Alumnus Working to Bring Awareness and Campassion to those living with HIV and AIDS
Don Messer (STH ’66, GRS ’69) led the “Lighten the Burden” AIDS Conference on April 23 in Tampa, Fla., sponsored by the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund. The conference educated attendees about HIV and AIDS in the U.S. and around the world. “Lighten the Burden” was held during the General Conference of the United Methodist Church and encouraged delegates to attend and gain practical advice about how to eliminate the stigma associated with the disease in their local communities.
“Lighten the Burden” took place at Hyde Park United Methodist Church, just four blocks away from General Conference.
Messer has been working to bring awareness and compassion to those living with HIV and AIDS since the 1980s and also serves as the chair of the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Committee and is the founder of the Center for the Church & Global AIDS. You can watch the CBS coverage of the event at http://www.cbsnews.com/religionandculture/ which aired on June 17, 2012.
For more information on the CBS coverage of the conference, go to:
http://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-news/releases/view?id=31813
http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5259669&ct=11775771