The Voices Project
"My life is just beginning and now that I know my status
I can protect myself and anyone I choose to be with."
CHARLOTTE -- Every day, men and women become infected with HIV and yet it seems we hear less and less about the impact of this disease.
We all have a story or know someone who has a story. And on Dec. 1 - World AIDS Day - we'll share those stories through The Voices Project, a collaborative theater production developed by the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN) and the Mecklenburg County Health Department.
At 7 p.m. Dec. 1, local celebrities will gather on stage at Actor's Theatre of Charlotte, 650 E. Stonewall St., to bring us closer together by sharing the personal stories of our friends and family who are living with HIV and AIDS. While the first-person stories were written by individuals, the stories they tell belong to the community. They are from someone's brother, daughter, mother, neighbor, coworker or child. HIV affects everyone, regardless of age, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity or positive status.
Among those scheduled to lend their voices and celebrity to promote AIDS education and awareness:
Roberta Dunn, Political Activist
Nepherterra Estrada, Pride Magazine
Morgan Fogarty, Anchor, Fox News Charlotte
Matt Harris, Co-host, Matt & Ramona Show, 107.9 The Link
Mike Kitchen, Promoter, owner of The Sol Kitchen
Bishop Tonyia Rawls, Unity Fellowship Church
Scott Weaver, Artist
"These stories have extraordinary lessons to teach us all," said Debbie Warren, RAIN founder and CEO. "Through story-telling, we learn timeless and universal lessons about love, healing and community."
The Voices Project is free and open to the public. Donations will benefit RAIN, the sole nonprofit in the Charlotte region providing direct client services to those living with HIV and AIDS.