Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago

Please join us at Roscoe’s for a PHIMC Board Friend-raiser on Monday evening, 8/26. Raise a glass for health justice! Enjoy snacks, swag bags, and the company of colleagues working for the health and well-being of all people. RSVP at bit.ly/826healthjustice Tell a friend.

Julio Flores, Program Director for the Alliance, recently attended the National LGBTQ Health Conference at Emory University. The National LGBTQ Health Conference is an interdisciplinary translational research conference bringing together scientists, public health professionals, and healthcare providers to discuss issues affecting the health and well-being of the LGBTQ community. The largest scientific gathering of its kind in the United States, the conference also fosters professional development and provides networking opportunities. #lgbtqhealthconf2024

34 years ago on August 18, 1990, the Ryan White CARE Act was signed into law, which is the largest federal program that focuses on providing treatment and care exclusively to people living with HIV/AIDS. This act is crucial to ending the HIV epidemic, as it aids those in greatest need with medical care, food, and even housing. We talked with Bryan Gooding, a member of AFC’s Ryan White Community Advisory Board, about what the Ryan White CARE act has meant to him: “HIV has been living with me on my terms for over 27 years now. 15 years ago when I first came on this board, or 20 plus years ago when I was diagnosed, you were effectively locked out of the health care system. So Ryan White came in to fill that gap and keep us alive.” #RyanWhite #ryanwhitecareact #hivaids #healthcare #lgbtq

On Saturday, August 3, PHIMC's Community Reentry Project and Regional Substance Use Prevention Integration Center (RSUPIC) program attended A Day of Giving with Cosmo Community Church. The event provided the community with access to resources such as free hair cuts, food, giveaways, and games. Community Reentry Project and the RSUPIC program are committed to staying close to the community and establishing partnerships with organizations that work to support individuals and their families around justice involvement, incarceration, the health care system, and community reintegration.

Julio Flores, Program Director for the Alliance, recently attended National Gathering in Detroit, where he had the pleasure of meeting advocates from across the country. Julio loves learning from others' perspectives, getting to share resources and ideas, and building connections. He continues to work towards creating not only safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students but also brave spaces where they can be as authentic as possible.

PHIMC would like to congratulate everyone who was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame for 2024. We especially want to recognize four of our partners who were inducted. Congratulations to Antonio King, a founding member of the Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus, Channyn Lynne Parker, CEO of Brave Space Alliance, John Peller, President/CEO of AIDS Foundation of Chicago, and LaTony Alvarado Rivera, Executive Director of the Chicago Freedom School. The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame was founded in 1991 and is the only city-sanctioned LGBT Hall of Fame in the world. You can view the Hall of Fame here: https://lnkd.in/gnQgdxG8

National Gathering in Detroit was a vibe! I had the pleasure of meeting advocates from across the country and reconnecting with many others. I absolutely love learning from their perspectives, getting to share resources and ideas, building connections, and continue to work towards creating not only safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students but also brave spaces where they can be as authentic as possible. Thank you GSA Network for creating such beautiful space and for the intentionality on self-care and community building. The Alliance at the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago is ready to do the work 🙌🏽.

PHIMC's Community Reentry Project and Regional Substance Use Prevention Integration Center programs gathered with the community in Pullman on August 6 for National Night Out - a campaign that promotes police-community partnerships. The program provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Attendees enjoyed entertainment, food, bouncy castles, and some welcomed cooler weather!

National Health Center Week is August 4-10, a celebration to increase awareness of America’s 1,400 Community Health Centers. It is an opportunity to highlight the commitment and passion of Community Health Center staff, board members, and supporters. PHIMC would like to take this time to recognize some of our current National Health Corps Chicago host site health centers like Erie Family Health Centers and Tapestry 360 Health and remind organizations that may be interested to apply to become a host site! Host site organizations can include: community and school-based health centers, public health departments, non-profits, and community based organizations. Since the start of this service term, a total of over 15,000 hours have been served at host sites organizations, and group service projects. NHC members produce significant and unique contributions to host sites’ existing efforts to improve health outcomes in communities by engaging in activities at host sites that confront community needs, but would not otherwise be possible due to lack of adequate funding, staffing, and resources. Click here to learn more about becoming a host site for NHC Chicago: https://lnkd.in/gUnGfVRx #NHCW24

Queer Joy Queer Magic Queer Empowerment That and more is what Action Camp 2024 was. I am honored to have the opportunity to be a co-Director from Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago in a project in which youth become amazing leaders. Where youth go from very quiet and shy to making friends and sharing great knowledge. Action Camp is a space often described as “magical” where youth can see their identities reflected back at them, sharpen their critical lens, strengthen their own anti-oppressive frameworks, and actively skill-share and practice creating spaces where all identities are safe, supported, affirmed, and celebrated. More than 55 young people from across the state of Illinois attended as Campers or Youth Leaders. Youth Leaders facilitated workshops and social events. Workshop topics included Centering Latine Voices, Queer Representation in Media, Self-Care, Impact of LGBTQ+ People in Modern Language, Genders Around the World, School to Prison Pipeline, and Environmental Justice. Most importantly youth own their power and I am so excited to see how they will use it to create positive change in the future. Thank you everyone that supported Action Camp 2024.