When it comes to living in a world with HIV, realizing how misconstrued understandings and assumptions impact our thoughts and actions is critical to all of our well being. Myths about living with HIV and the transmission of the virus are the foundation of stigma. With no origin in factual information, these myths breed ignorance, instill fear, form bias and ultimately source new infections. Repairing the damage caused by stigma and producing a society that is inclusive of all people, regardless of status, is crucial to prevention efforts and quality of life post-diagnoses.
I've been asked; "Can you host a watch party Michael?
The first debate -- where Mitt Romney and Barack Obama will go head to head for the first time -- is on Wednesday, October 3rd. This is going to be great. It's an opportunity for all of
The first debate -- where Mitt Romney and Barack Obama will go head to head for the first time -- is on Wednesday, October 3rd. This is going to be great. It's an opportunity for all of
us to get together, have some fun, and cheer our president on."
What a dilemma... This HOME, My HIVe in COVINGTON on The South Bank in the Northern Kentucky part of the Tri-State based in the Queen City HUB of Cincinnati would love to host such an event. Unfortunately, it is unstable and The City is having their BIG Commission Candidate Forum the same NIGHT!?
Hhm; back in July I asked "Do you know a good attorney for Landlord-Tenant matters!?
Steven L Frank replied; "There is a lawyer running for school board named Halloran who works for the innocence project here in Covington. I bet she is plugged into public interest lawyers. The problem you'll have going to a normal lawyer is that they'll charge you more than $50 to take the case. You need legal aid lawyer or public interst lawyer if you are really dealing with a broader, class action issue which I think you may have."
Thank You, Kerry has been a great help. And so has my friend Farrah from BarMonet who is a former city attorney... Between us, I've been hooked up with LegalAid of The Bluegrass! Ms. Stewart enlightened and relieved me when she revealed experience with Dudley Properties II, LLC.
Anyone know a place with multiple screens and ablity to show both Events...
What a dilemma... This HOME, My HIVe in COVINGTON on The South Bank in the Northern Kentucky part of the Tri-State based in the Queen City HUB of Cincinnati would love to host such an event. Unfortunately, it is unstable and The City is having their BIG Commission Candidate Forum the same NIGHT!?
Hhm; back in July I asked "Do you know a good attorney for Landlord-Tenant matters!?
Steven L Frank replied; "There is a lawyer running for school board named Halloran who works for the innocence project here in Covington. I bet she is plugged into public interest lawyers. The problem you'll have going to a normal lawyer is that they'll charge you more than $50 to take the case. You need legal aid lawyer or public interst lawyer if you are really dealing with a broader, class action issue which I think you may have."
Thank You, Kerry has been a great help. And so has my friend Farrah from BarMonet who is a former city attorney... Between us, I've been hooked up with LegalAid of The Bluegrass! Ms. Stewart enlightened and relieved me when she revealed experience with Dudley Properties II, LLC.
Anyone know a place with multiple screens and ablity to show both Events...
A Day With HIV
Jeff Berry, Director of Publications, Test Positive Aware Network
"Anyone who has tested positive for HIV remembers the day that they first found out. Sept. 20, 1989, was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. I have this vivid memory
Jeff Berry, Director of Publications, Test Positive Aware Network
"Anyone who has tested positive for HIV remembers the day that they first found out. Sept. 20, 1989, was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. I have this vivid memory
of walking home from the doctor's office, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face yet feeling numb everywhere else. I threw open the door to my apartment, collapsed into a chair, and wept in solitude, ashamed that I had gotten it, afraid I was going to die, and, even though I was in a relationship at the time, worried that I would have to go through it all alone..."
OCTOBER 3, 1991!
"I want you to
open your hearts and see the world in a different way. You get from the world
what you give to the world. I promise this will change your life for the
better." Oprah
" I see one-third of a nation
ill-housed, ill-clad, and ill-nourished. The test of our progress is not whether
we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide
enough for those who have too little." F.D.R.-1937
Greetings,
Dr. Covey, in explaining
Habit #2, advises:
"Write your own philosophy, mission statement, creed, belief system. Get it written into your heart and mind through the use of Imagination and your Emotion. "Don't tie yourself to your History, tie yourself to your Potential..." If you learn to imagine vividly enough and to also draw heavily upon the inner sense or conscious of what is right or wrong, you will come to detect the most fundamental principles that pertain to your life... And you can distill them into a Mission Statement."
