The Power of Giving Back

Hello Beauties!

Giving back to others who may be less fortunate than us is important all year, but it is especially important around the holidays. While we are out buying that new hot too expensive toy for our kids and throwing down bucks for a tree and decorations, others may be worrying about how they are going to keep a roof over their heads or how they are going to stay warm in this winter weather.

Now me, I have a soft spot for the kids. A cute kid will make my biological clock wake up and ring with persistence. I think it's in cahoots with my mom so that I'll start making her some grandkids to spoil. Mmmhmm. I'm on to you mom. O_o. Anyways, I've decided to combine two of my loves (kids and community service) this season and bring you some holiday charities working to make the holiday season better for children in need.

Toys For Tots is probably one of, if not the biggest childrens holiday organization in the country. Started in 1947 by members of the United States Marines, Toys For Tots has distributed over 400 million toys to more than 188 million kids to date. Check out http://www.toysfortots.com/ for more information and to donate.


Angel Wish is a relatively new charity who specifically grants wishes for children living with HIV/AIDS. The charity began in 1999: "Angelwish achieves its mission by ensuring that 100% of individual donations are used for program services and that those funds are extended, where possible, to incorporate an educational component giving young people a hands on lesson in philanthropy." Donations are made either by make a cash donation or you can check out their wish list they have set up on amazon.com check out http://www.angelwish.org/ for more information.

A charity that I didn't know existed but now want to volunteer with, is Pajama Program. Pajama Program provides pajamas and books to children around the world, many of whom are waiting to be adopted. There are chapters all over the US and abroad. To donate, go to http://www.pajamaprogram.org/. (Warning: I lost all my gangsta when I clicked on to this website. Grab a box of tissue before logging on).

Last but certainly not least is My Two Front Teeth and here's how they work: First they choose organizations who serve underpriviledged kids. They then have the kids create a holiday card, and on the back of the card is their holiday wish, which they choose from a catalog provided by My Two Front Teeth. Sponosors from around their communities can sponor a child (or more than one if they wish). They purchase the toy of the childs choice, its wrapped, and given to them before the holidays. More information can be found on http://www.mytwofrontteeth.org/.
Whatever you do for the holidays, try to take time out to give back, whether its for kids, for the homeless, or even visiting the elderly in a senior citizen home. Enjoy your holiday, and remember the most important things about the season: family, giving and love.

A Side-Eye to Jacksonville: My Adventure on World AIDS Day

Since December 1st was World AIDS Day, I thought it would be good to go ahead and get tested. Well, apparently Jacksonville had other ideas...

This morning I woke up, had a migraine but was excited to get some work done and get tested. I even called my job and told them I was going to be a little late to allow time to do everything because I already know the wheels turn slower than I'm used to here. I looked up a few clinics that could do testing today. This was probably number one.

While I am aware that these tests cost someone money even if I don't have to pay and the city is no where near eager to budget a lot for HIV testing, could we at least have consistent hours Jacksonville?? I mean, I promise one clinic I looked at was open: Monday and Tuesday from 10:30-12PM and 2PM-3PM and Thursday from 1-5 but only every first and third Thursday and then Friday on..some other weird hours. O_o. Can I get, you know, 8-12 Monday thru Wednesday or something? But, I found a women's health clinic about 20 minutes away that had consistent hours and set out on my way.

So, I get to the clinic which was relatively easy to find but was further away than the directions said plus there was traffic. But I really wanted to get tested so I thought, fine, I'll just be a little later than the original 30 minutes I told my supervisor I would be. I walk in and they tell me they don't do testing at that site anymore, and gave me an address to where the women's clinic had moved. This I don't blame on anyone, they could have possibly just moved or the website hasn't been updated. The address was on the same street, just a different building so I could deal with that right? Wrong....

A brief sidebar about the streets in Jacksonville. One street can run the length of the city, and Jacksonville is freaking huge. They also had this great (O_O) idea of naming cross streets similar names i.e. King St crosses King Rd, ect. Not to mention streets that just randomly end with no warning. It makes for a fun trip when trying to find an out of the way location. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

The street that both of these clinics are on is looooong. And the women's clinic just happened to move to the opposite end of this street. So I hopped my slightly less enthusiastic tail back in the car and fought the lunch time traffic back to the other end of the street.

