Author, nonprofit executive, and activist Kevin Winge will visit Gustavus Adolphus College Monday, Dec. 7 for two public speaking appearances. Winge will speak at 10 a.m. in Christ Chapel during the College’s daily chapel service and then present a public lecture, titled “Nourishing Social Change: Everyday Acts that Impact the World,” at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Room, located in the C. Charles Jackson Campus Center.
As part of his 2002 Bush Leadership Fellowship, Winge earned his Master’s Degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and worked in South Africa, establishing programs for people living with HIV/AIDS. Based in Minneapolis, Winge travels and speaks extensively on the subject of HIV/AIDS and the national and international disparities in access to health care. He makes frequent trips to South Africa where he continues his work to educate and bring hope to people living with HIV/AIDS.
Winge is currently the Executive Director of Open Arms of Minnesota, which is a nonprofit organization that prepares and delivers free meals to individuals living with serious and life-threatening diseases such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, ALS, and multiple sclerosis.
Winge is also the author of the book Never Give Up: Vignettes from Sub-Saharan Africa in the Age of AIDS. The book raises questions about international health issues, cross-cultural experiences, racism, and homophobia. The book is an intimate collection of true stories about the AIDS pandemic and is told from the vantage point of a young man beginning life in New York City in the 1980s to his work today as a mid-career professional on the frontlines of the pandemic in both the Twin Cities and sub-Saharan Africa.
Winge’s visit to Gustavus is being sponsored by the Center for Vocational Reflection. His lecture is free and open to the public.
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