Hollendoner receives national honor for work with BYC
Tue. August 17, 2010 4:11 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
joe hollendoner
Chicago, IL -
Joe Hollendoner, founding director of the Broadway Youth Center at Howard Brown Health Center, was named one of 10 recipients of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leaders Award during a ceremony on Aug. 12.
"Joe Hollendoner's courage and commitment to assuring quality comprehensive services in a safe and constructive environment has made a positive impact on the youth and on the entire neighborhood, said Community Health Leaders National Program Director Janice Ford Griffin.
29-year-old Hollendoner, who was hired by HBHC at age 20 to create a program to address the health needs of LGBT youth, was recently named Howard Brown Health Center's chief program officer.
Today, the Broadway Youth Center located in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood serves more than 5,000 LGBT and other at-risk youth each year, providing free-of-charge HIV testing and counseling, support for LGBT homeless youth and job training.
"We conduct about 2,000 HIV tests each year with young people testing other young people. It's not some cold, clinical environment. The testers are people you can identify with, so you can feel comfortable opening up about your risks," said Hollendoner.
Hollendoner says the growing epidemic of homelessness among youth is one of the greatest challenges today.
"In Chicago, we have more than 1,000 homeless youth each night and fewer than 50 youth-specific shelter beds," said Hollendoner.
Hollendoner's activism started in his teens as a South Suburban youth activist. From 1997-2001 he was involved with Aunt Martha's Youth Service Center including as HIV Prevention Program Coordinator. From 1997-2003 with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network of Chicago ( GLSEN ) , he was a Program Coordinator, Strategic Planning Chair, Youth Committee Chair, and a Scholarship Recipient.
Compiled from press release with bio information from ChicagoGayHistory.com
"Joe Hollendoner's courage and commitment to assuring quality comprehensive services in a safe and constructive environment has made a positive impact on the youth and on the entire neighborhood, said Community Health Leaders National Program Director Janice Ford Griffin.
29-year-old Hollendoner, who was hired by HBHC at age 20 to create a program to address the health needs of LGBT youth, was recently named Howard Brown Health Center's chief program officer.
Today, the Broadway Youth Center located in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood serves more than 5,000 LGBT and other at-risk youth each year, providing free-of-charge HIV testing and counseling, support for LGBT homeless youth and job training.
"We conduct about 2,000 HIV tests each year with young people testing other young people. It's not some cold, clinical environment. The testers are people you can identify with, so you can feel comfortable opening up about your risks," said Hollendoner.
Hollendoner says the growing epidemic of homelessness among youth is one of the greatest challenges today.
"In Chicago, we have more than 1,000 homeless youth each night and fewer than 50 youth-specific shelter beds," said Hollendoner.
Hollendoner's activism started in his teens as a South Suburban youth activist. From 1997-2001 he was involved with Aunt Martha's Youth Service Center including as HIV Prevention Program Coordinator. From 1997-2003 with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network of Chicago ( GLSEN ) , he was a Program Coordinator, Strategic Planning Chair, Youth Committee Chair, and a Scholarship Recipient.
Compiled from press release with bio information from ChicagoGayHistory.com