These PeerCorps teens are among the first volunteers to work with Dr. John in the United States. They are from Fitchburg High School in Fitchburg, MA. (From left to right- Harold Mateo (first PeerCorps on Board of Directors, Danny Ortiz, Tara Caveney, David Maxim, Erin Buckley, and Liz Gary.)
Working in the USA
Dr. John spends much of his time talking to teens in the U.S. because this is where he lives and spends most of his time. Our headquarters moved from Boston, to the world at large during the major part of his Global Walk, and is now situated in Massachusetts again, in Fitchburg where he lives. TeenAIDS wants to assist U.S. teens to be highly informed and well trained as PeerCorps volunteers because the nation has regularly provided much of the world's leadership on key issues for better or worse (?) including HIV prevention education and AIDS research funding. I have found a real sense of altruistic service to their peers and community that is not as common in some other societies. I am specifically talking about donating money and hours of volunteer labor. Many American teens are very willing to do community service.
In this section, we want to highlight the work of PeerCorps teens in the states where Dr. John has walked and talked. Over time (because news comes in at various times and we want to keep you up to date) you will find new observations by Dr. John about each state, local teen reports, school doings, photos and videos of PeerCorps kids in action. Dr. John wants U.S. teens to take leadership roles in this generational war against a deadly enemy which has proven hard to cure or control, as researchers and people like us know.
Dr. John remembers one family friend who wrote saying that he wouldn't donate to TeenAIDS because he should be spending all his time here in this country, not in them foreign ones. Disappointed but not undaunted, Dr. John explained that more U. S. youth had met him and heard his message than the teens of any other country.
Dr. John shared this shocking statistic with the man: 25% of all new cases of HIV in the U.S. occur among teens, 12 to 19-years old. This gentleman had grandchildren in Jr. and Sr. High schools. It took a while but the news sunk in and six months later, TeenAIDS received its first of many donations from this man. Now one of his grandchildren is participating in HIV outreach.
If you would like Dr. John to come to your school or community,
click here.