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Driving Change and Empowering Communities: The Vision Behind Hope & Help

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Image by Kyle Dowdy

The city of Orlando is diverse and vibrant, with a strong sense of community that is evident at every gathering and within the core values of community support organizations. One such organization, Hope & Help, has been supporting the health and well-being of the Orlando community since 1988. Standing as a shining example of exemplary care for people living with AIDS and HIV, robust resources and education, prevention, and treatment, the team at Hope & Help has found a home in The City Beautiful. 

In 2021, reports showed that there were over 14,000 people in the Orlando area living with HIV. Hope & Help has been meeting the needs of the Central Florida population for nearly three decades, helping fight persistent stigmas and working toward a world in the near future free of HIV and AIDS. 

A beautiful beginning 

The 1980s and early 1990s were marked by some of the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic. By 1988, 46,000 Americans had died of AIDS. 

Due in part to the rampant stigma that surrounded those with HIV and AIDS and a lack of comprehensive medical care for patients, many of those with AIDS were cared for by their community. The act of one’s village coming together birthed many organizations, such as Friends In Deed and GMHC, dedicated to serving the communities most affected by HIV and AIDS. 

Hope & Help’s origin story has followed the same community-orientated trajectory. Formed in 1988 by a group of friends who were caring for someone close to them with AIDS, Hope & Help has grown to become one of the most comprehensive HIV/AIDS and STI service organizations in Florida. 

Today, Hope & Help offers preventative services, education and outreach, medical services, and support for those most affected by HIV and AIDS in Central Florida. With Florida remaining a state with one of the highest rates of HIV infections in the United States, the need for what Hope & Help provides remains great. 

The stigma that persists 

According to Lisa Barr, Hope & Help’s Executive Director, fighting the stigma that still surrounds HIV and AIDS is the main job of her and her team. By combatting misinformation and stereotypes, incredible care and support for the community can follow. 

“Stigma is the real disease that we are battling constantly,” explains Barr. “Years of medical inaccuracies, societal beliefs, and cultural factors have allowed stigmas to persist.”

Many of us still remember the early days of the AIDS epidemic, where misinformation and fear-mongering ran rampant. Turning the page on such a dark time is the core of education programs built by organizations like Hope & Help. With a wealth of information available on everything from PrEP — which offers significant protection from HIV — to mental health concerns, Hope & Help is not just talking the education talk but walking the walk, breaking age-old stigmas along the way.

Driving change with one’s village 

The community aspect of Hope & Help’s mission is the force that keeps their team working hard and striving to exceed expectations. “We’re committed to creating wellness, event, and support opportunities for everyone,” says Barr. “No matter where you come from, who you are or want to be, or what you believe, we have a place for you.” 

This “come as you are” ethos has helped Hope & Help provide services for thousands of people in Central Florida since its inception. Barr and her team operate under the belief that healthcare is a basic human right that should be accessible to all, which is why their programs and health services are curated to benefit all members of the Central Florida communities. 

In addition, Hope & Help has partnered with other local organizations to raise funds for causes that benefit communities most affected by HIV and AIDS. Its participation in community events — such as the upcoming A Walk for Change — has been instrumental in giving the Central Florida community access to the best in preventative care and support. 

The impact of community and group support for those living with HIV and AIDS cannot be overstated. Studies have shown that outcomes can be improved for those in communities most impacted by HIV and AIDS when they are given access to strong support groups and community resources. 

However, the impact of organizations like Hope & Help extends far beyond clinic walls or circled chairs in group meetings. When the community knows there is a place of acceptance and caring available to them, it helps strengthen the bonds of one’s village. As organizations like Hope & Help continue to work towards building a healthier, more informed community, the vision of empowering future generations and eliminating HIV and AIDS becomes clearer.

The work to eliminate stigmas, provide a strong sense of community, and eventually end HIV and AIDS continues in Central Florida. Hope & Help stands as a testament to the power of community-driven healthcare to improve outcomes and better overall wellness. 

