Welcome to Conversations with the Winners.
I’m Jacinta Gauda, here on behalf of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Today our conversation is with Brenda Flowers.
Brenda is founder and CEO of Rising Against All Odds.
Brenda is a winner of the 2021
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Equity.
Welcome, Brenda.
Thank you.
Let's start with understanding more
about Rising Against All Odds.
Tell us about the organization.
Well, Rising Against All Odds
started as a HIV/AIDS organization.
So we do HIV testing and counseling, HIV treatment,
we help people get documents
like birth certificates and driver's license,
we help them get enrolled in insurances if they qualify,
just an array of services.
And we even, if they come into our office,
most of our clients are homeless and it's hot in Florida,
so we always make sure we have food and water available
to take care of their immediate, basic needs.
Brenda, let's talk a little bit about health equity
and the challenges with the clients you serve
as they relate to health equity.
Remember a lot of them are homeless,
and they live traumatic experiences from day to day.
A lot are suffering
from mental health illnesses without treatment.
And it is just the band-aid,
but hopefully it can grow stronger, and get them involved.
We're starting a new program
where we're trying to get them insurance
so they can be able to afford mental health,
or be able to be seen by mental health.
Talk a little bit more about that community support,
and how it is important.
It's important that we partner
with, as I said, other agencies, new and upcoming agencies
and agencies that provide the specialized services
that we don't provide.
I mean, we have a plethora of stuff that we do.
We have some support groups,
but nothing clinical and medical.
So we contracted with medical doctors
to provide for the HIV treatment,
and we're starting to contract with mental health providers,
and have a referral process going on
so we can refer those clients there.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Equity
is about systems change.
What approach do you take that you believe is different
than a traditional systems approach to serving your clients?
Okay, because we are where we are in the deep south,
and so limited services,
we have to be creative and innovative,
and we have to ask our neighbors, "Can you help us?
Can you help us to serve this client?"
One thing that we do is look for sponsors for clients
that can sponsor them for a while.
We want to be able to just address
as many new substance abuse, mental health,
domestic violence, anything that a person might endure
we want to be able to address it at some level.
And so having those resources,
and continuing to develop relationships is important.
And our relationships with the churches is growing,
and we're getting a lot of the community support
for the clients through the churches.
I mean, because any other assistance that you might get,
you're on a waiting list forever.
And because we're such a small agency,
and because of the region that we're in,
we aren't eligible to apply for many of the grants
that are out there federally.
And what does success look like?
Success sounds like transgender people getting out of jail
with nowhere to go,
but they come here, and we create a space for them,
and housing for them, and food for them,
and they're on their way to building their life.
I think success is just being able to support people
in their endeavors.
There's one client that I've been trying
to get into HIV treatment for three years. Three years.
And she was very evasive,
very, "Oh, I'm gonna come, I'm gonna come."
Never came.
And three years later,
she still has her trials and tribulations,
but three years later she's getting medication,
she's in treatment,
and she actually had a warrant,
and was able to be in a position to turn herself in
to put this all behind her to start moving forward.
And that's success.
It may not be, you know, in the glam, glitz and glam,
but just being in a position
to move your life from where it was
in a different direction, that's success.
One of the things that I'm proudest of
is the Women and Girls Program.
It's surprisingly, females don't have undergarments,
sanitation napkins, and things.
So we keep a supply of those,
and anybody coming through here
can get some fresh disposable wipes, undergarments,
and whatever it is they need just because they need it.
It goes a long way.
And that's success, to have somebody
to be able to take care of themselves.
So Brenda, what have been some of the lessons learned
in this journey of providing services to your clients
that you can share with us
for others who will be doing this important work?
Some of the lessons learned
are we consider ourself a non-judgmental zone.
We accept people as they are, however they come to us.
And some people are ready for change,
and some people just need a reprieve.
And we like to say that we're here for both reasons.
If you just need a reprieve, we are here.
If you need change, we got you.
We're gonna help you get there.
So, the lesson is you don't force people
to fit into what you will have them fit into.
You let them take their time, and do what they do.
So what does being a winner
of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Award for Health Equity mean for you?
Unbelievable. (chuckles) Simply unbelievable.
And I'm very humbled, and I'm very honored.
And if I think about it, I want to cry sometimes
because this work goes without reward.
And so many people,
for as many people that are there to support you,
there's like triple the amount against you, you know?
And for me to receive this,
to be recognized and receive this award
shows that my work isn't in vain.
The work of this organization isn't in vain.
Absolutely. And we thank you so very much
for the important work you're doing.
And on behalf of AIDS United,
and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,
congratulations on your award.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for joining us for this conversation.
And you are invited to more conversations
with the 2021 winners of the RWJF Award for Health Equity.
And you can learn more about all of the winners
at RWJF.org
I'm Jacinta Gauda, and thank you for watching.