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2006 Evergreen Spirit Awards
Tuesday, December 12
Honoring outstanding leadership and service in AIDS work in Tulsa
Congratulations to these outstanding honorees!
Richard Schakelford Award for
Outstanding Service in HIV Care:
Mary Bundy, Tulsa CARES
Truman Geren Award for Outstanding
Service in HIV Prevention:
Anne Kozak, Oklahoma State Department of Health
Evergreen Spirit Awards:
Marcia Burris, RAIN
Gail Flack, Tulsa CARES
Milton Harris, Our House Too
Kay Holliday, Oklahoma State Department of Health
Noah Roberts, Docvia.com
Keith Smith (posthumously), Lobbyist
Johnnie Stephens, OSU Internal Medicine Clinic
Ty Tyson, Volunteer, Tulsa CARES
The 2005 Evergreen
Spirit Awards
Heather Nash
Mary Waidner
Charles Faudree
Tony Garner
The Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund, Jackie and Barbara Cooper
Cindy Boerger
Glen Arnold
Nicole Nascenzi
John Clayton
Greg Howard
Melinda Foster
Stephen Eberle, the Richard
Shackelford HIV Care Award
Andrew Carter, the Truman Geren HIV Prevention Award
The 2004 Evergreen Spirit
Awards
were presented at the
annual Gathering of the Evergreens on December 14 to recognize individuals who
have demonstrated extraordinary commitment and/or pioneering work in helping our
community respond to HIV/AIDS (Nominees must have had at least 3 years of
experience in HIV/AIDS work or have made an outstanding contribution in
expanding HIV/AIDS services in a related field or collaborative effort).
Every year, the AIDS Coalition of Tulsa recognizes colleagues
and volunteers with Evergreen Spirit Awards to: thank them for
going the extra mile, being the voice for someone who needs an
advocate, recognizing unmet needs and doing something about it,
or helping others move out of harms way and toward better
health.
Tulsa Women's Foundation Event
Janice
Nicklas and Dr. Melanie Spector of the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership
--
at the Tulsa Women's Foundation's Grant Awards event on June 15, 2004 at OSU-Tulsa.
Thanks to all who helped make
this event successful!
O
OPEN YOUR EYES: HIV HAS NO BORDERS
OJOS EL VIH NO TIENE FRONTERAS
October 16, 2004, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. -
Hicks Community Center
Dear Friends of the
Community:
AIDS continues to challenge
the extended Latino family in every part of the country. Latinos
comprise 14 percent of the population in the United States but account for
20 percent (71,600) of all those living with AIDS. Surveys of Latinos
consistently find that AIDS is seen as the No. 1 health issue in this
country.
The struggle remains as we work to increase our political
voices and confront difficult issues such as drug use and sexuality.
The spiritual life of our communities has been challenged as religious
leaders reach out to advocate with families who have suffered stigma and
exclusion. This event encouraged Hispanics/Latinos to be tested onsite
and provided informational material on HIV/AIDS and other health-related
issues. Our thanks to all who participated and helped make it a
success.
Sinceramente,
Lizette Merchán, Chair
Lorena M. Whelan, Co-Chair
Tel: 749-8378
Tel: 295-6167
Sponsored by:
H.O.P.E. Testing Clinic and Morton Comprehensive Health Services
in collaboration with: Tulsa
Hispanic Resource Association, AIDS Coalition of Tulsa, and East Tulsa
Prevention Coalition
Tulsa Grantee Recognized for Exemplary
Prevention Program for Incarcerated Women
Dr. Melanie Spector refused to forget
them. Women incarcerated in Oklahoma’s prisons, so many times the “forgotten”
ones, have found an ally who cares about keeping them safe and healthy. HIV
rates for women in prison are high and in Oklahoma, more women per capita are
incarcerated than in any other state. Through the HIV Prevention Program for
Incarcerated Women, Dr. Melanie Spector has created an innovative program
designed to give incarcerated women the opportunity to earn college credit by
completing a course on HIV prevention, as well as become HIV prevention peer
educators. Currently, this program can be found in five Oklahoma prisons and has
reached approximately 6,500 inmates.
Since the program’s inception, the National
AIDS Fund, through the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership, has financially
supported this critical HIV/AIDS prevention program. As Director of the Tulsa
C.A.R.E.S. Prison Project, Dr. Spector has created a nationally recognized model
for HIV prevention programs in prisons, and was recently awarded one of ten
national Community Health Leadership awards by the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation. In recognition of her work, the program will receive $120,000,
of which $15,000 is a personal stipend. Dr. Spector has graciously donated her
stipend to the program. In winning this award, Dr. Spector has “earned the
nation’ s highest honor for community health leadership.”
Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the
Community Health Leadership Program awards $1.2 million annually to 10 people
who have overcome daunting odds to expand access to health care and social
services to underserved and isolated populations in their communities. Spector
was honored at a September 24 ceremony in Washington, D.C. Spector was selected
from among 463 nominees for this year’s honor.
“I congratulate Melanie for her outstanding
job performance and dedication to the cause of improving public health in
Oklahoma, even for those who are incarcerated. Her efforts have touched the
lives of many women and their families in a positive way while dealing with the
very difficult issue of health education in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention,”
said State Health Commissioner Dr. Leslie Beitsch. “She is a fine example of the
type of state employees that work in the field of public health,” he added.
As a part of the program, inmates help
design the 16-hour course, produce the materials, instruct fellow inmates, and
recruit future educators and participants. It is designed to address the root
causes of HIV disease in women as domestic violence, chemical dependency and a
lack of education.
This program works in partnership with the
Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Tulsa Community College, Oklahoma City
Community college, Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., United Way, the Tulsa Community Service
Council of Greater Tulsa, and the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The
National AIDS Fund is a proud supporter of the HIV Prevention Peer Education
Program and Dr. Melanie Spector. For more information, please contact Dr.
Spector at 918/595-4395, or Janice Nicklas with the Tulsa Community AIDS
Partnership, 918/585-5551.
Sources:
Oklahoma State Department of Health
website:
http://www.health.state.ok.us/program/hpromo/news/spector.html
The Robert Wood Johnson Community Health
Leadership Program website: http://
www.communityhealthleaders.org
Staff Leader Receives National Award
The Community Service Council commends Senior Planner
Janice Nicklas, who won the 2000 Russ Radley
AIDS Grantmaker Award from Funders Concerned About AIDS. This award honors
"activist" HIV/AIDS grantmakers who have demonstrated courage, commitment,
creativity and leadership. The award was presented at a special reception
on April 30, 2000 in Los Angeles. Janice has been Project Director of the
Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP) since 1983, and has been Coordinator of
the AIDS Coalition of Tulsa since 1987. She raises money each year to fund
HIV/AIDS programs, and directs the work of the TCAP Grants Committee.
Video
"Someone to Watch Over Me," Tulsa's video on
women and AIDS, is available for purchase, for $20. Contact Janice
Nicklas at the Community Service Council, 918-585-5551.
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