Volunteer Opportunities - Outreach

Outreach Volunteer Opportunities

We are an important facet to the Howard Brown Health Center as we are in the front lines in the war against HIV and STIs by providing assistance and information to the community.  Our department’s role is to meet individuals at bars and sex clubs to provide FREE HIV and STI testing and/or provide information and safer sex kits to those that we meet.

Often times people do not have the resources to come see us at the clinic or they want to keep their identity more of a secret, so they meet us at these offsite locations to have their needs met. 

This reality is an important facet to our job because there is still a huge stigma attached to HIV.  By going out into the field and educating the community we are working tirelessly to bring this awful stigma down.

What do we ask of you?  A love to help the community, a joy of educating others about safer sex and a drive to continually educate yourself.  Attached is a link to the Chicago Department of Public Health website where there are two online courses that we ask for you to complete before you join our department.  These classes, “Basic STD” and “Basic HIV Facts” are two quick lesions that will help you know the basics about these health concerns which the community might ask you about.  Being part of the front lines means that we help to answer questions from the community about the risks of HIV and STIs. 

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/cdph/provdrs/sti_hiv_aids/svcs/
register_for_freestihivaidsonlinecourses.html

(You will have to click on the button with a picture of the computer that says, “Getting Started”.  Then it will take you to another page where in the top left you have to register for a free log in.  Answer the basic questions that are asked then choose to do the Basic STD and Basic HIV Facts lessons)

In the meantime, look forward to a follow up email where we will provide you with a date for a mandatory volunteer orientation that we have for the Outreach Department.  We will go over the more finer aspects of volunteering in this department.

We look forward to you joining the team and please feel free to reach out to me with any questions that you might have.

There will be a required training for outreach basics and orientation to Howard Brown Health Center. For more information, contact Carlos Orengo, Outreach Coordinator, at CarlosO@howardbrown.org, or 773.388.8873.

Current opportunities include:

Street Outreach Volunteer

Looking for a fun and unique volunteer opportunity?

Serve as a representative of Howard Brown Health Center, the Midwest’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organization, doing health outreach to Chicago’s gay community. Provide General Health and HIV/STD prevention resources, information, and referrals in bars, clubs, and other social venues where gay men meet.

The only skills necessary is an outgoing personality, an openness to the gay community, and a basic knowledge of health. Outreach experience is preferred, but training will be provided by Howard Brown Health Center.

Volunteering will typically be during late evening hours.

Benefits of this opportunity include knowledge development (particularly with regards to HIV/STDs); outreach is held in fun environments (bars, social clubs, and house parties) and provides the opportunity to improve the health of our peers.

There will be a required training for outreach basics and orientation to Howard Brown Health Center. For more information, contact Carlos Orengo, Outreach Coordinator, at CarlosO@howardbrown.org, or 773.388.8873.

Thank you for your interest in supporting

Howard Brown Health Center!

As one of the nation’s premier lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-focused (LGBTQ) healthcare providers, Howard Brown Health Center (HBHC) fully recognizes that our patients depend on the services we provide and we work every day to ensure they receive the most comprehensive, culturally competent and compassionate care possible.