Valentine’s Day Event: Safe Passage and U-LAMPers pair with Love Heals to educate young people about safe sex and HIV/AIDS

Safe Passage, February 23, 2015


On a snowy Saturday, February 14th, Safe Passage volunteers and the U-LAMP team gathered at John Jay College to host an event for Safe Passage kids featuring health educators from Love Heals, the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education. Organized by Safe Passage Attorney Claire R. Thomas and John Jay Professor Isabel Martinez, the purpose of the event was to provide Safe Passage kids with information and an open dialogue in Spanish about safe sex practices and preventing HIV/AIDS.

Americorps Justice Paralegal and NYLS law student Carlos Valenzuela, Americorps Justice Fellow Luisa Lebron and U-LAMPers and John Jay students Myriam Santamaria, Maureen Velasquez, Wanda Baldera, Ingrid Marin, and Sherlyn Wong were incredibly helpful in organizing the event and in greeting the Safe Passage kids and their friends who attended.

After the presentation and a question and answer session in Spanish by Joey and Vivian from Love Heals about HIV transmission and prevention, it was time to dance!

NYLS student Devi Patel lead the group in an expertly choreographed Bollywood dance lesson, followed by U-LAMPer and John Jay student Sherlyn Wong, who taught a fun and energetic salsa piece.

Safe Passage looks forward to hosting more educational events for the kids in our program in 2015.

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