He also advises that you
do not attempt to complete this process rapidly. I've been working on mine for
some time now And recently, I've come to arrive at this
distillation:
To use the rest of my life the best I can so that the
lives and places through which my journey leads me will remain a little bit
better for me having passed their way.
Now presenting
the
WHITE PAPER ON
POVERTY
IN NORTHERN
KENTUCKY
On behalf of the
hundreds of people from various socio-economic backgrounds representing dozens
of communities and organizations, I present the "White Paper on Poverty in
Northern Kentucky".
Community
Assessments have historically been used to determine the services people need,
the level of services they actually receive and the barriers to gaps in services
that exist. In presenting this report we hope:
-
to draw attention to the needs of Northern Kentuckians,
-
to focus on the causes of poverty, not simply the conditions,
-
to provide policy makers and professionals insight from those living with the problems
-
to initiate new direction for area human service agencies, healthcare providers, economic and workforce development organizations, government, ands other funders of services
-
to chart a new course for addressing the issues, one that is coordinated, comprehensive and integrated, --one designed by Northern Kentuckians in true cooperative spirit, and most importantly
-
to be a starting point
Empowering people
and communities is the key to addressing poverty. In Northern Kentucky work
groups are being convened in the topic areas addressed in the White Paper.
Community Action takes seriously the responsibility to keep the process moving
forward, to keep informed those already involved, to continue to seek out new
partners and to proactively engage members from all segments of the CommUNITY.
But do not wait for Community Action to contact you. If you wish to continue
your commitment to being a part of the process, call and determine where your
involvement can best be utilized.
Now is the time
to thank all who have helped in getting us to this point, to gain commitments to
continuing the process, and to accept the challenge to end or significantly
reduce, poverty in Northern Kentucky in this decade. Let us know how you will
be involved.
Sincerely;
Brian Angus,
Executive Director
EPILOG -
p.6
When referring to persons living in
poverty, we need to consider that they are individuals and not "families." They
may be a part of a family, but the struggle for survival is often a lonely
undertaking. Those who have supportive families, do not feel the full
impact of poverty and can better manage their health care. Those living alone,
without families for support are in the greatest need for help. Therefore, in
this document, the word "families" should be deleted from the general
verbiage.
In order to have an impact on poverty
and the need for health care in Northern Kentucky, the process of collaboration
begun with the Poverty Symposium needs to continue. The
recommendations and ideas expressed need to be translated into practical plans
and policies to raise the level of health among those living in poverty and thus
to raise the level of health for the entire Northern Kentucky
community.
"White Paper on Poverty in Northern
Kentucky". p. 29
TOPIC 8: ...safe, and healthy
neighborhoods and communities with supportive social and spiritual networks,
mutual respect across group boundaries, where each member is respected and
provided opportunities to participate in civic affairs.
"What would our community look like if it were a really healthy place to live?" The National Civic League (NCL) posed this question to neighbors in hundreds of communities across the country. This is how people everywhere responded:
But we are moving away from this
ideal. Many voluntary associations no longer have the influence or position in
our communities they once had. For example, PTA participation has fallen
dramatically, as has participation in Boy Scouts, Red Cross volunteers, labor
unions membership, and civic clubs like the Lions and Elks. (Bowling Alone, by
Robert Parker)
In the Gannet News "Mood of America"
poll, 76 percent of citizens agreed, "there is less concern for others than
there once was."
We must be careful not to over
generalize, since some Northern Kentucky communities may not fit these trends
fully, or even at all. There will always be crosscurrents and countertrends. A
few communities may have high levels of interconnectedness and public
participation, with few glaring social problems and plenty of resources. But
these communities are the exceptions.
By and large, the quality of life and
the social fabric of many Northern Kentucky communities are being threatened by
these trends.
And there is no denying current social
problems mirroring national trends, such as poverty, street violence, domestic
abuse, drugs, racial/ethnic divides, urban sprawl and homelessness remain very
much with us here in Northern Kentucky
How can Northern Kentucky address the
Healthy Communities issues identified by the National Civic
League?
