Local Groups to Host Service to Heighten HIV Awareness

A community-wide HIV/AIDS healing worship service will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 12, in the Allen Temple CME Church, 4326 N.E. Eighth Ave.
The service will be convened by the Albina Ministerial Alliance in association with Balm in Gilead, The Cascade AIDS Project, Brother to Brother, The Links Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and other local social and health service organizations.
The collaboration of organizations aims to break the silence on HIV/AIDS in Portland-areaAfrican American communities and to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS through increased education efforts. Nationally, AIDS is the No. 1 cause of death for Black adults ages 25 to 44 — ahead of heart disease, cancer and homicide.
The Rev. LeRoy Haynes of Allen Temple C.M.E. is the local coordinator for Balm in Gilead, a not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization based in New York City. Balm in Gilead's international mission is to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout the African Diaspora by building the capacity of faith communities to provide AIDS education and support networks for all people living and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Since 1985, Cascade AIDS Project has provided community-based HIV/AIDS services, including housing and education, to those living in Oregon and Southwest Washington. More than 6,000 families in the project's service area have a loved one living with HIV.
For more information on the participating organizations,visit www.cascadeaids.org , www.balmingilead.org, www.brotobropdx.org, www.linksinc.org and www.deltasigmatheta.org.