Bebashi has announced 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. Bebashi -Transition to Hope is a nonprofit that was founded in 1985 as a full-service HIV/AIDS organization with a special interest in serving low-income people of color with HIV disease.
The partnerships, which are funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), 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 game changer,” McNeil said. “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,” Woodard said. “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 for 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 they help communities, visit: www.bebashi.org.
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