Walker, executive director of the West End Health Center, is hosting a men's health conference with the Greater Cincinnati African-American Men's Wellness Consortium.

The conference will be at Allen Temple AME Church, Jordan Crossing, 7030 Reading Road, Bond Hill, from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. June 26.

"Too often when we plan this kind of conference and present a wealth of information, we miss a lot of the people who should be there,'' Walker said. "I see a lot of them every day, walking near my office, but they never come in for help.''

Walker ran into some resistance. Several didn't want to get involved and didn't think the health conference was important. But Darryll Jenkins, 58, West End, who said he is having prostate problems, signed up for the conference and plans to go to the health center.

"I need to get this taken care of,'' Jenkins said.

Walker said the aim of the conference is to build awareness and improve the health status of African-American men.

"African-American men are sicker and die more often due to treatable preventable illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV, stroke and violence,'' Walker said.

The conference is free and will include breakfast and lunch.

A highlight of the conference will be a speech by former fertility specialist Dr. Odell Owens, who will talk about why African-American men delay care or do not seek necessary health care, creating significant health disparities.

Miami University award

Robin Lyn Yarber, who recently graduated from Miami Middletown Nursing School, is the recipient of the 2004 President's Distinguished Service Award.

The award is given to those students whose service to the university has been extraordinary. Yarber served as president of Miami Middletown's Student Nurses Association. She was involved in Butler County's Transitional Living Center, a mental health agency.

Volunteers honored

Three Oak Hills High School seniors were honored by the Prudential Spirit of Community Award Program for outstanding volunteer service last month.

They were Michelle Boeshart, Danielle Cahill and Kyle Wilson.

Michelle founded the Partner's Club at the school, a group that provided opportunities for mentally and physically challenged students to participate fully with other students.

Kyle initiated a landscape project for his church, and Danielle organized a citywide fund-raising project to raise funds for the preservation of Cincinnati Music Hall.

VOLUNTEERS

More than 450 young professionals, members of Give Back Cincinnati, will spread across Northside today, painting 18 houses for owners who are physically or financially unable to do the work.

This is the group's third annual Paint the Town, its largest volunteer event of the year. The group donates its time to those in need with extensive support from corporate and civic sponsors.

Last year, Give Back Cincinnati volunteers painted 11 homes in Price Hill. In 2002, they painted four homes in the East End.

Give Back Cincinnati selects owner-occupied homes of qualified senior citizens, low-income, and disabled residents.

The homes this year range from small one-story houses to three-story Victorians.

Support groups include Accenture, Cincinnati Sports Leagues, city of Cincinnati, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, Fifth Third Bank, Processing Solutions, Frost Brown Todd LLC, Home Depot, Kraft Foods, Panera Bread, Procter & Gamble Co, Scripps Howard Foundation, Starbucks, Target and Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America Inc.

Paint donors are: Alpine Valley Water, Business Courier, Cintas, Jack Daniels, Messer Construction Co., Northside Bank, Our Family Farm, Petermann Bus, Sara Lee Foods, Sherwin-Williams Co. and YPCincy.com