WINTER RETREAT
donation
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Brothers United Statewide Mission:
To provide leadership skills, health referrals and services to African American Same Gender Loving Men, their partners and friends in the State of Tennessee. This Network will also supply an empowerment structure for personal growth, community building & positive self-actualization through programs based in Nashville and other statewide efforts.
In the late 1990’s, the BU Network had four other statewide chapters located in Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and West TN. Each city provided safe spaces to gather and hosted annual activities specific to their local communities for over 10 years. Currently the headquarters in Nashville sponsors a yearly December Winter Retreat that brings former chapter members, volunteers and friends together, as well as owns/hosts the annual Nashville Black Pride celebration in October.
Brothers United Network Inc. is based in Nashville is a nationally known, respected and recognized organization that was founded in April 1996.Brothers United is also a multi-award winning HIV Prevention Education program at Nashville CARES, the state’s largest & oldest AIDS Service Organization in Tennessee.
Our 30+ Year
Cares
onnection
In April of 1996, members of Brothers United Nashville met with Nashville CARES to address the HIV/AIDS Prevention needs of African American Same Gender Loving Men in Middle Tennessee.
The program coordinator and founder of Brothers United was hired at CARES on December 1, 1996, World AIDS Day, and for over two decades, the BU and Young BU programs received funding through different grants and continue to partner with CARES through a variety of projects including the BU & YBU Winter Retreat, and the Take Pride in Your Health Campaign through our annual Nashville Black Pride weekend celebration.
The Brothers United Network is an independent 501 (c) (3) organization that is autonomous from, yet complementary to, the Nashville CARES in that all of the events and activities provide in-depth, longer-term life skills required for success outside of, but essential to, HIV prevention, outreach, and education.
Nashville CARES exists to end the HIV epidemic, promote comprehensive sexual health and end stigmatization and discrimination through prevention, education, treatment, support, advocacy, and strategic partnership. The vision is to see a world where HIV transmission is eliminated, those affected by HIV/AIDS thrive, and there is optimal sexual heal for all. For more information visit: www.nashvillecares.org
The Evolution of My House
The programming that My House offered was absorbed back into the Brothers United Network organization and will continue to carry the vision to bring love, compassion and support for the Same Gender Loving (SGL) male community to become self-sufficient by prioritizing health, wellness and a sense of individual value.
The My House Project was originally funded by two different 5-Year Grants through the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) PS15-1502 and PS21-2102 focusing on African American and other Gay/Bisexual Men for HIV Testing and PrEP Navigation.
Originally Nashville CARES, Street Works, and Neighborhood Health came together to provide a one stop shop Health & Wellness Community Center from 2017 - 2021. In 2021, after receiving their second directly funded grant from the CDC, Nashville CARES was awarded a non-partnership grant and restructured as the Nashville CARES Clinic now known as CARES 360 Community Clinic.
FIND CARE NEAR YOU
CONTACT
For more information about the Brothers United Program or events through the BU Network Contact:
Dwayne Jenkins
BU NETWORK FOUDER/CEO
615-974-2832
Brothers United Network, Inc.
Post Office Box # 68335
Nashville, TN 37206
Nashville CARES Project Director:
GLBTQ Prevention Education & Services:
Dwayne Jenkins | 615 499-7409