A Christian Inter-faith based HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education, and Direct Care Program
Gospel Against AIDS (GAA)/Global Research Education and Training Networks (GREATNES)
GAA/GREATNES is an HIV preventive educational, capacity developing and HIV testing program. Established over 2 decades ago, our goal is to equip houses of worship to operatively function on the continuum of care for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. We accomplished this by educating and empowering houses of worship to become HIV testing sites and condom distribution centers. Using an evidence-based POL (Popular Opinion Leader) designed AIDS 101 and Anti-Stigma curriculum, GAA/GREATNES provides these sessions to more than 200 religious leaders annually. To accomplish this goal, our curriculum has been translated into 4 languages, allowing us to train Imams and Rabbis, Quakers and Seventh Day Adventist, COGIC and Buddhist, Episcopalians and Lutherans in 3 continents.
In addition to houses of worship, GAA/GREATNES has chapters in; correctional and substance abuse/treatment centers, schools and universities, clinics and pharmacies. With a board of 20 theologians, Persons Living with HIV/AIDS, Infectious Disease Specialists, HIV testers, counselors, trainers and presenters, we have provided HIV training and testing sessions from storefront to mega churches, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, drug intake facilities, beauty salons, basements, community centers, remote villages, rural enclaves, and Presidential residences to those at risk for contracting and/or transmitting HIV/AIDS.
And then came COVID 19:
In response to the outcry from PLWH/A in Michigan, in March 2020, GAA/GREATNES’ Infectious Disease Specialists, and Spiritual Care and Counseling team, created the first curriculum to address the concerns expressed by PLWH/A concerning COVID 19. With the support of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the first TeleMed Session “What You Should Know: COVID 19 and Persons Living with HIV/AIDS and their Service Providers” aired April 7th 2020. Since then, these sessions have been provided for staff and consumers at state and local health departments, HIV direct care service providers and HIV policymakers nationwide. The subject of a recent NPR (National Public Radio) interview, GAA now provides these sessions in more than 3 states. Our goal is to keep this highly vulnerable population, their families and their services provides, informed with update and accurate information that we hope will curtail the spread of this pandemic to those least able to defend themselves against it.
Still Committed
In addition to capacity building, outreach, and coordinating HIV testing throughout the community, GAA has launched an Anti-Stigma Training Series:
Each “session” contains valuable historical facts as they related to the facilitator’s family and personal experiences. They also include information highlighting recent events, European geopolitics, American, and pre-American events that have and continue to shape our country and worldwide. The information contained in these sessions encompasses many different cultures using contributions from recognized historians. These sessions are the culmination of years of study, research, data collection, travel, interviews, and firsthand experiences. The broad historical strokes used to share aspects of history are provided to attendees to encourage them to take a deeper dive into areas that are of interest to them.
For more information about this training series or if you would like to host your own training, please contact us
Rosalind Andrews Worthy
Who Are We:
Based in Detroit, Michigan, the GAA/GREATNES “team” consist of: PLWH/A,
theologians, social workers, pastors, priests, state certified HIV testers, counselors
and presenters, re-entering citizens, AA and NA facilitators, family therapists,
volunteers and interns from nationally recognized universities and colleges.
Board of Directors
Dr. Theodore Jones – Perinatal and Fetal Medicine, Corewell Health
Dr. James Tripp – SSW Family Therapy
Dr. Louis Forsythe, III Pastor, Pleasant Grove MBC, member of the National Baptist Pastors Convention USA, Inc., Wolverine Baptist State Convention, and the Metropolitan Baptist District Association
Treasurer (Interim)
Cedric Webster, District Court
Secretary
Mrs. Paula Sirls, GAA Counselor and Program Manager
Board Members
Felix Sirls, GAA HIV Testing Manager
John Wohl, GAA HIV/CTR
Edith Eubanks, GAA Volunteer (Arizona)
Matthew Bode, Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church
Darryl Gaddy, Church Growth Strategist
Dennis Joel, Director Mfumwa Yoel Foundation, Tanzania
Ran Hui, University of Toronto School of Social Work
Amari Edwards- STEM University of Michigan
Lynn McNeal, Constituent Relation Liaison- Detroit City Counsel Office of President Pro-Tempore James E. Tate Jr.