A Message from Jessica Gringold while in Africa

Dear First Unitarian Church,
This note is long overdue. I have gone and left Africa (and am studying Spanish in Spain right now) and am basically without wordsfor the experience. I owe you all a huge thank you for thecontributions you gave to my trip. I have long heard horror storiesabout the AIDS epidemic in Africa, the poverty, etc., but when I wasthere it all became a reality. I saw how much need there actually isand was glad to have not arrived empty handed. Of course what I gavewas little compared to the immense need, but I believe now more thanever that every little bit does in fact count. I am very proud to have been raised in First Unitarian Church. Ibelieve that the part of me that even wanted to go to Zambia owes muchto the lessons I learned from all of you. The generosity is pure andreal. I saw so many fundamentalist churches and heard stories ofmissionaries from such churches that were there for all the wrongreasons. They see the poverty and suffering in Zambia as convenientto their principles and offer no concrete aid, solely the threat ofhell and the hope of heaven (with a small tithe of course). It is sorefreshing to know that we are a church that gives without asking foranything back. One of my jobs while I was volunteering at the hospice wasorganizing the medicine cabinet. I can assure you that there was needfor all that you gave and it is set up in an organized manner to beused efficiently. The people at the hospice were absolutely amazing,and while at times I had to deal with the inevitable, "what am I doinghere? what do I really have to offer? I can´t change anything! I getto leave..." thoughts, I was constantly reassured with smiles, hugs,and hand squeezes that my presence was appreciated. Thank you forsupporting me and supporting them. Every little bit really reallyreally does matter.
Love, Jessica Gingold

More questions about AIDS/HIV?

Check out fact sheets and info about AIDS/HIV at:
http://aids.about.com/od/aidsfactsheets/

World AIDS Day (Dec. 1, 2005)

(an old post but has valuable information!)

WORLD AIDS DAY DECEMBER 1st!

Be sure to check out www.avert.com/worldaid.html
There are tons of things YOU can do to help!YOU and youth in your area (schools, congregations, clubs, etc), and district/region, can make a difference by participating in World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2005 to raise awareness about AIDS and HIV!!! According to UNAIDS estimates, there were 37.2 million adults and 2.2 million children living with HIV at the end of 2004, and during the year 4.9 million people became newly infected with the virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35. Started in 1988, World AIDS Day is not just about raising money, but also about increasing awareness, education and fighting prejudice. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done. http://www.avert.org/worldaid.htm

What can YOU do? - Everyone can do something!
The theme is "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise" There are many ways in which you can support World AIDS Day.

For example: *Raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in your area *Wear a red ribbon and ask others to do the same *Protect yourself and your partners - this is the first and best way to stop the spread of HIV *If you are worried - get tested. *At school or work, you can support World AIDS Day by: *Having a dressing up, down or fancy dress day *Putting up some posters (see below) - get people talking *Selling red ribbons *Organising a creative writing/poster campaign *Setting up a debate or a quiz - there're lots of ideas for topics on our site *Cooking an international meal or having a cake sale *Arranging a sponsored three-legged race or balloon release *Getting your friends, family, colleagues or pupils to express their feelings and expand their *knowledge about AIDS *Using your imagination! *Organize a presentation at your school, congregation, or other community center *Pass out condoms and information on AIDS/STD testing centers (planned parenthood, local clinics, etc.) *Take up donations and donate to AIDS preventation/awareness/treatment organizations such as http://www.avert.org/worldaid.htm (AVERT), http://www.interactworldwide.org/ (Interact Worldwide), http://www.bapd.org/gyorde-1.html (Youth Philanthropy Worldwide), or a local organization in your area.

*The UU Global AIDS Coalition Youth division is encouraging youth groups, congregations, and interested persons to hold a vigil Dec. 1st to remember those affected by AIDS/HIV.
We would LOVE to hear what youth, youth groups, congregations, etc. are doing in your area for World AIDS Day allaroundgurl@aol.com or dtzjread@comcast.net.
You can also email us if you are interested in joining the UU Global AIDS Coalition (youth division - YEEHAW) and/or want further information or have any questions.

Best wishes, Erica Lindegren, UUGAC Youth Representative
Toniann Reid, UUGAC Youth Advisor

MOVIE NIGHT!

One of the easiest and most productive ways to raise awareness about AIDs/HIV in your area is to host a movie night. You can host a dinner and a movie, or sell popcorn and drinks, or appetizers, deserts, etc. You could also invite a guest lecturer to come in before or after the movie, or use it as a fundraiser to raise money for a local or international AIDS organization.

Some great movies to use are:
My Brother's Keeper - portrays the struggle of children orphaned by AIDS in Africa
A Closer Walk - the lives of people living with AIDS around the world
Rent (a bit mainstream and not as eye opening, but still a good musical..)

