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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt;">February 2005<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span
style="font-size: 14pt;">Contact:<span style=""> </span>Rev.<span
style="">
</span>J. Dwayne Heard, Event Chairman <span style=""> </span>330.
740. 1982<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span
style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style=""> </span>Rev.
Lewis W. Macklin II, Public Relations<span style=""> </span>330.
782. 8929<span style=""> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt;">CLERGY GROUPS UNITE IN
NATIONWIDE RESPONSE TO<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt;">AIDS CRISIS AMONG AFRICAN
AMERICANS <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style=""><span
style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Garamond; color: black;">The
area IMA & BPC organizations prepares for country's largest AIDS
Awareness
Campaign targeting the African American and Hispanic Communities<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">Youngstown,
Ohio – During the month of March
the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, the Baptist Pastors’
Council and
several community-based organizations of the greater Youngstown area<b
style=""> </b>will respond to the impact of HIV and
AIDS in the city’s African American communities in the annual
observance of
Week of Prayer for the Healing of HIV & AIDS in our community March
6 - 12,
2005.<o:p></o:p><br>
<br>
A community worship service to kick off the
week long events will be held Sunday, March 6<sup>th</sup> at the </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">Holy</span></st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;"> </span><st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">Trinity</span></st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;"> </span><st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">Missionary</span></st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;"> </span><st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">Baptist</span></st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;"> </span><st1:PlaceType><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">Church</span></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">, </span><st1:Street><st1:address><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">505 Parkcliffe Avenue</span></st1:address></st1:Street><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">. The service will
begin at </span><st1:time minute="0" hour="18"><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">6:00pm</span></st1:time><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;"> Other planned
activities will encourage area
residents to <b style="">get educated</b>, <b style="">get tested</b>,
and <b style="">get involved</b> with HIV/AIDS as it continues to
devastate Black
communities. Youngstown is one of more than several hundred cities
across the
U.S. that will sponsor programs which call attention to the problem and
seek
solutions to halt the epidemic.<span style="">
</span>Initiatives planned will include: <o:p></o:p></span></>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style=""><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS FOR CLERGY
& LAITY<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style=""><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">YOUTH FORUM &
SYMPOSIUM <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style=""><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">FREE ON-SITE HIV
TESTING<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style=""><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">INFORMATION ON
HIV/AIDS SERVICES<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<><!--[if !supportLists]--><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style=""><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;">SIMULTANEOUS PRAYER
SERVICES<o:p></o:p></span></b><span
style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;"><span style=""><br>
</span><span style="color: black;"><br>
The response to the Black Church Week of Prayer for the
Healing of AIDS events grows every year. "The horrendous exposure of
HIV/AIDS among African Americans is growing and who seems to cares?"
said
Rev. Willie Peterson, Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance
President
"This is the fundamental question that we are challenging our
religious,
civic and political leadership as well as all African Americans today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></>
<><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond; color: black;"><span
style=""> </span><br>
<br>
The
events specifically focus on educating African Americans on their high
rate of
risk to this disease. In addition, the clergy groups are calling on
every Black
religious leader to be a voice in this fight and to make HIV/AIDS
education and
related issues a top priority within their congregations and communities<br>
<br>
<span style=""></span>According
to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of infection
among
African Americans has exploded over the past decade. As reported in the
HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report (2002), Vol. 14, African Americans
accounted for
the majority (54%) of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 2002. According to
Baptist
Pastor’s Council President, Rev. Lewis W. Macklin II, “The best weapon
in our
arsenal against this epidemic is prayer, under girded by ongoing
community
awareness, prevention and education strategies.”<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></>
<><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond; color: black;">Since
its inception, The Black
Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS has engaged Black
Churches to
become centers for education, compassion and care in the fight against
HIV/AIDS. The organization encourages area churches to host educational
workshops, seminars, prayer vigils, or distribute information week
beyond the
one week observance. Ministries are also encouraged to assist getting
high and
low risk persons to consider taking the HIV test and to render
compassionate
care and support to persons and their families living with HIV.<br>
<span style=""><br>
</span>Many churches in minority
community have begun an appropriate response to the AIDS epidemic.<span
style=""> </span>The annual event has resulted in the
development of several congregational-based HIV/AIDS programs in
Youngstown.
These congregational programmatic responses range from consistent
distribution
of brochures during Sunday Morning worship to full-scale direct service
programs. <o:p></o:p></span></>
<><b style=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Garamond;"><br>
This project is co-funded and sponsored by
the Tri County AIDS Foundation, The Youngtown Minority Coalition. and
the
Youngstown City Health District. The coalition of organizations is
strongly
committed to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS in the African American and
Hispanic Communities. All events are free and open to the general
public. For
more information about Balm in Gilead’s week of Prayer for the Healing
of HIV
& AIDS or to find out how your church can get involved please call
330-740-1982 or 330-782-8929.</span> </>
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