Reverend Doris, Chicago
Reverend Doris is the Director of Correctional Health & Community Affairs, AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Founder, Men and Women in Prison Ministry, an organization serving the families of the incarcerated and people recently released from prison.
Reverend Doris on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Q: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is February 7. What would you like to tell people about HIV vaccine research on this day?
Black churches should talk about HIV vaccine research along with their messages about prevention. If we can have faith and support vaccine trials we might be able to stop people from becoming HIV positive. When I learned about HIV vaccine research, it just opened up my head. I didn't understand it, but now that I do I know how important it is to educate others. I want the churches to add the message of Be the Generation on to everything else they are doing because we need to be the ones that stop HIV.
Reverend Doris on World AIDS Day
Q: What does it mean for you to be a community leader?
A leader is a person who serves. I have spent over 27 years serving the corrections population and it means a lot to me to support people coming out of the system. I help them to make better life choices, and to help ensure their families are intact when they come home.
Q: World AIDS Day 2008. What can people do to be leaders for HIV vaccine research?
I set up workshops where I go to each church and meet with its leaders-the ministers, lay ministers, and the congregations to educate them about HIV vaccine research and trials going on in the area. This is new information for many of them and it's important that the churches know what is happening with HIV research, how long it takes to find a vaccine, and what opportunities exist to participate. I want the churches to be aware so they can get involved once recruiting begins for the next vaccine trial.
I am involved with a coalition of almost 300 churches in my area, and we have put together a "Call for Commitment." It's a confirmation that all the churches sign and we mail it out. In it we ask each church to go through the confirmation and make a public commitment on the Sunday after World AIDS Day. The commitment is for the church to be more open and supportive of families and people in the congregation who are HIV positive. We then ask the church to pray for healing. Finally, HIV testing centers are listed on the back of this commitment for people to go get tested.
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