Ron Simmons Profiled in Metro Weekly

MetroWeekly has a great interview with Us Helping Us executive Diretor Ron Simmons:

This year, 2008, marks two bittersweet 20-year anniversaries: World AIDS Day, first observed Dec. 1, 1988, and Us Helping Us, People Into Living Inc., incorporated the same year.

A local nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and treating HIV/AIDS among black gay men, UHU just marked its anniversary with a gala on Nov. 21, while the world prepares for World AIDS Day ceremonies with sadness and hope. Treatments have improved, but infection rates remain alarming. And, yes, people still die of AIDS-related illnesses.

If anyone embodies the emotions that infuse discussions of HIV and AIDS, it's Ron Simmons, who has headed UHU since 1992 -- almost as long as he's lived the reality of being HIV-infected himself. Mostly, he laughs. Not for levity's sake, but because his humanity is seemingly unconquerable. He's certainly not afraid to follow laughter with tears.

But with Simmons, it's always the hope that wins out.

continue reading this article in Metro Weekly.

DC HIV Vaccine Awareness Day 2008

Washington DC marked HIV Vaccine Awareness day with a presentation and reception. The event was sponsored by Us Helping Us, The Capital Area Vaccine Effort, and The DC Center.

Scientists have been searching for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection since the virus was first identified in 1983. Each clinical trial brings us one step closer to finding an effective vaccine. More than 25,000 HIV-negative individuals have participated in both government- and privately sponsored HIV vaccine trials.

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day is a day to educate our communities about the efforts to find a preventive HIV vaccine and to recognize and thank the thousands of volunteers, health professionals and scientists who are conducting and participating in HIV vaccine research.

To see pictures from the reception, click here.

Learn more at www.bethegeneration.org.

FREE RETREAT February 7th-9th

During the retreat you will get a chance to talk to other individuals about issues that you face everyday and discuss ways to help overcome issues by listening to others that have overcome similar issues, all while being away in a relaxing retreat.

Healthy Relationships is a program for small groups off people living with HIV/AIDS. Knowing that the lives of persons living with HIV/AIDS are stressful, this retreat aims to build coping skills to reduce stress. Some of the skills involve:

• Solving problems
• Making decisions
• Negotiating choices

These skills can be used in situations such as:

• Disclosing HIV status to family and friends
• Disclosing to sex partners
• Building healthy and safer relationships

Healthy Relationships does not tell people they should disclose. Participants use the skills to make informed decisions about disclosure and sexual behavior.

For more information:

call 202-446-1100
or
Email

Ken Pettigrew
Kpettigrew@uhupil.org

Kenya Hutton
Khutton@uhupil.org

Town Hall Meeting on HIV/AIDS in the District

Transgender Health Empowerment, Inc, Us Helping Us, and other local organizations are hosting a town hall meeting January 15 to discuss new strategies to fight HIV in DC.

continue reading this article at the new DC Center Blog

Happy Hour Benefits Us Helping Us: January 15th

The Cherry Fund will be hosting a happy hour on Tuesday, January 15th at Cobalt beginning at 6:30 PM. Cobalt is located at 1639 R Street, NW.

There is a $10 donation at the door, and all proceeds will benefit Us Helping Us.

Founded in 1985, Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc., is a community-based AIDS service organization committed to reducing HIV infection in the African-American community. Us Helping Us provides HIV counseling, testing, and referrals for everyone. Us Helping Us specializes in providing HIV prevention and support services to gay and bisexual men.

Since beginning in 1999, the Cherry Fund has donated over $750,000 to LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations.

The Second Annual 'Everyone's Birthday'

Friends for a Cause in partnership with Us Helping Us presents a 2007 World AIDS Day benefit: "The Second Annual Everyone's Birthday", a night of elegance, education, and entertainment featuring 'The Godmother' Lil' Mo and American Idol's Frenchie Davis.

Also included: music by DJ Sedrick, silent auction, open bar, lavish buffet, and free on-site HIV screening.

