"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead Reverend Doris Green      Reverend Doris J. Green CADC, CCHP, MISA, has worked with the incarcerated population for over 27 years. In her current position, Director of Correctional Health and Community Affairs at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago she develops and implements innovative strategies to assist highly impacted communities respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and strengthen working relations with key community stakeholders including its faith institutions. She has been selected as a speaker at numerous conferences throughout the country, most recently the National AIDS Fund Community Partnership Meeting in Memphis TN, April 2007. In 2004 Reverend Green was appointed to the Cook County Bureau of Health Services, Institutional Review Board as the Prisoner Representative. In 2006, she successfully launched the Faith Responds to AIDS (FRA) committee a broad interfaith coalition of Chicagoland leaders, organizations and faith communities in a committed and effective response to stop HIV/AIDS. On August 18, 2007 while in Benin, West Africa Rev. Green was appointed Ambassador for World Peace by the Universal Peace Foundation and the Interreligious & International Federation for World Peace.

Kat Mackenzie            In 1999 as an undergraduate in psychology and French at Colorado State University, Kat discovered she had a passion for propagating health and wellness. As Webmaster for Ask Pat (www.askpat.colostate.edu), she answered health questions posted by readers. Kat also served on the American College Health Association’s Task Force on HPV and other STDs and the GLBT committee and was elected Student Representative for the Rocky Mountain College Health Association. In 2003, Kat started as an intern at the Center for Disease Control, National Center for Infectious Diseases working on improving prevention of West Nile virus. Her penchant for disease prevention carried over to the Northern Colorado AIDS Project where Kat assisted with case management and fund raising.            In 2004, Kat moved back to Chicago ­­­­where she currently teaches yoga in both group and private settings (www.apexyogainternational.com). Kat appreciates the healing benefits of yoga and teaches yoga to a group of HIV positive individuals at Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN). In her current position as the Job Developer at the Neumann Association, Kat works closely with Chicago area businesses to secure community employment for people with psychiatric disorders and developmental disabilities. Kat also volunteers as a Crisis Line Counselor for the Anti-Violence Project at (Center on Halsted) and is a member of the Chicago Area HIV Service Planning Council.      As a mental health counselor at Devereux Residential Treatment Center, Kat was exposed to the harsh reality of what can occur when children are abused and neglected. The human rights atrocities which these children endured discomfited Kat and consequently she vowed to do all she could to act as an advocate voice for all children in need. Currently, Kat focuses most of her volunteer efforts towards children affected by HIV/AIDS and has been volunteering regularly with The Children’s Place Association, Global Alliance for Africa and Children Affected by AIDS Foundation since 2005.

Joy Morris       Joy Morris is a 44 year old African American transgender female that resides in Chicago. For 27 years, Joy has been a survivor of HIV/AIDS. She is an HIV/AIDS activist and advocate in her community and nationally. Joy is a liaison from the Chicagoland transgender community where she has been advocating for the transgender community for the past four years. In her current position as the Outreach Consultant for the Street Outreach Unit at Men & Women in Prison Ministries, Inc., she specializes in ex-offender re-entry into society. Joy is an active member of the NorthSide HIV/Health Coalition (NSHHC), AIDS Research Alliance of Chicago (ARAC), and the Black Gay Men's Caucus. She also sits on the Community Advisory Board at Haymarket and the Needs Assessment Committee for the Chicago Area HIV Planning Council Title One. Joy is a dynamic group facilitator for various agencies in the Chicagoland area related to HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, health and LGBT issues. Joy met Rev. Green when they were both featured in the documentary “Faith, Prevention and Suffering: Christianity and HIV/AIDS in America” (www.bossonemedia.com/audiovideo.html).                                    Joy is very excited about being apart of the orphanage planning process. On a global scale, she wants to dispel the stigma about HIV/AIDS. For a long time, Joy fell into the evil trap of believing the hysteria surrounding the disease and the people who considered HIV/AIDS a curse from God. Joy is a living testimony that this notion is not true! It has been 27 years later and she is still HIV undetectable, gainfully employed, and spiritually healthy.  