A Mother’s Struggle

Brenda’s Story

IMG_9911Brenda* found out she was HIV+ while pregnant. Caught in a cycle of substance abuse and domestic violence, Brenda knew she had to make a change. She got sober and found the strength to flee. “I had just 53 cents in my wallet when we snuck out of the house and a neighbor drove us to the police station. It was the scariest thing I have ever done.”

Brenda and her twelve year-old daughter stayed at three shelters until a restraining order was in effect. Once safe, they moved to Casa Madona – one of Alliance for Housing and Healing’s group homes. From there, they moved into an Alliance-subsidized one-bedroom apartment close to her daughter’s school.

Today, Brenda continues to meet regularly with an Alliance Social Worker. They talk about maintaining her sobriety, building up her health, and putting her and her daughter’s lives back into place.

Of the latter, she is confident. “We are a pair of tough broads,” Brenda says. The smile in her voice comes from the knowledge that her daughter is maturing into a strong, independent woman.

Mother’s Day is May 11th. Honor that special woman in your life – your mother, grandmother, wife, daughter, sister, or friend – by giving a donation to Alliance for Housing and Healing in her name. She will receive a beautiful card that includes a message from you. Your Mother’s Day gift will help Alliance for Housing and Healing shelter and feed mothers and children living in poverty and struggling with HIV/AIDS.

*Brenda’s name has been changed to protect her identity.

 

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Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles

April 18, 2014 by admin
Christina, Housing Specialist.

Christina, Housing Specialist.

“In the year that I’ve been working with Luis, I’ve definitely seen improvements in his health. When I first met him, he could barely stand” says Christina, one of Alliance for Housing and Healing’s Housing Specialists. At 45 years old, disabled and unable to work, Luis found himself living on the streets of Downtown Los Angeles. Thankfully, he was linked up with resources to get him the help he desperately needed, including housing and medical care. In January of 2013, Luis received assistance for the security deposit and first-month’s rent for his own apartment in the Crenshaw neighborhood through Alliance for Housing and Healing.

Luis struggles every day to cover all his expenses and manage his health. When he told his case worker Christina that he could only afford one meal a day, she registered him for the “Keep It Fresh” food program. This initiative gives Luis and others who struggle to afford the basic necessities a monthly food voucher with which they can purchase fresh foods often not available at food banks. Adhering to a proper diet helps Luis mitigate malnutrition and wasting syndrome as well as other debilitating effects caused by the strong medications Luis takes to combat HIV/AIDS.

“When I went to visit Luis again at his home, I could see how much better he was doing,” Christina says. “He lives on the second floor and was able to walk up the steps to his apartment without difficulty. He told me he was eating three meals a day now and had food in his refrigerator. I could see the effects that our “Keep It Fresh” program was having on his life.”

IMG_8227Luis has come a long way from when he was sick and living on the streets. He recently adopted a small dog that helps with the loneliness and sadness he feels.  Through stable housing and a healthy diet, Luis makes strides every day to regain his strength and live a happy life.

kaiser_permanente_logoWe would like to recognize Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles for its generous $10,000 grant to support our Housing Support Services Program in neighborhoods it serves including Crenshaw, Culver City, Inglewood, Mar Vista, Mid-City, Miracle Mile, Rimpau, Santa Monica, University Park, West Adams, West Hollywood, Westlake, Wilshire and Windsor Hills. With the support of Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles, we were able to meet over 1,000 requests from clients for food, non-prescription wellness items, housing, and utilities. These initiatives are recognized as effective, positive forces in combating AIDS-related homelessness, improving the health outcomes of people living with HIV/AIDS, and controlling HIV infection. Thanks to the generosity of donors  such as Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles, hundreds of people just like Luis have a roof over their heads and fresh healthy foods on the dinner table.

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Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride, Inc.

April 4, 2014 by admin
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Soldano House, one of our four group homes.

“This place has been my shelter from the storm” says Derek. After spending two months in the hospital with pneumocystis pneumonia,-a severe infection that caused one of his lungs to collapse,-Derek moved into Soldano House. As one of four group homes managed by Alliance for Housing and Healing, Soldano House provides around-the-clock care for people suffering from HIV/AIDS who are too sick to care for themselves. With two group homes in Long Beach alone, these facilities serve formerly homeless individuals who are dealing with symptomatic HIV or AIDS. In one year, more than 20 people receive care in these two homes in order to stabilize their health and plan for the future.

Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride, Inc., started out by producing the Long Beach Pride parade more than 30 years ago. Since then, they have demonstrated a deep commitment to the Long Beach community by giving out numerous grants to charitable organizations. The grant to Alliance for Housing and Healing helps to provide group homes staffed with caring nurses and social workers who manage residents’ medical treatment plans, prepare HIV-specific meals, and transition residents to independent living when they are ready.  With more than 75% of the residents of the Long Beach group homes identifying as members of the LGBT community, Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride, Inc., is providing a safe haven for its brothers and sisters in their time of need. 

198962_200655213297776_3266525_nDerek still has a way to go in his recovery. He is working with his doctors to find a medical treatment plan that will help him live as normally as possible. Until the day comes when he’s well enough to leave Soldano House, he knows that he has a roof over his head, a bed to sleep in, and a healthy next meal thanks to supporters like Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride, Inc.

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