Saturday, December 1st from 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM at the Human Rights Campaign Building, 1640 Rhode Island Ave, NW. For ticket purchase and information contact:

• (202) 446-1100, Us Helping Us
• (202) 446-4079, Monte Brown
• (202) 491-1080, William Ridley

click here to download a flyer for this event

An HIV/AIDS Research Agenda for Black Gay Men

The statistics on HIV and black gay men are sobering. A 2005 CDC study, conducted in 5 large US cities, found that HIV prevalence among black MSM (46%) was more than twice that among white MSM (21%). (citation). It's hard to imagine that in these cities almost half of all black gay men are living with HIV.

When it comes to HIV prevention, what works for white gay men does not necessarily work for black gay men. There's still a lot we need to understand about what is fueling these high HIV rates and what we should be doing about it.

Fortunately, the National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition (NBGMAC), which formed shortly after this data was released, has been working hard to improve the health and well-being of black gay men through advocacy that is focused on research, policy, education and training. NBGMAC is housed in Washington, DC at the offices of Us Helping Us.

NBGMAC will continue to their work at the October 24th meeting of the NIH Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council (OAR). The OAR meeting will focus on challenges of HIV infection in racial and ethnic communities in the United States.

Dr. Leo Wilton will present a summary of the Black Gay Research Agenda for the NBGMAC and the Black Gay Research Group. The meeting will be held at 5635 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852 in the Terrace Level Conference Center.

It's an important step forward in advocating for the HIV research needs of black gay men, and you can be there. The meeting is open to the public. Time will be allowed for public comment at the end of the meeting. If you can attend and would like to attend, please contact Christina Brackna at (301) 402-8655 for additional information .

Us Helping Us: Support Counselor for HIV Positive Black Gay Men

Are you a black HIV positive gay man that needs somoene to talk to? Then call Us Helping Us. Us Helping has a support counselor available for you to talk to, and incentives are offerred for every visit. For more information contact Rukie Wilson at 202 446-1100 ext 1124.

September 11th CAVE Meeting at Us Helping Us

Please join us for the next meeting of the Capital Area Vaccine Effort (CAVE). We will meet on September 11th at the offices of Us Helping Us at 6:30 PM. Us Helping Us is located at 3636 Georgia Avenue NW, very close to the Georgia Ave Petworth Station Metro Stop.

CAVE is the community advisory board for both the Vaccine Research Center and the U.S. Military HIV Research Program.

Ummah Endowment Fund White Attire Affair

Last Saturday was the 9th Annual White Attire Affair, sponsored by the Ummah Endowment Fund.

The event began as a fundraiser for Us Helping Us, but this year the focus was more on promoting HIV related behavior change among African American men in the District. A beneficiary for this year's event has not been announced.

Ron Simmons had some strong words about the event in last week's Washington Blade:

“I don’t believe that it really helps us,” Simmons says about the Affair’s work for black men with HIV. “You put on an event that costs close to a quarter million dollars and when the smoke clears, the agency gets $10,000, and the people who are promoting it get the same. It sounds like a business partnership.”

If you attended the event and would like to share your experience on the blog, or if you have some pictures of the event you'd like us to add to our Flickr Photo Stream, please write me.

Be the Generation

The Vaccine Research Center is currently looking for healthy, HIV negative individuals to volunteer for local HIV vaccine research studies. If you've ever thought about volunteering for an HIV Vaccine Trial, now is a great time. Call 1-866-833-LIFE (5433) or e-mail VRCforlife@mail.nih.gov to find out more.

And check out the great video above, which was includes footage from our own local HIV Vaccine Awareness Day events, and the work of Us Helping Us.

Today's Transgender Pride Celebration

I had a great time at today's Transgender Pride Celebration. If you would like to see a few pictures from the event, click here.

A number of AIDS Service Organizations exhibited at the fair including Us Helping Us, Andromeda Transcultural Health Center, and Different Avenues.

And of course, many transgender groups were there including Transgender Health Empowerment, the DC Trans Coalition, and the Transgender Education Association of Greater Washington.