I finally find my way to the clinic and walk in, glad I made it but now I'm an hour late for work. I ask the nurse if they do testing (at this point I wasn't trying to take chances). Yes, they did, she said, but you have to make an appointment (the website must have been inaccurate again, as it was listed for walk in appointments. Part of the reason I picked that particular clinic). I asked if I could make an appointment. No, I would have to call in and make an appointment. Also, if I didn't have insurance the test would be $20. I could try and find the Duval County Health Department testing bus, but I'd have to call and see where they were. She gave me the number (which turned out to be the wrong number), and a card to make an appointment at the same office I was standing in. By this time I was about an hour and a half late for work. While my job is understanding, I knew I'd still be getting a strong side eye for saying I was going to be 30 minutes late, only to turn around and show up almost two hours after my shift started.

Here's my point: a lot of women in my city that have to utilize these free clinics do not have a car or an understanding job like I do. So if they got up, struggled to catch public transportation and then after all of that were turned away, do you think they would make much of an effort to try again? The city bus only runs a route about once an hour. So if I got all the way to this clinic and you told me you couldn't test me, I'd have to wait another hour for the next bus to come. Not to mention that the point of coming to a free clinic is because you don't have insurance and probably don't have $20 to spare to take an HIV test.

In addition, a lot of these clinics have a limit as to how many people they will test on a certain day. So, you get on the bus, trek over to this clinic and find out they DO have free testing, but oh you're number 21 and they only test 20 people a day so you're out of luck. Again, how much effort are you going to put into trying to come back if you know chances are it's going to be a wasted trip?

City of Jacksonville, we have to do better. It feels like we are coming up short in providing care for those that want to be responsible, and by doing that, we are only discouraging those that might have gotten tested just because a more responsible peer did. To gain control over the HIV epidemic in Jacksonville, we have to take responsibility for ourselves, and help others who may not otherwise be able to help themselves. When 7500 people are diagnosed daily, testing 20 people a day is not enough.




I am willing to help in any way that I can. Are you?

Why I Rock the Red Pump

Hello Beauties!

As we know, today, December 1st is World AIDS day. In the years past, I never really gave much thought to this day. But this year, it holds more significance to me than ever. I recently joined the Red Pump Project (http://www.theredpumpproject.com/) which is an inititave helping to educated women and girls about the effects of HIV/AIDS.

The two women that started this movement, Luvvie and Karyn, are awesome, let me tell you. Even though I've never met them in person, I look up to both of them for the passion they show in educating and healing our community. The Red Pump Project was born in March 2009 in Chicago, IL. Since then, it has grown to include over 40 ambassadors in over 20 states. They've also started the Red Tie Project (http://www.theredtieproject/), an initiative striving to educate men and boys about HIV/AIDS.

In reading statistics before I actually reached out to Luvvie and Karyn, I felt a huge burden to make a difference. The millions and millions of people that are infected and dying from this disease is ridiculous. And, more importantly, preventable. However, I never would have known had I not done the research. It seemed to me, as I read over the information, that people thought HIV was a secret or a joke, especially in the african-american community. I emailed the contact on the Red Pump page and waited for a reply, already thinking about what I could bring to their organization.

Fast forward to about two weeks later. I received the news that a friend of mine was diagnosed with HIV. You know how a lot of people say they never thought it could be them? Well, I never thought it would be someone I knew either. Suddenly, worrying about bills seemed trivial. I was worrying about a close friend possibly not being here as long as I thought. It felt like someone had a tight grip on my heart and lungs.

So, when I got a reply back from Karyn a few days later, I was even more impassioned. When I'm doing research for this blog and for Red Pump, it's difficult not to worry if my friend will go through some of the same things I'm reading about. I worry, but I will never stop fighting for equality and awareness in my city and any other city I may travel to. So that is why I rock the red pump now, and forever.

And to my friend, I am awed every day by your stregnth and faith through everything. I love you.

World AIDS Day Posts From Fellow Red Pump Rockers!

The Red Pump Project: http://www.theredpumpproject.com/2009/12/world-aids-day-2009.html

Black is Breezie: http://blackisbreezie.blogspot.com/2009/12/red-pump-project.html

Awesomely Luvvie: http://www.awesomelyluvvie.com/2009/12/world-aids-day-is-21.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Luvvie+%28Awesomely+Luvvie%29

Luvv Divine: http://www.luvvdivine.com/2009/12/world-aids-day-2009.html

Afrobella: http://www.afrobella.com/2009/12/01/world-aids-day/

GOODness: http://goodeness.blogspot.com/2009/12/world-aids-day-2009.html

Blog For Sanity: http://iwillblogforsanity.squarespace.com/home/2009/12/1/world-aids-day-b-scott.html

Jitambue Leo

Hello Beauties!