Michelle has been a part of the journey ever since Bigtime Daily started. As a strong learner and passionate writer, she contributes her editing skills for the news agency. She also jots down intellectual pieces from categories such as science and health.

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Lifestyle

New App Crossed Helps College Students Forge Real Connections Beyond the Screen

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Gen Z is breaking up with dating apps, and for good reason. Many of these platforms just grab your eyeballs and hold on to them until you feel drained, rather than help you do what you logged on to do — find new friends, professional contacts, and exciting people to date. That’s why more and more college students are declining to join them.

However, technology doesn’t necessarily have to be a problem — at least, not if it’s approached correctly.

Due to one new app’s uncanny ability to help college students grow their social circles in real life, it’s fast becoming the most popular new social networking platform on campus. Called Crossed, the app bridges the online and real worlds, taking advantage of technology’s strengths while shedding its weaknesses. 

By leveraging sophisticated geolocation technology in a whole new way, Crossed introduces people who have literally crossed each others’ paths. As a result, they can make new friends and connections without even trying.

Crossed can be used to find friends, professional contacts, and dates

While Crossed can be used as a dating app, that’s only part of what it offers. Users can choose to participate in any or all of its three modes: Dating, Friendship, and Business, which is dedicated to professional networking.

Each mode is entirely distinct from the others, which means users’ profiles are never shared with anyone who isn’t interested in the same kind of connection as themselves. Gone are the days of disappointing other people because you reached out to them on a dating app as a possible friend or business contact, not a romantic interest.

College students have been finding numerous ways to use all three modes. The Business mode helps them meet other students in their courses and find study partners, while the Friendship mode connects them to other students who want to do fun activities or hang out together, and the Dating mode helps them find prospects to talk to and possibly ignite a relationship with.

Crossed does all this without any annoying swiping.

Crossed introduces you to those whose paths you’ve just crossed

Crossed’s innovative approach doesn’t require you to make snap judgments about hundreds of people based on their profile pictures. Instead, it uses cutting-edge geolocation technology to serve as your ultimate best friend, paying close attention to what you like to do and where you tend to go. Then, it scans the environment, searching for other members of the Crossed community who have similar habits. It only alerts you to the existence of other users whose paths have literally crossed your own.

“Say you love sailing or rowing,” says Conor Crighton, co-founder and COO of Crossed. “Crossed can introduce you to other people who go to the boathouse. If you like to study in the art history library, then it can introduce you to other students who do the same thing. Maybe you’re a big coffee connoisseur — Crossed can introduce you to other people who hang out at the same coffee shop.”

“If you went to a party but didn’t have the nerve to talk to someone, Crossed can come to your rescue, pointing out that you were both in the same place the night before,” says Manny Manzel, co-founder and CEO of Crossed. “That’s a much easier way to start a conversation. Plus, you won’t have to scream at each other over loud music.”

While other social networking apps require lots of time and effort, Crossed works in the background while you do other things. “The app multitasks on your behalf,” Manzel explains. “It constantly works to find new contacts for you so that you don’t have to. It also introduces you to people so you don’t have to walk up to them for no apparent reason and go through the awkwardness of introducing yourself cold.”

Crossed also takes security seriously. All communication on the platform is encrypted to the highest standards, and its “Safe Mode” feature allows users to choose which potential matches can view their profiles. Additionally, once Crossed’s “Safe Mode” is activated, you will not appear to other users around you unless you are both at a safe distance apart to further protect your personal safety and avoid unwanted matches.

Fill your college experience with fun

No one should spend their precious college years holed up in their dorm room, staring at a screen and feeling lonely. With Crossed, no one needs to anymore. 

Crossed helps college students get out of their dorm rooms, make friends, and find those special people who are interested in the same things as themselves. In this way, Crossed puts technology in service of the real world, rather than vice versa.

Meet the people who will be your college friends for the rest of your life. Meet your future roommates and business partners. Meet the love of your life. Join Crossed today!

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