Founder - Barbara Gaynor

Welcome to Mothers’ Voices Web Site! 

Mothers’ Voices is a Miami, Florida based 501(c) 3 whose primary goal is to increase communication between parents, caregivers and their children about sexual health and HIV/AIDS/STD prevention.  The idea is to help families create a relationship where the parent is approachable, and parent and child are comfortable talking about sex and all that surrounds the topic.   

Think about it!  If you don’t talk to your kids about sex, someone else will.  Many parents rely on schools to educate their children about sexuality.  But teachers often are constrained by law to present a specific curriculum, which may be lacking in content or contradict your own family’s values.  More likely, your child will learn about sex from a friend, a sexual partner or the media, all of whom may not have accurate information – or your child’s best interest in mind. 

Don’t wait for the “right” moment.  That moment may or may not happen.  Some parents are simply not comfortable with the topic, while others worry that they may not be able to answer embarrassing or awkward questions about sex.  Or worse yet, they think they may say the right thing and their child may “try it”!  Mothers’ Voices helps bridge that gap. 

Mothers’ Voices roots go back about 14 years to a time when the AIDS epidemic was out of control.  Several mothers got together to see if there was something they could do – maybe they could raise enough money so that researchers could find a magic pill.  Or, maybe they could do something about preventing the disease by educating people on how to stop the infection from spreading.  You see, they were on the front lines of this new and deadly disease.  One mother had already watched her daughter die, another had a sister who was HIV+, a third lost her mother to AIDS and several more had sons who were also HIV+.  They desperately wanted to save others from losing family members.  This was the beginning of an organization they called Mothers’ Voices. 

These were amazing women.  They brought me comfort at a time when my son was in the final stages of AIDS.  They consoled me when he died at age 31.  They inspired me to start Mothers’ Voices in Miami. 

With the help of a remarkable group of people in Miami, we started Mothers’ Voices.  Our goal - to be sure that no other family had to experience the devastation of AIDS.  Our formal mission statement -“to strengthen family communication about sexual health and HIV/AIDS/STD prevention through education and awareness.”   

My background in administration and fund raising helped raise enough money to hire skilled staff and develop programs.  The talent of our volunteers allowed us to create an annual luncheon to raise money and honor community leaders who supported the cause of children and families. 

It’s almost ten years since my son lost his life to AIDS.  His courage and the courage of many other young men and women will forever inspire all of us at Mothers’ Voices to continue our work.  This epidemic will be with us for years to come.  Talk to your children.  Give them the information they need to make responsible decisions.  Get involved. 

Barbara Gaynor