For my “Civic Engagement” project I volunteered for my friend at the Bell Clinic right here in downtown Indianapolis helping to raise awareness about the dangers of not getting tested for HIV as well as all general STD’s. Planned Parenthood as well many other clinics all over the nation have deemed April Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness Month. A month aimed towards getting the information out there as well as letting young people know where they can get treatment, the different types of programs that take care of the cost of any medication and or treatment if needed as well as the importance of using some type of contraceptive every time no matter if it’s a one night stand or someone you’ve been in a committed relationship with for a long period of time. I really enjoyed the 3 days I volunteered downtown as well as some other outreach programs one was on Pershing Street at a local church another was out Beach Groove at a where teens that are placed on probation or house arrest are required to come for anger management where they get to talk out what’s bothering them why they think they are there as well as having guest speaker like my friend Tiara come out and give them information and the tools necessary to stay safe if they are sexually active.
Hearing my friend answer questions without the teens and young adults feeling like they are being judged was very refreshing. At first I could tell they were hesitant to raise their hands but she did a great job of making them feel comfortable by joking around a bit with them as well as telling them some personal stories about herself and how she came to care so much about spreading the word and making sure not only the youth in our communities were being informed but that the people in charge continue to take notice in the prevention of STD’s and especially HIV. The more she talked the more they began opening up. She introduced me as well they asked me questions, more about me and what kind of...