Starfish Society: Encouraging Community Support for HIV/AIDS Impacted Families

The Starfish Society’s goal is to educate and to serve knowing that one person and one act of love makes a very big difference!

The Starfish Society teaches children and young adults that their actions and decisions are important and have consequences. Using story telling and role playing, elementary school aged children are encouraged to analyze the pros and cons of drug and alcohol use. In this context, these children are informed that HIV/AIDS is a fatal disease that is often contracted as a result of drug abuse. Since HIV/AIDS is the world’s number one killer of young adults, it is imperative to begin a campaign to prevent the spread of this disease at a very early age.

During middle school and high school, the threat of becoming infected with HIV/AIDS intensifies. The Starfish Society provides a straightforward and honest peer mentoring program in which teens openly discuss this issue and develop strategies to assist one another in resisting drug use and unprotected sexual activities.

At each level, The Starfish Society encourages students and their parents to embrace those who are already impacted by HIV/AIDS and to do “little things” to help. To that end, elementary school children collect “Pennies With A Purpose” and donate the money to Children's Miracle Network and AIDS-based organizations along with handwritten notes of encouragement. Older students raise funds to sponsor a child with HIV/AIDS for a week at Camp Dreamcatcher, a camp especially designed for infected children. Students serve as camp counselors or organize book drives for children hospitalized with HIV/AIDS. Families donate clothing, food, love and attention to those in need.

Want to learn more about the Starfish Society?

• Follow us on twitter! http://twitter.com/starfishsociety.
• Become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Starfish-Society/355933164991?ref=nf.
• Join our cause on Facebook (www.causes.com/starfishsociety) and help raise funds for "Pennies With a Purpose" which benefits The Children's Miracle Network. CMN provides funds for 72% of the pediatric AIDS cases in the United States.
• Check out http://www.jordanjohannsen.com/TheStarfishSociety.html and become an official member of The Starfish Society!

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