I had originally learned of the Midnight Mission through a screening of the movie “Skid Row” at the 2008 Pan African Film Festival, where Orlando Ward and Pras (from the Fugees) were doing a Q&A session after the movie. Since then, I had been wanting to get involved and later found them on Facebook.

Through my getting involved with them, I have been learning more and more about the real problem(s) related to homelessness in Los Angeles, and why it’s still an issue today.

I did my much anticipated walk-through this late Summer at the Midnight Mission.  I was planning with a few others to do something there for the Holidays.  Unfortunately, that never happened, but I was still determined to do something at the Midnight Mission and was therefore able to gather a group of volunteers to serve food there on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. So here are the pictures of the Midnight Mission. I’m excited about this coming Sunday!

“America’s Funniest Home Videos: $100,000 Grand Prize Show”
I need at least 15 people for this!

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2009
Call time: 11:00-3:00 p.m. ***our group will only get credit if you show up on time
Showtime: 11:30-9:00 p.m.

LOCATION: RALEIGH STUDIOS
1600 ROSECRANS AVE.
Manhattan Beach, CA
Download a map here
Download a flyer here

Please RSVP to volunteernigeria@usa.com, or through our Facebook event page:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=139366457878

A head count and list of names  must be turned in prior to the date of the show for security reasons.

AUDIENCE PARKING / CHECK-IN : Free audience parking is available in the studio’s on-lot parking
structure. Go south on Redondo (from Rosecrans) and enter at the main gate Visitor Lane – on your
right at the end of Redondo.

DRESS CODE: The studio audience at AFV appears on camera, so please dress appropriately.
For Men: Shirts with collars and dress slacks. Ties and jackets are optional… but preferred.
For Women: Pant suits, dresses, skirts or slacks with dress blouses.
Please, NO jeans, tshirts, solid white shirts, tank tops, hats or clothing with large photos, words or logos.
CELLPHONES, CAMERAS or PAGERS are NOT permitted on stage! (If you bring these items, don’t worry, they have a check-in place for them with security to tag and hold for you)

Feel free to comment, email volunteernigeria@usa.com, or tweet me if you have any questions!

I will be participating again in this year’s AIDS Walk Los Angeles on Sunday, October 18!

This year marks the 25th Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles – the world’s first such event.  For more than two decades, teams have been an integral part of our success.   Please join us with your team as we commemorate a quarter-century of heartfelt strides and lifesaving progress.  Together, we will make AIDS history.

Here are some statistics that I found astounding:

• More than 1.2 million people in the United States are estimated to be living with HIV.
  [http://www.aidswalk.net/losangeles/]
• Around 67% of people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa.
  [http://www.avert.org/worldstats.htm]
• Nigeria alone had 280,000 HIV and AIDS-related deaths in 2008 and 350,000 fresh cases.
  [http://allafrica.com/stories/200908240597.html]

Sign up today and join 30,000 other Los Angeles participants as we fill West Hollywood Park in support of this important cause.  AIDS Walk Los Angeles is a 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) fundraising walkathon benefiting AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) in addition to dozens of other AIDS service organizations throughout Los Angeles County.

AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) is dedicated to: improving the lives of people affected by HIV disease; reducing the incidence of HIV infection; and advocating for fair and effective HIV-related public policy.

In 2008, AIDS Project Los Angeles…

• distributed 125,000 free bags of groceries
• performed 10,000 dental procedures
• created 700 housing plans for APLA clients
• provided peer support and safer sex education to 993 gay and bisexual youth
• distributed copies of their HIV prevention publications to more than 21 countries worldwide coordinated 27 meetings among people living with HIV/AIDS, HIV Advocates, and California Legislators’ offices during AIDSWATCH 2008

If you read up on what’s going on in Nigeria, you’ll realize that these three areas that the APLA focuses on are necessary in reducing the number of HIV/AIDS related deaths and to prolong the lives of those living with it.  Nigeria is struggling with this. But if we start in our respective communities we can be apart of the worldwide change and be better equip to help back home.  Our job is to bring awareness to our Nigerian community and show how we can be apart of the solution.

Please join Volunteer Nigeria! as we rep for Nigerians & Africans in the diaspora showing the world that we too care about this pandemic and want to be apart of the solution!

View our Team Page!

Join The Team Now By Clicking Here

Or, register by phone:

Call the AIDS Walk office at (213) 201-WALK (9255).
Let them know you are signing up to join Volunteer Nigeria – 1325

Please pass this message along to your co-workers, friends, and family!

They can all join the Volunteer Nigeria Team.

If you can not walk with us, but would like to make a donation to the Volunteer Nigeria team, please click here and make that donation online with a credit card.

You can sponsor any specific walker on the team or make a general team donation.

Thanks for reading and I hope I see you there!

Comment if you have questions

For more information, please visit http://www.facebook.com/volunteernigeria

I learned of a local group called the Pasadena Birthing Project through the Black MBA Association’s New Member’s meeting and decided to look them up to apply as a volunteer.  I received an email confirmation to come in today for an orientation for new volunteers.  When I showed up this morning, I was really impressed with the amount of space at such a location that looked so inconspicuous from the outside.   It was colorful, roomy, and inviting to children.  As the volunteers entered, one by one would ask if they could look around.  We did so together during the group tour.

There was an agenda for us to follow for the two hours that we would be there. First up on the list was Nancy Brimhaw to speak about Fundraising and the different parts to it. Toni, who runs the Literacy Center, one of three parts of what they call The West Adams Healthy Learning Collaborative, gave us all the tour we had been itching to go on.  There were several different rooms used for the purpose of teaching the youth who need their services. Wenonah Valentine then spoke about the Pasadena Birthing Project.  She spoke about the mission, why they are there, and what their purpose is.  One could say that they serve as an extended family for pregnant women who do not have the immediate love and support that is needed in order to have a healthy baby.

The Pasadena Birthing Project was literally a project that began in Pasadena to examine racial disparities around birth outcomes and women’s health and has recently come to service the Los Angeles area. According to the California Department of Public Health, “the infant mortality rate for African Americans in Los Angeles County is about twice as high as the overall Los Angeles County rate, and three times that of White babies” (1997-2006). Also, “in 2007, more than 16% of both African American babies and Native American babies were born preterm” (1997-2006). The Pasadena Birthing Project’s goal is to examine solutions to the infant mortality rate in Los Angeles, County.

To learn more about the Pasadena Birthing Project, visit www.pasadenabirthingproject.org.

with Wenonah Valentine (middle) and Anita Reuben

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