Is the solution financial? Solutions
often cost money, so, of course, more public funding to address local problems
would be helpful. Support these efforts, but realize that in the present
economic and political climate, success will not come easily and will cost each
of us more than money. We need to understand there are no short-term
solutions. We need CommUNITY Leaders who will engage, listen and translate the
words into compelling long-term actions. Leaders who can then garner the
support of government, private sector, faith community, public sector
organizations and residents for the action plans.
President Bush, in his inaugural
address said: "What you do is as important as anything government does. I ask
you to seek a common good beyond your comfort; to defend needed reforms against
easy attacks; to serve your nation, beginning with your neighbor. I ask you to
be citizens. Citizens, not spectators. Citizens, not subjects. Responsible
citizens, building communities of service and a nation of
character."
Residents, along with the people who work, worship or have roots in a community need to be seen as an alternative resource, as someone with something important to share.The task is to identify these alternative resources, then to coalesce and organize them, to plan, develop, implement, and sustain multiple community wide solutions. This will not happen all by itself. The structure for organizing and mobilizing community resources is generally not in place. A big plus is that people, 63 percent in one poll, believe that people are willing to pitch in and fix what is wrong in their communities, if they knew how. Mechanisms for involvement are rare, but do exist. Let us identify these processes and bring them into our communities.America is the great democratic example, but because we lead there is no blueprint.
Thursday, April 29, 2004
Michael W. Connett"The HIVe at Seminary Square"1043 Russell Street-#1 * Covington, KY 41011
Darkness cannot drive
out darkness, ,only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love
can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness
multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction... The Chain
reaction of evil --hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars-- must be
broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of
annihilation.
Martin Luther King,
Jr. - 1963
"The opposite of love
is not hate,
it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness,
it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy,
it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death,
it's indifference." -- Elie Wiesel
it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness,
it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy,
it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death,
it's indifference." -- Elie Wiesel
I have
chosen this time and this place to discuss a topic on which
ignorance too often abounds and the truth is too rarely perceived -
yet it is the most important topic on earth: world peace. What kind
of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax
Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the
peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about
genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth
living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and
to build a better life for their children - not merely peace for
Americans but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our
time but peace for all time... The United States, as the world knows,
will never start a war." John F. Kennedy
ignorance too often abounds and the truth is too rarely perceived -
yet it is the most important topic on earth: world peace. What kind
of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax
Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the
peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about
genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth
living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and
to build a better life for their children - not merely peace for
Americans but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our
time but peace for all time... The United States, as the world knows,
will never start a war." John F. Kennedy
Great occasions
do not make heroes or cowards; they simply unveil them to the eyes. Silently and
imperceptibly, as we wake or sleep, we grow strong or we grow weak, and at last
some crisis shows us what we have become. -Bishop Westcott
|
I swore never to be
silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We
must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.
Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. --- Eli
Wiesel
|
"The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the
interdependence
of all these living beings, which are all part of one another,
and all involved in one another." -Thomas
Merton
Our stories are being hidden away in the Confidential
HIV/AIDS Closet and our fellow Americans are being distracted by the more
deserving and politically advantageous Global Faces & Stories of AIDS.
Please understand that I empathize with their situation, but charity and
compassion must come first at HOME.
The Comfort of the HIVe...
03/22/2002
"...not only because of
the physical limitations it imposes, but because the prejudice
surrounding AIDS exacts a social death which precedes the actual physical
one." Tom Hanks in Philadephia
Still as true today as it
was when first quoted in the movie "Philadelphia", the breadth of that social
death, like the disease, has broadened into every segment of society. While the
gay community, already well-versed in being regarded with disdain, rallied
quickly to thumb their noses at and ward off that social shadow of death by
organizing support systems and programs that would become the models that are
imitated yet today, I now see a need to re-focus, energize and re-establish
these social supports to be of greater value to the wider audience they now
command. It often wrenchingly occurs to me that there are those among us who
live in an HIV-closet because they are married/divorced, not Gay, not Male, not
Adult or even not totally straight.
