REACH LA NEWS

REACH LA Executive Director Martha Chono-Helsley returned from a unique multi-country exchange program called Global XChange, sponsored by the British Council and Volunteer Services Overseas. Martha and REACH LA was selected to be one of four organizations representing Los Angeles who focus on youth development. In total, 25 individuals from Los Angeles, Rwanda, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Paris and Belfast participated in work placement and best practice sharing opportunities in Durban, South Africa and Belfast, Northern Ireland over two three-week stays. “The opportunity to meet and share our work with so many diverse people was amazing. We shared life stories - our Rwandan teammates had lost entire families to genocide, the Sierra Leone team live in the aftermath of tribal disputes and uncertain economic future and our South African and Belfast teammates shared their experiences with huge cultural shifts like apartheid and “the Troubles” - the experience really showed me how insular we are here in America,” said Chono-Helsley, “but we have common elements as well. There was a sense of hopelessness among the young people - no jobs, limited or no education, and poverty were common among each community. As a learning experience, the exchange of shared practice and personal experience gave our GX team a global perspective about social issues effecting youth but it didn’t provide the time to brainstorm together about how to overcome these globally. We needed more time for deeper conversations.” During the Global XChange placement, participants lived with host families and worked for local programs, organizations and agencies. Martha worked for INK (Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu Townships), an agency of the Municipality of Durban that works on urban renewal. She spent a week conducting assessments of INK funded projects throughout the townships of Inanda and KwaMashu where she visited an AIDS Hospice/Orphanage, an arts/media program site that ran it’s own radio station, a cottage industry project, a local health clinic, a youth peer-led sexual health education program and neighborhood AIDS resource support team. “The amount of resources and support needed in these communities is immense. Especially in the area of HIV/AIDS and care. The medications are available however people lack the resources to even feed themselves.” While on placement in Belfast, Martha worked with The Rainbow Project, the only gay/bisexual men’s resource center in Northern Ireland. The organization serves all of Northern Ireland and provides LGBT awareness training, mental health counseling services, crisis hotline, hate crime advocacy and HIV/AIDS prevention outreach. She helped develop the LGBT - Northern Ireland Resource on-line network during her brief tenure. Although the schedule was intense, there was time to take a 1-day trip to a game reserve outside of Durban, swim in the Indian Ocean, hit the local pubs in Belfast and take in an Belfast/African jam session along the way. “The best part was making these great friends along the way” said Chono-Helsley. Martha was accompanied by Los Angeles team members Andres Rivera (Street Poets), Jill Gurr (Create Now) and Mary Agulian (LA’s Best).

Unite’ was the theme for REACH L.A.’s 2010 “Unity of Community” Fashion Show, and by the end of the night, the production crew, host, audience, models, and REACH L.A organization were united for one imperative cause – to raise HIV/AIDS awareness among minority youth. As the guests arrived, an array of appetizing refreshments and champagne were served in the VIP area where guests were given a “goody” bag filled with a designer hat, purse and program provided by Macys. As the lights dimmed, REACH LA’s own Greg Wilson took the stage and shared with the audience the imminent danger of not knowing your HIV/AIDS status, and the real reason for the fashion show – to raise HIV/AIDS awareness.

The music began, the lights dimmed, and the models began working the couture “Red HIV/AIDS Ribbon” shaped runway. The models all wore designer exclusive, unique, colorful, trendy pieces as the music pulsated through the audience. The amazing event was hosted by the exuberant, alluring diva Jazzmun, who kept the audience laughing out of their seats with her wit and charm the entire show. Gia Allure contributed a musical rendition of “Blur” by Britney Spears and Mother Michel’le Allure brought the house down with her interpretation of “Russian Roulette” by Rhianna. Floyd McLucas’s Fem J designs, Fuddie Fashions and Evan Wilson’s Croqui Couture presented their own “red ribbon” inspired pieces to bring more awareness to the cause. The show’s grand finale featured the New York-based Vogue Evolution, featuring Dashaun Williams, Devon Webster, Malechi Williams, Leiomy Maldonado and Jorel Rios. Vogue Evolution is the first openly gay dance crew to ever compete on the “America’s Best Dance Crew” stage. The crew’s performance brought the down the house as Leiomy leaped from the stage into the center of the red ribbon runway landing a room thumping dip with grace, style and “bam.”

The man who conceptualized this spectacular event took the stage – the talented “fashionista” Sean Milan. Sean Milan effortlessly worked the runway; and gracefully thanked the audience as the show concluded.

REACH LA wants to thank all of the performers, designers, clothing and hair stylists, models, and Ovahness Leaders for volunteering your time and talent to this event. REACH LA especially wants to thank Macys for their generous support and inspiration.

REACH L.A’s 2010 “Unity of Community” Fashion Show was an astounding success. The venue was filled love, creativity, unity, and the eagerness to spread and raise HIV/AIDS awareness. Let’s see what else Sean Milan has up his sleeve for his next major production.

