Philadelphia, PA (August 31, 2022) – Bebashi is excited to announce two new partnerships with local grassroots organizations, SistaTalkPHL and Ark of Safety LGBTQ+ Safe Haven. These organizations will now be providing self-testing HIV kits and referring individuals to Bebashi’s prevention navigation services.
The partnerships, which are funded by the Center for Disease Control, will expand on Bebashi’s comprehensive high-impact HIV prevention programs and provide more resources to Philadelphia’s most vulnerable populations, while creating new opportunities for community engagement through our grassroots partners.
Founded in 2018 by Adam McNeil, SistaTalkPhl has served over 1,000 black single mothers, women, and children. The organization provides free community wash days at local laundromats, where single mothers and caretakers can wash clothes, at no cost, while receiving access to free diapers, appliances, and other much needed resources from various community and social service organizations.
“This partnership with Bebashi is a gamechanger,” McNeil said with a huge smile. “SistaTalk is now able to expand the support that we provide our families by ensuring that access to sexual health education and testing, through Bebashi, is more widely available.”
Ark of Safety LGBTQ+ Safe Haven was co-founded by Tatyana Woodard and offers resources, support, and advocacy for members of the LGBTQ+ community who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurities. For the past ten years, Woodard has been spreading awareness within the trans-community, through her personal experiences, about homelessness and the need to rely on sex-work to earn a living.
“This partnership means a lot to me because Bebashi’s foundation and the overall message of blacks educating blacks about sexual health issues, are closely aligned with the mission of Ark of Safety,” said Woodard. “Additionally, Bebashi has always been a leading advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and together, we will be a stronger force in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
Through this partnership, Bebashi will provide mentoring/coaching and organizational capacity development to both organizations, to help their teams effectively engage with the communities.
“We are excited to welcome Adam and Tatiana to the extended Bebashi family,” said Sebrina Tate, Executive Director at Bebashi – Transition to Hope. “This partnership is momentous for us, and we look forward to expanding our community engagement and HIV education initiatives through these two dedicated community organizations.”
To learn more about Bebashi’s programs and how we help our communities, visit bebashi.org.
###
About Bebashi – Transition to Hope
Bebashi -Transition to Hope is a nonprofit that was founded as a full-service HIV/AIDS organization with special interest in serving low-income people of color with HIV disease. As the second-oldest AIDS service organization in the Philadelphia region, Bebashi was the first African American organization in the United States to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It remains one of Philadelphia’s largest community-based minority providers of HIV/AIDS education and services for the urban community.
Bebashi’s purpose is to empower people to enhance the quality of their health and overall well-being by providing access to culturally sensitive high-quality healthcare to economically challenged individuals and families. Since its inception in 1985, the organization has expanded to address other health disparities impacting the community. Bebashi’s services also include hunger relief, breast health education, primary medical care and criminal justice.
About SistaTalkPhl
SistaTalkPhl is an organization based on empowering and supporting black women and mothers. SistaTalkPhl’s mission is to assist a generation of young women in personal development so they can begin to build on a foundation of self-worth, accountability, integrity and most importantly an unconditional love for themselves that no one can rob them of. We are creating a sisterhood that will keep them encouraged throughout their trials and tribulations while creating a support system they can tap into.
About Ark of Safety LGBTQ+ Safe Haven
Ark of Safety LGBTQ+ Safe Haven is a faith- based organization in Philadelphia working to create a world where LGBTQ+ facing homelessness and housing insecurity feel valued, supported and loved. We believe that the major reason homelessness and housing insecurity still exists is because it hasn’t been given the proper attention. Shelters and safe havens are not Trans and/or LGBQIA competent and spaces haven’t been created to address the needs of homeless LGBTQ+ individuals. Therefore, we offer a Trauma informed LGBTQ+ affirming space with peer support services
