Diverse and Resilient’s 414ALL program is the largest condom distributor in Milwaukee. Earlier this month, the program was in jeopardy of ending due to a lack of funding. But a grant from the United Way of Greater Milwaukee prevented that from happening.
Since 2014, the program has distributed over one million condoms and 200,000 just last year. They hope to continue to provide sexual health education to their more than 50 community partners.
Osha Towers is the Director of Community Organizing at Diverse and Resilience. "The goal is to normalize conversations around condom usage, around sexual health, around the wellness of your entire body and I strongly believe that’s something that 414ALL has been able to do within Milwaukee," says Towers.
The program uses methods like the 'Rubber Rover', a Range Rover that is decked out in illustrations of condoms to distribute protection. Towers notes, "Even if you're uncomfortable as a parent, maybe with your kids talking about condoms to you, you find humor in the Rubber Rover and you know that's somewhere that you can send them."
Towers says the program isn't just for young people, they encourage condom use across the community. "I think it's really important to just recognize the fact that the 414ALL Program is not only for young people. Our priorities have been for our young folks, but also for our sex workers and community and also just for everybody to be able to get access to this because we know this is important," she says.
The 414ALL Program welcomes volunteers to help with things like packing condoms and distribution. "Just going up and down the neighborhood or talking to their friends and picking up some condoms, whatever it may be ... there's plenty of opportunities where everybody is able to get involved in whatever capacity they have," Towers explains.
If people are interested in ways that they can get involved, Towers suggests visiting the Diverse & Resilient web page or going to the 414ALL MKE condom distribution forum page.
