The Participant Leadership Forum (PLF) convened on Thursday, May 17 at Inspiration Cafe for its monthly meeting. PLF Co-Chairs Gloria C., Lacey H., and Tria R. were in attendance, as well as five other Inspiration Corporation participants and two staff people.
Safety During the NATO Summit
Lacey H. led a discussion about personal safety during the NATO Summit weekend. He stressed the importance of awareness of protests and how important it is to plan travel in advance to avoid high traffic areas.
HIV/AIDS Awareness
Rodney L. presented information regarding housing programs targeted directly at individuals infected with the HIV/AIDS virus. He also proposed future dates for anonymous HIV/AIDS testing at Inspiration Cafe administered by a third party medical clinic. He provided condom packets and sex education materials for those interested and suggested making contraceptives available to participants through case managers and career specialists.
New Participant Meet & Greets
Retention Specialist Karl Greene continued a discussion on how to smoothly integrate new participants into the Inspiration Corporation community through Meet & Greet events. Details were not established during the meeting, and the PLF plans to meet with Mr. Green and Chief Program Officer Jennifer Miller Rehfeldt to discuss further at the next Co-Chair meeting.
Mentorship Program
The meeting ended with an open discussion regarding the mentorship project for at-risk youths proposed in the April PLF meeting. It had been determined at the last Co-Chair meeting by CPO Jennifer Miller Rehfeldt & PLF Co-Chairs Kimberly J. and Lacey H. that the project should not be pursued at this time due to a lack of interest. Other participants opposed the decision and requested further conversations regarding this matter.
Other Business
It was suggested that the PLF meeting be moved to another space, due to distractions in the Inspiration Cafe during dinner preparations.
Upcoming Meetings
- Community Meeting – June 13
- Co-Chair Meeting – June 14
- Next PLF Meeting – June 21
“Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.” – Johann Gottfried Von Herder