Joel

Notoriously hard to reach, young Black and Latino men are facing health crises at ever increasing rates. As a whole, this population is less likely to be insured, and therefore more likely to delay needed care, less likely to fill prescriptions, and more likely to be diagnosed later on.

That’s where our Adolescent Health Center Male Interns come in – a unique program that allows young men like Joel to flourish by working firsthand with doctors.

Joel has been an integral part of the Health Education Team at The Door for many years. Aware of the risks he faced as a young Latino male, he began as a member of The Door’s peer education group, Teens Against Sexual Ignorance, creating and facilitating health related workshops. From the beginning, Joel related to others with ease and had a way of explaining difficult concepts to young people so that they were easily understood.

To have Joel on-site as a Male Intern, providing services and educating about the importance of proper healthcare helps young men feel safe and welcome in the Adolescent Health Center. Joel also worked with The Door’s outreach education group, Peers Against Unsafe Sex, working with schools and community-based organizations in some of New York City’s highest risk neighborhoods.

Today, Joel has joined The Door as a full-time staff member continuing to work on outreach as the first ever Health Center Activity Specialist. Joel has earned leadership skills that have been invaluable to helping him get into and stay in college where he plans to pursue criminal justice.

Your generosity ensures that young people like Joel can grow into educated and successful young adults. Please make your gift today.