-347-5467.
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