Today, I want you to ask yourself a question: What is more important to you? Your image, or your health? Now think about your peers, both male and female. What’s more important to them? Their outward appearance or how they feel?

The reason I want everyone to ask themselves this question is because of an article I read today on a program in Kenya called “Jitambue Leo” which means “ know yourself. This is a program in which teams will go door to door, asking people if they would please go and get tested for HIV/AIDS. Their goal is to get 1 million people tested in the next three weeks.

Kenya has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the world, with an estimated 7 to 8 percent of adults living with the disease. However, officials in Kenya state that those numbers are not accurate simply because a lot of adults refuse to be tested. In Kenya, simply being tested is a sign of sexual promiscuity.

That same mindset can be witnessed in the United States. And, like Kenya, too many people are spreading the disease and dying from it because they have not/will not get tested. So what do you think beauties? Do peoples’ perceptions of what it means to have HIV deter people from getting tested? How important is it for YOU to know, or to encourage others to know their status?

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8375127.stm

Kami, the HIV Positive Muppet

Hello Beauties!

Sesame Street, the longest running childrens program on US television is celebrating their anniversary on November 10th. This morning, on the news, they were talking about the many changes Sesame Street has gone through over the years and happened to mention a HIV positive muppet. I'd never heard of an HIV positive muppet, so I had to investigate.

Meet Kami. She is a character on Takalani Sesame, the South African version of Sesame Street. Kami was infected with HIV through a tainted blood transfusion as a baby. She is a happy girl with perpetutal sniffles, though she lost her mother to HIV/AIDS. Kami's purpose was to teach young viewers how to deal with sadness and loss in a way that they could understand.

Upon her introduction in 2002, many thought she would appear on the US version of the show. This sparked much opposition. Here is a statement from the Traditional Values Coalition:

The introduction of an HIV-infected Muppet on Sesame Street is problematic because HIV is spread primarily by homosexuals and bisexuals in the U.S. It is likely that an HIV-infected Muppet would be used to teach tolerance and acceptance of homosexuals to the preschool Sesame Street audience. In effect, this would be another propaganda tool to normalize homosexuality in our culture.

Ignorance. SMH. And this was not that long ago....2002! They missed the purpose of Kami's presence altogether. I am so glad to have learned about her. If I am blessed with children, they will defintely meet Kami and all the other Sesame Street characters. Hopefully, one day, the US will get over their fear and ignorance, and introduce Kami to american children.

To Sesame Street, Happy 40th birthday, and here's wishing many more years of your wonderful prorgram. To all, be blessed!

World AIDS Day

When I sat down to write this post for World AIDS day, I wasn’t sure about which direction I should go in. I could tell you that the first World AIDS day was December 1st, 1988. I could tell you that the CDC estimates that 1.1 million people in the US alone are living with HIV, and that an estimated 33 million are living with it worldwide. But does that really tell you why World AIDS day exists?

The fact of the matter is, though we can go and Google those statistics and study them for ourselves, we still do not take HIV/AIDS seriously. Most people with the disease will tell you, “I never thought it could be me.” But it can. Just ask one of the 7500 people who learn they have HIV every day. Ask the families and friends left behind from the staggering 25 million people that have died from the disease since the first known case in 1981. So what does it take for us to take the disease seriously? What will make us get up and get tested, and take responsibility for ourselves?

World AIDS day can be celebrated however you want to. But as for me, I am going to celebrate by being responsible. So I will go and get tested and I will encourage others to do the same. And I won’t be ashamed to be seen taking the test, because I’ll have one of the best defenses against HIV: knowledge.

Debunking the Myth of the "Down Low Man"

Hello Beauties!

For a long time, the common belief about the reason so many black women were being infected with HIV were because of "down low men." If you don't know what a down low man is, it's basically a man who secretly has sex with other men while simultaneously sleeping with unsuspecting women. They do not, however, identify themselves as gay or bisexual. Well recently, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) published a study stating that is NOT the case.

