The Aaron E. Henry Community Health Center is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2019. To commemorate the significant milestone, there are many activities and events scheduled this year to showcase the work this organization has done and is continuing to do within the communities it serves.
One special event coming up soon will be the National Black HIV Awareness Day and Rock the Red Fashion Show on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the Coahoma Community College Pinnacle. Testing will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the fashion show beginning at 6 p.m.
The event is being done in collaboration with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and The Links, Inc. and will feature over a dozen local and area designers and boutiques in the show.
“We encourage the community to come out and support this special event and talented designers,” said Tana P. Vassel, the planning and program development director for the Henry Center. “It’s not only an educational opportunity, but also promises to be an entertaining and uplifting one. There will also be vision, dental and blood pressure screenings available during the day.”
This is one of three annual testing events done by AEHCHC, also including National HIV Testing Day and World AIDS Day. These events are done through the Ryan White Part C HIV Program that was funded in 2012 and the Ryan White Part A Program, which was funded in 2017.
“Currently, we are serving 10 counties: Coahoma, Quitman, Panola, Tate, Tunica, Desoto, Marshall, Tallahatchie, Lafayette and Grenada, but we have clients that come from Bolivar, Sunflower and Leflore counties as well,” said Mark Vortice, director of the Ryan White program.
AEHCHC has made a concerted effort to educate the community on practicing safe sex to prevent the spread of HIV/STDs.
“One of our main goals is to break the stigma barriers within the areas we serve,” Vortice said.
The Ryan White team distributes condoms, educational materials, free HIV testing and counseling on and off site, Monday-Friday at all AEHCHC sites: Clarksdale, Tunica, Batesville, Coldwater and the school-based clinics.
For more information on the fashion show, testing events or AEH’s 40th anniversary celebrations, contact the Clarksdale office at 662-624-4292 or the clinic at 662-624-2504.