Volunteers headed to N. Hollywood on Saturday, February 20, 2010 to facilitate HIV prevention games at the annual Oakwood School “Glove Affair” dance. The event draws youth from private schools through out Southern California who learn about HIV through REACH LA developed games like “Tongue Billiards” and “Condom Races.” Youth also learn about HIV transmission through needle sharing while REACH LA volunteers apply temporary tattoos. The activity that really gets youth thinking is REACH LA’s Fortune Telling booths where participants learn of their future through customized fortune telling cards. “The youth get really spooked when they learn about themselves and how they might be putting themselves at risk,” says REACH LA Ovahness Program Manager Greg Wilson, “the experience opens the door for the opportunity to talk about HIV prevention and risk taking which could save their lives.” REACH LA volunteers in attendance were Devaughn Sherman, Josh Wilson, Tim Ochoa, David Johnson, Michael Robeson, Malcolm Harper, Shawn Douglas, De’Shawn Jennings, Manuel White and REACH LA staff Carla Gordon, Greg Wilson, Sean Harris and Danielle Wondra.

REACH LA bids a fond farewell to Kafi Battersby after ten years of dedicated service and support. Kafi began her journey at RLA as an assistant in the computer lab in 2001. She quickly moved into a peer health educator position where she eventually became the program manager for the HIV prevention programs. During her tenure she provided risk reduction counseling to thousands of young women at sexual risk, hundreds of young gay men, volunteers and staff members. Kafi was instrumental in developing the Peer Health Advocates and G2G Leaders, “she was the role model that all of the leadership and current health programs were based upon,” according to Executive Director Martha Chono-Helsley, “Kafi’s dedication to REACH LA programs, staff and to her clients will be her legacy.” On behalf of REACH LA’s Board of Directors, Management Staff, Leaders, Peer Health Advocates, clients, and volunteers we wish Kafi all the best in her future endeavors.

Through the pouring rain, these dedicated young men made it to the first Ovahness Summit held at Plummer Park last Saturday. The Summit successfully brought together 50 young men of color to attend a series of roundtable discussions aimed at self empowerment, priority setting and health. Under the direction of Greg Wilson, the event was the brain child of the Ovahness Leaders, who in the last 9 months planned, trained and facilitated all of the roundtable discussions. Resources people from Childrens Hospital Division of Adolescent Medicine - Young United Men, HIV Youth Testing Collaborative and 3P Programs, AIDS Project Los Angeles, AmMassi Center and REACH LA were available to provide information not only about their programs, but were resources on spirituality, social service navigation, housing and transitional living and education. In addition to FREE HIV testing, LA County STD Program provided free screening for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. To cap off the day the Ovahness Leaders chose Justin Reed Early, author of the autobiographical book “Street Child: An Unpaved Passage” to provide a closing keynote address. The event was sponsored by a grant from the Colin Higgins Foundation. More pictures to come.

REACH LA’s Ovahness Young Men’s Leadership has been busy planning the first Ovahness Summit scheduled to take place Saturday, December 12, 2009 at Plummer Park in West Hollywood. The Ovahness Summit’s theme is Love Your Life! Live Your Life! - a belief that if you love yourself, you will take steps to keep yourself healthy. The Ovahness Summit will address concerns and issues that young gay men of color face and allow young men to empower themselves to love their lives and live responsibly. For more information contact Greg Wilson at 213-622-1650 x108. For more information click here.

REACH LA’s Greg Wilson graduated from the CDC/ASPH Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership in Atlanta on Friday, September 25. After nine months of intensive program development, organizational assessment and program intervention planning, it was time to present to a community panel consisting of leadership from the Centers for Disease Control, HIV/AIDS program leaders, activists and peers. Greg proudly presented a fund development plan he developed for REACH LA that would help to sustain program activity and make the organization less dependent on government funding. The presentation showed the ways REACH LA searches for “unrestricted” funding that would allow for creative outreach efforts that provided the means for HIV prevention intervention, development of community relations and provided sponsorship opportunities that contributed to program activities. Greg Wilson is the Ovahness Men’s Leadership Coordinator at REACH LA. Congratulations Greg on this great accomplishment!

“Freak Show,” hosted by “Party Monster” icon James St. James has released it’s latest on-line episode “James goes to the Ovahness Ball.” Shot at REACH LA’s Ovahness Ball 4: L’Acte Finale, James meets and greets Los Angeles and New York’ s house/ball icons, legends, statements and stars. Viewers get an up close view of the art of voguing by New York legends Luis Xtravaganza and Derrik Xtravaganza. Ovahness Leader Devaughn Sherman is featured explaining the ball’s HIV prevention education intent while commentator Jack Mizrahi encourages the audience to get a free HIV test at the event. The show captures the excitement of fierce runway battles and the audience’s love of all things ballroom. Check out the “Freak Show” episode “James goes to the Ovahness Ball”…

REACH LA’s Greg Wilson was honored at the Wellness for Life Black Men’s Health Conference on August 8th at the Wilshire Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. The conference and the award was presented by In The Meantime Men’s Group. Greg was honored for his commitment to combating HIV in the LA community. Greg is the Assistant Manager of the Ovahness Young Men’s Health Programs. In additional to risk reduction counseling and HIV testing, Greg has managed the Ovahness Young Men’s Leadership team which provides leadership training in HIV advocacy, community moblization and peer education. Greg has worked closely with the House/Ball community as a key member of the House of Ultra Omni and principal organizer of the GAATES Foundation, a new non-profit focusing on the needs of at-risk youth in urban areas. Greg works closely with the LGBTQ Youth Advocacy Coalition, Connect to Protect Coalition and the LAGLC’s Jeff Griffith Youth Center. Currently Greg is a scholar of the CDC’s AIDS Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership.

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, July 25, 2009

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