Rev. Donna Stroud

The client called and asked me if she could come in the back door for her appointment. She parked in a parking lot a block away. She looked furtively around when she entered the door and quickly went into my office. “Joan” (name has been changed), is a 64-year-old African American female. She has been HIV positive for 15 years. Her family does not know. Her friends do not know. She is active in a church that she believes would shun her if they found out about her status. Joan is confident that her son and other family members would isolate her from the family if they ever found out about her status.

Unfortunately, her story is not unique. Patients have died from complications with HIV and AIDS without their families knowing that they had the disease. I remember being in a hospital room once where the doctor advised me that the patient had not told his family, and they believed that he had died of pneumonia.

These are situations that create a need for organizations like Piedmont Care. Clients need help with medical, housing, transportation, counseling and support assistance. These services are just a few of the support systems that Piedmont Care provides. People often have no insurance and no stable support system.

For decades, Piedmont Care has been there for them. Staff and volunteers understand specific needs related to HIV and AIDS. The need for these services has not decreased. Instead, the need for education in our schools, our churches and our community has increased. Without the voice of Piedmont Care, HIV and AIDS would be a silent scream to people that often do not understand what being HIV and AIDS positive really means.

Thank you, Piedmont Care, for excellent service! Your presence makes our community a better place.