Other possibilities (I honestly have not seen them, but they pertain to AIDS/HIV):
Breaking the Surface - The Greg Louganis Story - The story about an olympic athelete's struggle with HIV.
A Mother's Prayer - A mother diagnosed with HIV struggles with her own fears while trying to find a family to care for her eight-year-old son.
Longtime Companion - A movie which concentrates exclusively on the devastating effects of AIDS on a group of middle-class gay men from the years 1981 to 1988.
Time Out - The Truth About HIV/AIDS and You - 1992 film that introduces the problem of HIV to teens and adolescents. Some information may be dated but it still is a good intro to HIV and AIDS.
Philadelphia - a 1993 movie with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington
Our Sons was 1991 made-for-TV movie starring Julie Andrews and Ann-Margaret as two mothers of gay sons, one of whom is dying of AIDS.
Life and Death on the A-list - A personal document of gay actor Tom McBride and his coming to terms with his HIV positive status

Movie Review of My Brother's Keeper

Jessica Gingold is a student at Colorado College. She spent 3 weeks in Zambia this May to learn first hand about the HIV/AIDS Epidemic at Ranchhod Hospice and Orphan Center in Kabwe. Prior to her visit, she viewed the video, “My Brother’s Keeper”. Following are her perceptions of the film. Jessica grew up in 1st Unitarian Church of Cincinnati, Ohio.As "My Brother’s Keeper" came to a close, I felt my mind opening. Ifelt dry tears attempting to forge the ignorant gates I’ve unknowinglybeen protecting myself with. Normally, I would watch such a movie,feel extremely bad about it, tell a few people, and move on with mylife. This time, it wasn’t so. I watched the movie in preparationfor a trip I would be taking two days later to Zambia (the location ofthe movie). This one I couldn’t ignore. I felt the documentary wasdeep and personal. I liked that there was a present optimism, theseparticular kids will have some hope, but at the same time thedesperation is present. While the kids in the movie get a secondchance, it is so obvious that so many never will. I think the moviestruck me so deeply because I was going to go to Zambia, because I wasgoing to see this first hand. So many issues in this world are flungat us, and there are so many things to worry about, care about, cryabout. There is no way to compare pain. "Our Brother’s Keeper" is anexcellent documentary that shows a concrete issue in a concrete way.I think it is especially effective to show to American youth who sooften take so much for granted. I am still dealing with the guilt,from watching that movie and going to Zambia and seeing it first hand,that I feel simply for having a family that is in tact; simply forhaving clean water and abundant food; simply for living without fear.It is impossible to ever understand the gravity of situations that arenot deeply personal, but it is still important to try. "Our Brother’skeeper" is one tool to expose the reality of the AIDS epidemic inAfrica. It affects so much more than we ever think. I am glad Iwatched it in preparation for my trip, and I encourage more people tobecome informed and seek out tools to try to forge the road to empathyand understanding.

(previously posted May 8, 2006)

*We are presenting a workshop at General Assembly in St. Louis Friday afternoon to raise awareness about AIDS/HIV. We will be watching a movie, right now tentatively Their Brother's Keeper, and discussing it afterwards. It will be awesome! Let us know if you are planning on attending. (Check out www.uua.org/ga for more info on General Assembly)*Youth groups and individuals can receive Red Ribbon Recognition for their participation in a wide variety of AIDS/HIV awareness activities. Get recognized for your activism!!(check out http://www.uua.org/news/2005/051201_aids/for more info. Red Ribbon forms will be posted soon!)*We are definitely looking for youth interested in being a more active part of YEEHAW, so if you are interested in being a part of the continental organization, let us know!*We are looking for t-shirt designs for YEEHAW t-shirts. We already have UUGAC t-shirts available, if you are interested, post a reply.*Postings for AIDS/HIV awareness resources, such as movies, books, etc. coming very soon!(if you haven't already done so, you should watch A Closer Walk and Their Brother's Keeper).If you have any info, resources, ideas, anything, please post and let us know!

Welcome friends!

Welcome to YEEHAW. Thats right, YEEHAW. We youth are that excited to be educating others about AIDS and HIV. YEEHAW is part of a grassroots organization known as the Unitarian Universalist Global AIDS Coalition. UUGAC has just recently hit the big time, becoming an affiliate of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Meanwhile, the organization as a whole is still very small run by a dedicated group of volunteers. YEEHAW is being initiated by the UUGAC Youth Representative, Erica Lindegren, and the UUGAC Youth Advisor, Toniann Reid. YEEHAW just opened its doors in September 2005, so we are incredibly open for suggestions. Goals for the future include: a committee of officers to help support, educate, and spread awareness and activism thoughout the US and Canada. The UUGAC focuses more strongly on AIDS in Africa as part of its global focus, and while that aspect is incredibly important to YEEHAW, it is difficult financially and time-wise for most youth to contribute a lot of work overseas, and that is why YEEHAW's focus will be on more of a continental level. Once YEEHAW gets its feet firmly planted on the ground, we will begin to work on a broader scale, with projects, fundraisers, etc. Right now, we just hope to be support base and inspiration for youth wanting to get more involved in AIDS initiatives. Please feel free to post any news, commentary, issues, action items, questions, concerns, etc you might have!!