An Evening of Awareness 2023 Recap

On February 11, 2023, The Strilite Foundation kicked off the New Year with its “An Evening of Awareness” (EOA) event at the historic Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. The event highlighted local Gospel singers and a saxophonist, performing under the direction of Minister of Music, LaBaron Mizer. Between musical performances, a reading from my book, The Set Up, was shared with the audience.

As a Community Based Organization focused on closing gaps in access to HIV care and sexual health wellness throughout Arkansas, The Strilite Foundation is an integral part of ending the HIV epidemic in Arkansas. We strive to create events where people can be entertained while increasing their awareness of HIV.

The idea for this event came to me as I pondered how to reengage people of faith into the realities of HIV. I felt like storytelling and music would be a great way to build interest. On the day of the EOA event, I was excited and prayed that someone would feel affirmed and encouraged by our efforts. It’s our goal to connect with one person at a time. We believe that our next event will touch even more people as we continuously improve all that we do.