Eddie
Hi, my name is Eddie and I have a very interesting story to tell you about my life. Maybe you wouldn't think so, but I consider my life a success, and after you hear my story maybe you can see why I do. I have experienced many trials and tribulations over the past few years and overcoming these difficulties has really changed who I am and has given me the opportunity to grow into someone I am really proud of. I could never have done this alone though, I have had many people working to help get me to where I want to be in life. One of these people is Jorge Wilkins, from Care for the Homeless -- no matter what my problem or issue turned out to be -- he was there for me night or day through it all.

I was born in Puerto Rico and moved to New York when I was young. When I started getting into trouble here in New York in the early 90's, I moved back there after a little while to reestablish a normal life. Circumstances were such that I had to come back to New York, and that is when things began to take a turn for the worse. I was using drugs and drinking and doing very stupid things. It was only a matter of time before I was sent to prison, and I was. One might think that the experience in prison would help the drug habit and get my life back on track, but it didn't. It took something far more extreme to make me start thinking about my life.

In 2000, I received a shocking diagnosis of being HIV positive. When I heard this I didn't know what to think or what to do. I could only think, "How could I do this to myself?" It was a really awful time for me. I really didn't know what to do, so I followed my first instinct and hid from everything, my disease, myself, my family. I couldn't tell my family what was wrong and that I was sick, so I left them. Not because I didn't love them, but because if I couldn't accept myself -- how could I expect them to accept me. I moved out of my house and into the shelters. When I was accepted for shelter, they put me in a hotel for 28 days. Then I moved to another place for 30 days, and another for 28 days, and another... I moved around to ten different places. They just kept moving me over and over again and each place just got worse.

Throughout my experiences in and out of shelters, I have maintained one steady support line -- Jorge Wilkins, a Case Manager for Care for the Homeless, who has been working consistently with me for over two years. Jorge has been there to assist me with housing services and counseling needs.

"Basically," Jorge says, "Eddie knows he can call me when ever he feels like it, just to talk or whatever. I know that he trusts me." Back when Eddie was bouncing from shelter to shelter, Jorge was using what resources he had to try to find me an apartment and suitable environment for his recovery. During this time, it was essential that Eddie begin receiving treatment and counseling for his drug problems. With this underway, it was now possible for him to begin to deal with life with HIV, to begin to accept himself and allow others to reach out to him.

Now, I have my own place and have transformed my outlook on virtually everything. Jorge still sees me regularly to make sure I stay on track. Jorge is one of the only people in my life that I can trust, and I trust him completely. Since I got my new apartment, my life has turned around completely. I have learned to live with HIV, and I have found the strength to tell those who love me the truth about my life. I have begun to see my family again. We go to church every Sunday and I really love that. I have started going to educational groups on HIV. I find this really fulfilling because not only am I learning about my disease, but I also have the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with others. I have also been attending meetings for former drug addicts, and now I really have the ability to share my knowledge and to learn from others, something I wasn't able to do before. I know that I have come a long way, and that I have to go even farther in my journey, but with the help and support I get, I feel like I can do anything.

See other stories at "Homeless Voices."