CommUNITY PRIDE Picnic & ROCK-the-VOTE Rally
Public Event
· By South Bank HIVe
CommUNITY-Based Network
On the heels of AIDS 2012, the 19th International
HIV/AIDS Conference; a gathering to Come OUT & Stand Up! To MOVE Our
CommUNITY FORWARD!
To paraphrase Phill Wilson's AIDS 2012 address: You see, I am a 3-fer. I am White, I am Gay, I am HIV+ clinically diagnosed with AIDS plus -according to AARP I could check off the senior box 7 years ago as well. But it is not lost on me all the things I am not. I am not a woman, a black man or a transgendered person. I am not an Asian Pacific Islander, Latino, Native American, Black or an immigrant. I am not an injecting drug user, sex worker, homeless (although I've experienced that) or the victim of domestic violence. But I know this; I know that we will not stop AIDS in this country unless ALL of those voices are included. ALL of what I am and am not must be a part of the conversation...
To paraphrase Phill Wilson's AIDS 2012 address: You see, I am a 3-fer. I am White, I am Gay, I am HIV+ clinically diagnosed with AIDS plus -according to AARP I could check off the senior box 7 years ago as well. But it is not lost on me all the things I am not. I am not a woman, a black man or a transgendered person. I am not an Asian Pacific Islander, Latino, Native American, Black or an immigrant. I am not an injecting drug user, sex worker, homeless (although I've experienced that) or the victim of domestic violence. But I know this; I know that we will not stop AIDS in this country unless ALL of those voices are included. ALL of what I am and am not must be a part of the conversation...
EVERYONE Living with or Affected by HIV MUST COME OUT. WE All must
come out. Living Openly & PROUDLY with HIV, not only confronts HIV STIGMA,
but it also helps build DEMAND for Essential Services. Openly HIV positive
people SERVE as living, compelling reminders of the importance of knowing one's
HIV status and that also communicates that it is possible to live a full healthy
LIFE with HIV and THAT IS IMPORTANT!
"My greatest fear is that WE will squander this OPPORTUNITY..."
"My greatest fear is that WE will squander this OPPORTUNITY..."
"We're ALL in this
together"
is a better philosophy than "YOU're
on your own
CommUNITY PRIDE Picnic & Rally
Sunday
10-7-2012
Goebel
Park - 6th & Philadelphia Streets
Covington, Kentucky
Noon - 6:00 PM
Picnic/Family/Reunion Style Food:
We’ll
fire up grills for whatever we get our hands on
then see
who, what else comes to join us!
Music -
Candidate Stumping -
Entertainment - Door Prizes
FREE
Copies of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy - Freebies
The South Bank HIVe is a Grassroots
CommUNITY-Based On-line HIV/aids, Social Service and Survivors Support Network
presented by Michael W. Connett LIVING Trust. The Mission of the Trust is "To
use the rest of my life the best I can so that the people and places through
which my journey leads me will remain a little bit better for me having passed
their way..." Caring for the “Quality of Life” issues of the infected &
affected who are now living longer and to prevent further infections; as seen
thru the eyes of a long term survivor…
Neither The Trust or The HIVe are qualified (501(c)3) Non-Profits and the fundraising being conducted for the CommUNITY Pride Picnic & Rally on October 7th is not tax-exempt or deductible, much like a Political Action Committee. Given this consideration; we decided to ask attendees to bring for donation a side dish and/or a non-perishable food item which will be distributed to local Food Banks such as Be-Concerened and the Beneficiary of Financial Contributions over and above the cost of the event will be the Northern Kentucky Emergency Shelter under the direction of Ms. Rachael Winters. We thank you in advance, FOR YOUR SUPPORT...
Neither The Trust or The HIVe are qualified (501(c)3) Non-Profits and the fundraising being conducted for the CommUNITY Pride Picnic & Rally on October 7th is not tax-exempt or deductible, much like a Political Action Committee. Given this consideration; we decided to ask attendees to bring for donation a side dish and/or a non-perishable food item which will be distributed to local Food Banks such as Be-Concerened and the Beneficiary of Financial Contributions over and above the cost of the event will be the Northern Kentucky Emergency Shelter under the direction of Ms. Rachael Winters. We thank you in advance, FOR YOUR SUPPORT...
