Need Help?
Join Our Mailing ListHealth Education Resource Organization, Inc.
1734 Maryland Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (410) 685-1180
Fax: (410) 752-3353
Email: Sbaylor@hero-mcrc.org
Title: Project Unity
Project Director: Shanese Y. Baylor
Target Population: Black/African American
Age Group: Adults
Project Unity is a collaborative effort between Health Education Resource Organization, Inc., Baltimore Black Gay Pride, Inc., and Centro de la Comunidad, Inc. in the Baltimore community. The mission of the partnership is to provide culturally-competent HIV/AIDS counseling, testing and referral services to African-American men who have sex with men (MSM) and Latino men and women living in Baltimore.
The objectives of the project are to: provide counseling, testing and referral services to 200 African-American individuals who identify as MSM and 200 Latino men and women; and develop culturally sensitive educational media about the HIV epidemic within the African-American MSM and Latino communities. The project offers a six-session intervention “Many Men Many Voices” to 80 African American MSM individuals and a three-session intervention “VOICES” to 80 Latino men and women. Follow-up activities are conducted to determine behavioral changes. The HERO’s mobile unit is used to conduct outreach, counseling, testing and referral services in various communities. Pre-test counseling is provided before testing for HIV/AIDS. Those with positive results are referred to treatment services. Educational media culturally tailored to Latinos are developed and at least one print media campaign is launched during the Cultural Affair Banquet held during the Baltimore Black Gay Pride weekend. Radio and/or television public service announcements are geared to the MSM communities each year. Additional outreach activities include providing counseling, testing and referrals services to at least 300 African American individuals at community events, blackout parties, and the fall festival block party at Lexington Street.