“It was the worst of times, but it was, in its way, the best of times as well. The plague had come to Chicago and those of us who lost our partners, family members, and friends early on came together at a community meeting… With unbridled passion, we moved forward quickly, establishing a plan to create a group home and support services to assist those in most need. For some of us, our goal was to create programming that we ourselves might someday need. Looking back, what we accomplished within a short time frame was amazing.”
LET’s Build housing as healthcare
On February 24, 1986, Chicago House welcomed residents to a building in Uptown, becoming a beacon of compassion as the first organization in the Midwest to open a hospice program for men dying of AIDS. We honor this occasion annually as Giving Day.
At the time, the average life expectancy after testing positive for HIV was 2–3 more years. Our founders established Chicago House with the conviction that fear would not be allowed to overshadow care and dignity.
Eventually, with the development of Anti-Retroviral Therapy, people diagnosed with HIV were able to live healthy, long lives comparable with their HIV-negative peers. This live-saving medicine was only possible because of thousands of people who organized, advocated, and cared for one another during the worst of times where disinformation and stigma were at an all-time high.
Chicago House has faced unprecedented challenges since our founding. We are still here, upholding a legacy of compassion as we continue to work with affected communities to develop support and solutions. HIV diagnoses
Help us reach our $10,000 goal by Giving (to)day!
There are still many difficulties ahead in addressing the HIV epidemic—including cases around Chicago trending upward and a general lack of education among younger people—but with your generosity, we will have resources to meet obstacles head-on. All funds go towards our client emergency fund.