Thursday Night: The State of Black Gay Men's Health

The National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition is organizing a town hall on The State of Black Gay Men's Health. The event takes place on Thursday, May 24th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (reception to follow) at the Renaissance M Street Hotel (City Center I, Lower Level).

The Renaissance is at 1143 New Hampshire Ave, NW, closest to the Dupont Circle or Foggy Bottom Metro Stop. To download the flyer for this event, click here.

Sponsors for this event include Us Helping Us, DC Black Pride, National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition, and the DC Department of Health.

Today's HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Luncheon

Today's HIV Vaccine Awarness Day Lunch held at the Academy for Educational Development was a big success thanks to the efforts of the many people who contributed, including volunteers from City Year DC's project Hope Team.

The lunch featured presentations by Brenda Larkin from the Vaccine Research Center, and Sterling Washington from Us Helping Us.

To see pictures from this event, click here.

Today is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

Today as most of you know is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, an important opportunity to focus on the search for an HIV Vaccine and the trial participants and researchers who are making it happen.

I don't know how the HIV/AIDS epidemic will end. And to be honest, sometimes I'm so wrapped up in the day-to-day struggle that even imagining the day when we can say there are no new HIV infections worldwide is virtually impossible. But today is the day we do dare to imagine exactly that.

When that day comes we will have many people to thank including over 1,000 HIV negative volunteers our community who have stepped up to the plate and volunteered in studies to find a preventive HIV Vaccine. To our volunteers, let me say right now: THANK YOU.

At the DC HIV/AIDS Reception tonight we will be honoring one organization and one individual who have contributed greatly to this effort. The organization is the amazing 19th Street Baptist Church, who have been partners in this effort for many, many years. Thge individual we are honoring is former CAVE chair Scott Simpson. To our honorees, let me say right now: THANK YOU.

I hope you can join us at the wine & cheese reception tonight and find out how you can get involved in this effort.

Here are some of the other things going on today:

* Staff and volunteers from Us Helping Us are distributing information on HIV Vaccine Research to their partnering barbershops and beauty shops along Georgia Ave., N.W.; the Georgia Ave.-Petworth Metro station; and clubs patronized by Black gay men.

* Our DC HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Lunch is taking place at 1:00 at the Academy for Educational Development. (sorry, no more RSVPs can be accepted).

* Our HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Reception is going on tonight at the Academy for Educational devleopment: RSVP Here

* Folks from IAVI just finished up a briefing on the Hill. click here to read the release. (I couldn't go, but I was just told Mitchell Warren kicked ass at this event)

* Finally, the Bill and Melinda gates foundation just announced they will be contributing 9.7 million dollars for pediatric HIV Vaccine Research.

I hope to report back on today's events tonight or over the weekend.

Us Helping Us Black Mother's Day Gala May 5th

This year's Black Mother's Day Gala has a double bill. Renowned gospel singers Karen Clark Sheard and LaShun Pace will be the featured artist and guest artist respectively at UHU's 4th annual Black Mother's Day Gala (BMD) on Saturday, May 5, 2007, at the Historic Lincoln Theater. BMD is an annual fundraising event for UHU that honors women who have been recognized by their churches for their work in the church and community. To purchase tickets, please contact Sterling Washington via phone at (202) 446-1100 x1123 or e-mail at swashington@uphil.org. The ticket price is $45 a piece.

Quick. What are you doing the last weekend of March?

Quick. What are you doing the last weekend of March? How would you like to help save the lives of young black men and get a free trip in the process? You can. It's not too late to sign up for the "Ebony Distinctions" retreat hosted by Us Helping Us, People into Living Inc. (UHUPIL) and Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL). This important retreat will help educators and prevention workers to create HIV prevention strategies specifically tailored to young men of color.

Although there will be other retreats over the next 7 months, the first one takes place the weekend of , March 30^th to April 1^st . Those who sign up will get an all-expense paid trip to a resort. During the weekend, you can help researchers understand more about our community and take advantage of this rare but important opportunity to make a difference.

