Two young volunteers share their story — 

At our high school, Convent of the Visitation in Mendota Heights, we are required to fulfill on-going service requirements during the year and two weeks of full-time service before we graduate in June. We chose Clare Housing as the agency we wanted to work with because of its unique mission in providing care to men and women who suffer from HIV/AIDS. During the year, we worked at Grace House II, where we washed dishes, cleaned floors, and sat with cooks and residents during desert time. We got to familiarize ourselves with the residents, the cooks, and the caretaker.

During the Sunday nights at Grace House, we experienced a sense of family. We sat at the dinner table for a half hour discussing everything from english grammar to colleges to cooking appliances. Input from residents, the cooks, and the caretaker created a welcoming community that we had the pleasure of experiencing. After our dinner table discussions, we would clean dishes, floors and countertops. We met many people while volunteering at Grace House who we will never forget and gained lasting memories and knowledge that we can use forever.

For our two weeks of service before graduation, we worked in the Agape Dos home and the Damiano home. We were at Agape Dos for five days, Monday through Friday, and we cleaned, cooked, and gardened. While at the homes, we frequently exchanged smiles, waves, and conversations with the kind residents and caretakers. This extraordinary hospitality that we received made us feel welcome each day. Whether we were expected or not, we were always greeted with smiles and warm hearts at every home we worked at.

Volunteering at Clare Housing has opened our eyes to the need of affordable housing and compassionate care to people living with HIV/AIDS. Without the hospitality of Clare Housing, many of these men and women suffering from HIV/AIDS might be forced to give up either their medications or housing. The absence of either amenity would certainly put them in a desperate situation, so Clare Housing’s services are not only providing the residents with care, but also providing them with a quality state of life.

Thank you to all the homes that opened their doors to us over the year! We are so grateful for the knowledge and memories you have given us.

-Anne & Sonja