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.”
Luis 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.
We 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.
