Howard Brown Health Center has announced that State Representative Larry McKeon, South Side Help Center Executive Director Betty Smith and former Lesbian Community Cancer Project ( LCCP ) Executive Director Jessica Halem will receive the agency's Friends For Life award this year.
The trio will be honored at Howard Brown's 'Come Dream with Us' gala, which will be held on Oct. 28 at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan, from 7 p.m.-midnight. CNN anchor and reporter Don Lemon will host the affair.
McKeon, who recently announced his retirement from state office come January, is currently serving his fifth term as a representative to the Illinois General Assembly. In addition to his political accomplishments, McKeon has been a tireless advocate for the LGBT and HIV-positive communities, pushing for measures that benefit both groups.
Smith helms an agency that has been serving Chicago's South Side for 19 years. With Smith's vision, the agency originally began as an outreach to African-American churches to educate the clergy and laity about HIV. Today, the agency's programs and services have grown to better serve the needs of the clients and community, meeting needs that span from housing to psychosocial support.
During her tenure leading LCCP, Halem initiated a partnership between Howard Brown and the project. She was instrumental in helping Howard Brown create new programs geared specifically to LBT health—programs that allow Howard Brown to better serve the entire community. Her advocacy on issues such as smoking cessation and her tireless commitment to lesbian and transgender health have already impacted many—and will continue to do so for quite some time.
For more info, see www.howardbrown.org and click on 'News and Events.'