A Volunteer Story of HIV, part 2

What happened to me and my siblings from there is a whole other saga but one theme that carries through my whole youth is shame. Shame that my family was different. Shame of eating off paper plates because people thought they would get sick from us eating off their real dishes. Shame that the church asked us to leave because of my family’s status. I was met with ignorance and stigma whenever I disclosed how I was orphaned. I have worked towards healing and forgiveness of these events, and my REACH community has been instrumental with that.  

When I found out there was an organization in Tacoma that is giving families what my family needed, I knew I found a community I could give my heart and soul to work with. This community is what my family needed 20 years ago; what I as a young person, needed. A place where they could be supported emotionally, spiritually, and practically. A place of solace and understanding. Where they could have been met with love, acceptance, and a promise of hope. That they weren’t alone in this.  

When I see REACH families arrive at camp, I watch a burden lifted from them. Maybe for the first time all year, they feel safe. They feel relief that their kids are loved as they are, that they are with family. These are life changing relationships that can help heal and provide hope for these families. 

Watch for more REACH stories coming soon.