“Self-love and my children, my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren. Life gives me joy; having a God that loves me unconditionally. Family, friends and my church family.”
—Angela Copeland
“HIV led me to counseling, which in turn prodded me into getting my BS in psychology and counseling men and women with HIV, and also doing some palliative care.”
—Bruce Fournier
“My doggies, Andy, Mario and Onix!”
—William Torres, HIV social worker and advocate
“Being able to continue being an advocate on HIV, aging, homelessness, food insecurity and related issues. Coming back from significant health issues the past couple years, I’m living out loud so that others gain encouragement.”
—Wanda Brendle-Moss
“People who accept you for who you are. People who genuinely care about people.”
—John Zee
“First, knowing I have HIV; HIV don’t have me. It brings me great joy when people reach out to me for help. That increases my faith in what God told me and shows me. He said that all my pain, sadness and everything I was going through mentally and in my life wasn’t for nothing. My pain would help others. That brings me a lot of joy, knowing that things I’ve experienced and healed from, I now use to help others living with and affected by HIV. It brings me much joy knowing that HIV don’t stop nothing in my life. Not just HIV, but abuse, anxiety, depression, stress and life in general. I get joy knowing that God is with me and has chosen me for something amazing. God turned it around and it’s now helping create hope for people suffering in silence. I get joy every day when I open my eyes knowing I am alive, while living a life on a forever healing journey. I get joy seeing hurt people heal, then help people. We are changing the narrative.”
—Chatrivia Kennedy
—Laurie Ann
“Warm days, fresh flowers, my nieces and nephews, and good friends.”
—Katrina Balovlenkov
“Solitude, food and movies.”
—James Bradford
“Thirty-eight years and still going strong, now living my dream of living by the ocean.”
—Greg Knepper
“Giving back brings me joy. Even though from the very beginning of my testing positive I lived every day with the attitude this is what I have, it does not define me. Through a recent path that led me to becoming a certified recovery coach, it's given me the opportunity to give back to all walks of life. A joy I thought I'd never find.”
—Kate Elling
“Dancing and performing. Last year I joined a senior citizen dance team, The Pacemakers. I'm having a blast!”
—Lee Raines