11 years ago tonight, I had a dream You must organize housing for people with AIDS. The next morning, we started the AIDS Housing Alliance, with the help of Tommi Avicolli Mecca and Rebecca Logue-Bovee at the Housing Rights Committee. We have provided services, and Ive personally listened to the stories of one-third of the people with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco over these years. Its an awesome responsibility that I challenge myself every day to grow as a person to become what is needed to carry those stories. We are reaching a major milestone, with a new contract next year to provide permanent rental subsidies for chronically homeless members of the LGBTQ or HIV communities. This is the capstone of my goals for the full suite of services of emergency financial assistance we would provide. We started with $100 from my disability check and looks like our budget next fiscal year will exceed $700,000. Its awe inspiring for me when I look back. We started AHA when I was fighting to get into clinical trials because I did not have any HIV medications I could take, and the horizon for my life was I figured Id be dead in a year. This was supposed to be a last hurrah that has turned into the most amazing ride that has created a life I could have never imagined. There are many people to thank who brought us here. The many wonderful people who have worked and volunteered at AHA and helped us get a little further down the yellow brick road. Stephanie Brandon at Housing Rights Committee when there was a line of people down the block before we even opened on our first day. I couldnt open the door because of the shear volume of human need and misery we were facing. I told her I couldnt do it. She put her arm around me and in the kindest and most reassuring way said Yes you can. We got your back. I still hear her voice each week as we prepare for drop in clinic. Under One Roof and Community Thrift took us on from the very beginning. MAC cosmetics gave us our first foundation grant. Chris Daly who sponsored our first legislation, No Fast Pass to Eviction, and Gavin Newsom gave us our first City contract after it passed unanimously at the Board of Supes (we didnt even ask for money). Donna Sachet, Juanita More, Heklina and the rest of the Divas who have continued to support our work far beyond their star turn in the Desperate Divas. Cleve Jones for being so darn fun to conspire with. Ted Gullicksen, Miguel Wooding, and Eric Quezada for making time to share your wisdom. And James Nykolay for agreeing to walk this path of a life of sacrifice and a vow of poverty in service to others.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 07:47:19 +0000
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