CMC alumni, Edgar (not his real name to respect his privacy), shared his story of his time experiencing homelessness and being in a shelter. Edgar, a 63 year old male, had been living in his home in Los Angeles for twelve years when a change of ownership and misunderstanding with the new landlord led him to lose his housing and landed him into the CMC Shelter Program. Edgar said that even through the challenges he faced of being unhoused during the peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, staff at CMC were always respectful. Edgar shared that what continued to give him hope was his family and the hope to live a long time with them. He believes his time at the shelter changed him for the better because he was no longer experiencing homelessness but instead, was in his own apartment that he appreciates.
Edgar shared that spending over one year in a shelter never changed his perspective on life and that he would recommend anyone going through a similar experience to reach out to the CMC. He stated that even though it was a little bit complicated to navigate the system, “Nunca me faltó comida”, which translates to he ‘never lacked food during his time at the shelter’. To this day said that the thing he remembered the most was that he never missed food and water. Lastly, Edgar shared after being asked why he chose to share his story, he stated that he felt comfortable knowing that he could share with someone that helped him and understood him because “not everyone can, or chooses not to, understand someone with HIV.” Edgar is happy to be spending the holidays in his new home.
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