How do you feel about the major issues affecting our community like HIV/AIDS, STDs, drug abuse, and mental health? What does community mean? Do we have a community? If so, what defines it? Who is in it? Those are some of the questions that many of you have been asking for quite some time. Now you have a chance to provide answers that will make a difference.

“Ebony Distinctions” is a program created to find out your answers to these questions and to start building a community ... whatever we decide that means. It's time for us to define community ourselves and to answer questions that will help build, save and heal the community we all want.

Your tax dollars support "Ebony Distinctions" and you should benefit from it. We are seeking black men who want to talk about these issues. We’re looking for black men who want to save other black men. And they are looking for black men who want to have some fun with other black men at a luxury resort.

Here are the details below.

WHAT IT IS?
An all expense paid trip

First Retreat: March 30^th –April 1^st.
there will be a total of four (4) retreats over the next 7 months. Even if you aren't available for the first retreat you should call now to sign up for future retreats.

An interactive, fun-filled weekend with other black men.

A chance to:
1) getaway from the city
2) fellowship with other brothers who have similar interests
3) discuss some problems and solutions affecting our community
4) personal enrichment and healing.

WHAT IT IS NOT?
� A preach session or academic or clinical information session.
� Boring
� Public (your participation is confidential)

DETAILS:
1. Participants must complete an initial interview and questionnaire, which is set up by appointment at your convenience.

2. An orientation will be held 3 days before the retreat.

To schedule your initial interview and sign up for this very important initiative, please contact Kenya Hutton at:

202-446-1104

202-425-7782

Khutton@uhupil.org

Activities Available at the Resort:
Golf, Swimming & Racquetball, Full Service Spa & Fitness Center, Equestrian & Stables, Skating & Skiing. In addition, there will be social activities and events planned by the coordinators.

Us Helping Us Noir Reflections Retreat '06

Tim'm West Reflects on the 2006 Noir Reflections Retreat: we came to hills where cometh our strength, riding the wave of whatever change was awaiting permission to be sparked. we brought our burdens there: full hearts and blues boxes with songs from the key of life and salt. we came committed to be the change we dream: living in our fullness where others filled their emptiness with next cocktails, cocks or tails. sober, we understood the necessity of feeling with the clarity of vultures sighting sustinence. holding one another close, we understood that expressions of intimacy don't require nakedness, risk, or self-sacrifice. we held one another so closely that it hurt to let go. in the after... we will have to call on the memory of such protectedness.

Continue reading this article on the Brave Souls Collective Website

Sometimes I Cry

Atlas Performing Arts Center, Lang Theater, 1333 H Street NE. Written and performed by Sheryl Lee Ralph, this production presents a wonderful opportunity to educate the public, especially young African-American women, about taking stock of their lives and moving forward in a healthy way in the face of HIV/AIDS. Proceeds will be donated to Us Helping Us and Damien Ministries; matinee price is $35, evening performance $55, includes VIP reception, meet and greet with Ms. Ralph. For more info, contact DC Black Pride.

Us Helping Us Café 3636

From Us Helping Us:


Café 3636
Welcome to Fridays at Café 3636, the re-awakening of Friday evening activities hosted by Us Helping Us. This month the café will meet in the conference room on the first floor. Feel free to use the front door. Fridays at 3636 is open to everybody in GLBTQ and Heterosexual communities. Tell your friends, bring your friends.

Friday, August 25, 2006
3636 Georgia Ave, NW
Washington DC 20010
202-446-1100
7:00 - 9:00 pm

Activities will include:

• Discussion Group, Informational Sessions
  
• Film/Discussion
  
• Dating Game, Role Play, Games Night
  
• Treasure Hunt, Battleship, Surveys and Focus Group
  Theme-wear Night

Founded in 1985, Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) community-based AIDS service organization committed to reducing HIV infection in the African-American community by providing HIV prevention and support services to gay and bisexual men, and transgender persons. UHU also provides HIV counseling and testing for heterosexual men and women.