Joy said, “I know God loves me, what they said was a curse turned out to be a blessing in my life.” Vanessa Muhammad        Vanessa A. Muhammad, is the Co-Founder of the Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization, Inc. (MAGIC)a non-profit whose mission is to organize and mobilize residents of Woodlawn and the surrounding areas to create and stimulate social change. MAGIC currently has six successful youth programs that includes entrepreneurship, a teen talk show, string instrument program, physically challenged program, youth organizing, national teen health testing, and several projects underway.      As Co-Founder of the first-ever National Teen Test Day Foundation (NTTD), proved to be the beginning of a ground-breaking initiative—our mission is to address the increasing problems of the HIV/AIDS and STD epidemics plaguing inner-city teens; and to create a movement in the urban youth population towards awareness and responsibility for their personal and sexual health by building an acceptance towards testing and practicing healthy lifestyle choices, including abstinence and safe sex.  The goal of National Teen Test Day is to create an environment where teens feel safe and comfortable getting tested, finding out their HIV status, and learning important health information that could save their lives.       A Certified Ambassador through the Illinois Department of Public Health & Brothers And Sisters United Against HIV (BASUAH), Vanessa's love and passion for youth as a grassroots advocate has challenged thousands of youth to live healthier lives by speaking out on the importance of making smart choices.      Sister Muhammad also sits on the Board of T.A.C.T.S (The Association of Clinical Trials Services).  Sister Vanessa, shares her success alongside her husband Dr. Joseph A. Strickland-12X, Founder & CEO of MAGIC and their beautiful daughter Joi, currently a sophomore in college. Her philanthropic work has been featured nationally through such media sources as ABC, NBC, CBS, WGN, Fox News, WTTW and numerous radio and print media outlets.  Sister Vanessa A. Muhammad is also an Editorial Supervisor for The Final Call newspaper.  Mrs. Muhammad holds a B.S. in Biochemistry/ Psychology from Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas. Yaa Simpson           As a community motivational speaker on health, cultural and educational issues, Yaa Simpson has presented at numerous professional conferences and workshops (examples includes but not limited to, United States Conference on AIDS, CDC Educational Training Conference, American Public Health Association, Midwest Epidemiologist Conference, Disparities in HIV at Vanderbilt Meharry) and community forums such as, Conspiracy Theory and Trust Issues for HIV, Balm and Gilead’s Black Church week of Prayer, Men on the Down Low, Beyond the Rhetoric: Where is the Cure, “HerStory” MXC Symposia.       "Being a community epidemiologist means providing more than just research, information and statistics, it also means giving more of yourself to be the change you want to see.  If I want change in my community at home and abroad in places like Benin West Africa, I must be that change I want to see.  So for me just one of my contributions will be to support the Doris and Grace Foundation by providing personal funding and deeds to further the Future of Benin project.  This is my way of honoring my ancestors  ('They breath therefore we Live, Standing on the shoulders of our Ancestors, forever forward never backward!" excepts of a poem My Ancestors Live by Sista Yaa). Yolanda Trejo       Growing up in a small town on Hastings Minnesota Yolanda always had a desire to help people. Starting at a young age she was active in volunteering. Helping kids and mother out at The Lewis House, the local battered women’s shelter, actively being part of the multi-culture group celebrating diversity and cultural awareness, and helping the less fortunate eat with the delivery service of Meals-on-Wheels.      While attending Louisiana State University for a year she discovered that her artistic craving was for hair. She moved back to Minneapolis to attend The Aveda Institute, for cosmetology. As in active member in student council she helped organize creative ways to raise funds for different organizations and foundations each month. After graduating she moved to the windy city with a passion for the beauty industry and a desire to get involved with community organizing. She started working at Salon Blue in mid-June and is currently a hairstylist who loves her work and clientele.       In late summer of 2007 she was pleased to meet Reverend Doris Green. Reverend Green graced her with the opportunity to be a board member for the Benin Project. Yolanda hopes to use her youthful ambition and eager mind for change to help grow a healthier and more beautiful Benin! Sharon McGhee