Richard Thurmond | A Story of Discovery - Ep. 100
On Life and Meaning
Richard Thurmond is a community and economic development executive for a place-making organization. In this episode we explore basketball, editing and publishing a city magazine, staying and leaving, and the values of curiosity and humility.
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Claude Alexander, Jr.| The Park Church - Ep. 99
On Life and Meaning
Claude Alexander, Jr. is bishop and senior pastor of a Baptist church. In this episode we explore the mission of the church, racism, misogyny and homophobia, segregation on Sunday mornings, the death of a brother, a crisis of faith, living with mystery, and the love of God.
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Jess George | Hope and Optimism - Ep. 98
On Life and Meaning
Jess George is a government and community affairs manager for a fiber optic company. In this episode we explore the digital divide, confronting bullies, being an ally to immigrants, and dropping keys to beautiful rowdy prisoners.
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Sonya Pfeiffer | A Life in Full - Ep. 97
On Life and Meaning
Sonya Pfeiffer is an art gallery owner and criminal defense attorney. In this episode we explore story-telling, standing up to the power of the state, unconventional paths, the Owl theory, the practice of Ahimsa, and the one chance we have in this life.
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Beatriz Friedmann | Conscious Evolution - Ep. 96
On Life and Meaning
Beatriz Friedmann is a school counselor and information technology consultant. In this episode we explore emigrating from Brazil to North America, a corporate career, a summer of loss and pain, finding new purpose, and becoming present one step at a time.
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Ken Lambla | Interdisciplinary Design - Ep. 95
On Life and Meaning
Ken Lambla is founding dean of a college of arts + architecture. In this episode we explore returning from Patagonia, merging fields of study, interdisciplinary design, stewardship, community, and how arts inform a life
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Clarence Armbrister | A Nurturing Place - Ep. 94
On Life and Meaning
Clarence ‘Clay’ Armbrister is president of a historically black college and university. In this episode we explore strategic goals, the benefits and challenges of HBCUs, a family story of defiance, the power of education, public service, and the value of relationships.
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Liz Clasen-Kelly | The Sacredness of Human Life - Ep. 93
On Life and Meaning
Liz Clasen-Kelly leads an agency serving men experiencing homelessness. In this episode we explore helping people needing shelter, working to end homelessness, abundant love, and encountering Christ in the in-between.
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Natalie Frazier Allen | Art Empowered - Ep. 92
On Life and Meaning
Natalie Frazier Allen leads an organization that connects youth to the arts. In this episode we explore adverse childhood experiences, the power of the arts to heal trauma, telling the truth, Spelman College, and reflections on career, family and faith.
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Tom Warshauer | Neighborhood Development - Ep. 91
On Life and Meaning
Tom Warshauer leads a municipal community engagement team. In this episode we explore neighborhood development, Wilmington and New Orleans, home restoration, planting ideas, and enjoying diverse and authentic lives.
info_outlineDebbie Warren is president and CEO of RAIN, formerly the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network. RAIN provides access to personalized care to individuals and their families who are living with HIV and associated chronic conditions so they may live healthier, fulfilled lives. Debbie founded RAIN, a non-profit organization, in 1992. She is also a founding member of the North Carolina AIDS Action Network and has been active in state and national advocacy efforts on behalf of HIV+ patients. She has taught at the US Conference on AIDS and joined experts on HIV/AIDS at The White House as part of a dialogue on the role of public-private partnerships in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Debbie has received numerous awards for her work, including the Human Rights Campaign Charlotte Legacy Award. She is an ordained Baptist minister. She is a graduate of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
This episode is perfect for anyone interested in helping people living with HIV/AIDS, pastoral care, the maturing of faith, and finding one’s identity in service and love.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Debbie describes RAIN and its core work of delivering services to those people living with HIV/AIDS.
- She identifies the HIV/AIDS population that RAIN is serving and the extent of HIV/AIDS as a public health issue.
- She discusses the number of people living with HIV/AIDS and the disproportionate effects of HIV in Mecklenburg County.
- She addresses whether the LGBTQ community has moved on from prioritizing HIV/AIDS intervention.
- Debbie considers whether communities of color are accepting the fact that HIV is impacting them to the extent that it is.
- She explains how RAIN integrates the voices of people living with HIV in its programs and services.
- She answers how a person gets HIV and prospects for health after a diagnosis.
- She talks about what gives her hope in the work she does.
- Debbie describes signature events of RAIN including Gay Bingo, AIDS Walk and annual World AIDS Day luncheon.
- She shares what draws her in to helping people living with HIV and AIDS.
- She remembers growing up in Jackson, Tennessee, her father, mother and grandmother, and what set the stage for the work she is doing now.
- She discusses the role West Jackson Baptist Church played in her life and her time attending Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
- Debbie remembers the early days of AIDS, coming out as a lesbian, and a conversation with her mother.
- She recalls two men who were instrumental in the start of RAIN.
- Debbie shares how she manages the loss of people she loves, how her faith has changed, her feelings about her own death one day, and what matters most.
plus Mark's Personal Word Essay: The Best of Who We Are
To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning