Why I am a Caregiver — June 7, 2012
When I discovered Clare Housing in the summer for 2006, it was time for a change. It was time for me to give back to MY community. It was time for me to feel good about what I did every day. I had been working in corporate America for many years, unfulfilled in my work, and knew that I needed to do something different.
When I was diagnosed with HIV in 1999, it took me a long time to accept that diagnosis as a reality. It has taken me even longer to forgive myself for becoming infected. This is part of the reason that I do what I do every day for Clare Housing. I am a caregiver. I work with others that are living with the same disease that I have, who need my assistance to live a healthy and independent life.
What many people do not realize about my job as a caregiver . . . is that I need to caregive. Just as much as the residents need me, I need them. That is part of what was missing from my life and why I became a caregiver.
HIV is not just a disease that infects the blood in your body. It is also a disease of the spirit and the soul. It breaks you down. It makes you worry. It keeps you up at night. You are given a constant reminder every day when you take that handful of pills (dolls I call them) of the disease you have, and the challenges you have in front of you. Being able to help others with the challenges that they have in facing this disease brings comfort to my soul. It feeds my soul.
Caregiving is my passion. I say this over and over. But it really is. I love that I am part of an amazing group of folks who have passion and compassion for what it is we do every day. Each day I am a part of a journey at Clare Housing. Each day is another day that I am blessed. It is another day that I am able to forgive myself for becoming infected. It is another day that I am able to caregive and help a resident.
This is why I am a caregiver.
Xander has been a caregiver at Clare Housing since 2006 and is currently the Lead Caregiver at Damiano House. He also was the service coordinator for Project Cornerstone in 2010 and worked as a case manager at Minnesota AIDS Project in 2008 and 2009.