Dr. Kevin Fenton, Director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (whew!) was on NPR recently to discuss the CDC’s findings. Here is a link to the transcript from that interview: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114237523



Ladies, we have to be responsible for our own behavior. Before you decide to become intimate with anyone, you have to ask questions about his history. If you want to have sex without a condom, both of you need to get tested. Don’t be afraid to rock the boat, because if he gets angry, chances are he has something to hide or he isn’t worth it anyway. Let’s stop making exceptions for “love” because we are playing with our lives. Be safe, be loved, and be blessed!

Good For You Foods!

Hello Beauties!

Flu season is upon us and everyone is in an uproar trying to make sure they have their flu shot, are stocked up on vitamins, cold remedies, and warm clothing. But you know, if we ate a little healthier year round (and I’m guilty of not eating right myself), we would have to scramble for the meds and vitamins AFTER we were sick. So here are some great tasting good for you foods to keep stocked in your kitchen all year.

Milk: Calcium has always been the main selling point for milk. But, it’s also rich in protein (which builds and repairs body tissues), and Vitamin C (protects the immune system). The FDA recommends 3 cups of milk/dairy products per day. If you are allergic to regular milk, try soy or almond milk; however, be on the lookout for almond milk with added sweetener.

Chili Peppers: When you think chili pepper, you think HOT! However, chili pepper has this amazing lil ingredient called Capsaicin which cures like, everything. Really, it fights headaches, clears sinuses, and breaks down deposits on bones. It also is high in Vitamin A (which keeps your eyes, skin, and mucous membranes moist), and Vitamin C.

Onions & Garlic: Yes, they both make yo’ breath funky. Both are rich in Vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and antioxidants. So keep them (and some breath mints) handy.

 

 
 
Yogurt: Did you know that when you take an anti-biotic, you kill the “good” bacteria as well as the bad? I didn’t. This is where yogurt comes in. It’s full of cultures or “good” bacteria that the digestive system needs to run…ahem…smoothly. It also contains Calcium (for strong bones and teeth), Magnesium (for a health heart, bones, and teeth), and Vitamins B-2 & B-12 (B-2 helps convert carbs. B-12 helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells).
 
 
 

 

 
 
Grapes: In short, grapes are awesome and are packed with Vitamins A, C, and B6; And also has Calcium and Potassium.
 
 

 

 
 
Lastly, I read up on the “miracle fruit” Acai. From what I read it’s good for just about everything from helping you lose weight to curing world hunger (not really). But seriously, the Acai berry is full of Vitamin B and protein, and the Omega-3 doesn’t hurt either. Supposedly, it’s been shown to promote restful sleep, fights aging and inflammation, protects against heart disease, and increases…libido? (O_o). Well, it has good stuff in it, so it can’t hurt. Just don’t expect it to act as the hand of God. :)

Deals at Sephora!

Hello Beauties!

So. It's the end of the month. You're running short on funds (or, if you're like me, you've been short since the beginning of the month), and you don't think you can take one more day of that annoying co-worker without beating him/her senseless saying something. It's past time for you to pamper yourself again.

I find pampering so important because as women, we often put ourselves last no matter what. Be honest, how many times have you felt like BLAH but your significant other/kid/friend asks you to do something and you do it because you're tired of looking at their sad a** face you feel bad for them? *Sigh* Me too...me too.

With that being said, I heard through the Twitter grapevine that Sephora was having a sale (*swoon!!!*) and went to their website to have a look. Now, they pretty much always have the free shipping, but they are also doing the promotion where if you order something, you get to pick 3 free gifts! Yess! *jumps for joy* Also, they have some pretty good items on sale. Check it out for yourself at http://www.sephora.com/. Here are some items that caught my eye:

Best of Sephora Set:

$97 value, originally $65, on sale for $55

Includes:

8oz  Purity made simple facial cleanser

2oz Hope in a Jar

8oz Amazing Grace Shampoo, Bath Gel, Shower Gel, and Body Emulsion

Decleor OOH La Spa-At home spa treatment kit

Originally $52, on sale for $30

Includes:

Aromatherapy facial kit that cleanses, exfoliates, masks, treats, and protects the skin, eyes, and lips with essential oils.

Ted Gibson Body 6-piece travel set

Originally $45, on sale for $29.45

Includes:

Three body "shampoos" and three body "conditioners" in scents such as rose & ginger, and grapefruit & honey.

Those are my picks! I realllly want that set with the body shampoos and conditioners *sad puppy eyes* What are your picks?