May 2008

HIV Housing in One Rural Community

The ONE Campaign and the ONE Episcopalian Campaign resonate with us here in rural Northwest Georgia. We have long believed that one individual, one small parish and one small organization could have a large impact because of the power of ONE. In our case, we believed that people living with HIV/AIDS in rural communities should have care and support and that God was leading us to make it happen.

It began in 1992 when one parishioner asked one parish priest if they could start an HIV/AIDS ministry. It continued when one by one people volunteered to help. Then, one person needed help and then one more and so it went.

In 2005, a pressing issue pushed to the forefront and could no longer be ignored: housing for homeless clients. We knew from experience that with a small staff, creating any new program puts additional stress on all other programs and the limited resources are stretched even thinner. Financially, because funding is on a reimbursement basis, we knew we would have to have start-up funds on hand or a bridge loan to implement the program.Fortunatly, we had a board member who was willing to loan money to the organization for this purpose. Then, there were the issues involved in housing people who, in many cases, have had numerous periods of homelessness and many of whom have mental health issues and substance abuse histories. You might wonder why ONE small organization in rural Georgia would take this on.

Because we have always tried to answer the needs before us and this one was too pressing to be ignored. And, because it has been our experience that ONE can make a difference. It has also been our experience that whenever we have had a need, someONE has stepped forward to help.We’ve always had enough to meet the needs that have come our way. For our clients, we provide transportation to doctor and clinic appointments in a 5-county area where no public transportation exists. We provide pro-bono legal services, a support group, emergency financial assistance, a food pantry program, and other one-on-one customized services in was it would be hard to describe. We also provide HIV education and free rapid HIV testing in a 10-county area.

The housing program, however, has provided more challenges than our other programs. We purchased an 8-unit apartment complex that had been unoccupied for a year. Volunteers helped with painting, landscaping and repairs and restored the units to excellent condition. Donations of household goods and second-hand furniture came in to furnish the apartments (all of them 2-bedroom units) and a clever board member/decorator created lovely apartments, completely furnished, including kitchen items and pictures on the walls. Local newspapers did their part to provide information about the project without giving away the location of the apartments and community support has been outstanding. We now have eight families who were previously homeless living in the apartments. They pay a percentage of their income (if they have any) for rent which is supplemented with HUD funding. We provide extensive support to assure their success in maintaining their housing and help them move forward in achieving their goals in life.

We are pleased and proud that we took the chance and decided that ONE small organization could make a difference. We have seen the lives of people made better by our decision. And, with God’s help, we will continue to be open to acting on the needs that come our way.

(Lola Thomas is the Executive Director of the AIDS Alliance of Northwest Georgia, a parishioner at Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Cartersville, Georgia and Vice-Chair of the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition.)