What is AIDS Awareness, St. Louis by Marlene McMullen

The article I chose to write about is AIDS awareness. It’s a topic that can’t be spoken enough about in this day and hour. The group I’m choosing to identify with is called EFA, (Effort for AIDS). It’s a non-profit organization whose goal is to educate individuals and communities about HIV/AIDS awareness and intervention.  It is currently located in Saint Louis Missouri and was established in December 1985, and also happens to be the oldest foundation concerning AIDS and HIV. They have a Facebook page listed under Saint Louis Effort for Aids, and a website online at stlefa.org.

The public health problem and crisis that America and the community currently faces is a tough one especially with sex continuing to peak in our society, and with organizations like EFA, we can have some sort of community involvement with an institution that is designed to help seek out those individuals who lack awareness, help, and much needed materials to help support a cause that is wide spread and constantly growing and destroying our people.

The organization is trying to reach any and all individuals who are sexually active to become aware of how to better protect themselves from this deadly disease, and how to adjust and live with it if they have been infected. They have crisis management counseling for those who need it because they have this deadly illness, and several support and social groups for people infected with it and their families. To be honest with you, we need more people and organizations out here not ashamed to go out into these communities and speak with people whether they listen or not. Eventually someone will listen because this disease has got to end.

I think it’s wonderful to have such an organization available to any and every one. They also have a program called PAWS, (pets are wonderful support). It’s for people with this deadly disease who have pets that can’t necessarily care for them completely financially. The organization helps with food and the necessary pet care to help them take care of their pets. They feel pets are great source of support for people who are sick and ailing, which a lot of people do report pets make them feel better, and sometimes a pet is the only friend sometimes someone with HIV or AIDS has. This to me is very newsworthy information because a lot of people live right here in St. Louis City and County who need support groups or a better understanding of this disease but don’t know how or where to get it.

They are sponsored by the United Way so it makes them a nonprofit organization, so that should tell you that they’re not out to do anything but help in this desperate time of crisis. Overall I say EFA is a very important organization that is actively involved with the community, and has a message that the people need to hear that can and will save lives if people listen, and more people get involved. So if you know anyone who’s in need of support in any kind of way, have them contact EFA, and if they can’t help, I sure they’ll point them in a direction of someone who can.

 

References:     http://stlefa.org/