Hope House: Refuge and Resources for HIV/AIDS Families MEMPHIS on the MEND BY PAMELA HARRIS
Nothing is more precious than the innocent faces of children. I recently encountered three such faces sitting across from me at a toddler table during their afternoon snack time at Hope House. I tried to get smiles from Angel, T.J. and Christopher, with my own silly faces and smiles, but they were unimpressed with my efforts. Or maybe they were still sleepy from their nap. Regardless, as I looked into their faces, I couldn’t help but wonder what their lives were like and how often they really do smile. A tour of Hope House and conversation with its dedicated director, Elizabeth Dupont, EdD, gave me some insight into the lives of these children. Because while HIV is not a class-specific disease, it tends to be more prevalent among impoverished individuals -- and with that comes a life exposed to more violence, substance abuse and hunger.
Hope House in Memphis is one of only seven of its kind… in the world. It is a comprehensive social services organization devoted to effectively serving the needs of those infected and affected by HIV/ AIDS. Their mission is, “To improve the quality of life of HIV-impacted children and their families by addressing their educational, social, psychological and health From left, Angel, T. J. and Christopher with their teacher, Katie Pohlman. needs.” of Young Children) accredited program. Founded in 1995 by the Junior League They get two meals (breakfast and lunch) of Memphis, Hope House was launched and a stable environment to learn and as a day care for children affected by the grow. There is also “Play Therapy” to asHIV/AIDS virus. Today, the day care sist children who have been traumatized. has grown from five children to 18 chilPlay Therapy helps them express emotions dren with three teachers and a bus driver. and vent aggressions. They also have a licensed pediatric nurse Hope House also takes care of many on hand for emergencies and to make sure adults – some of whom are parents of the that all medication schedules are met. day care children there. There are classes Angel, T.J. and Christopher are in on parenting, finance, health and nutrithe Hope House day care/early childtion, social and language skills that may hood education program for children from help them get better employment, violence six weeks to five years. It is a NAEYC prevention and more. There are also sup(National Association for the Education
port groups, emergency financial assistance, and healthcare coordination. The full list of programs and services is on their website, www.hopehousememphis.org.
Community Outreach
Part of the mission of Hope House is to educate our community on HIV/AIDS. In spite of the fact that HIV/AIDS is more than 30 years old, there are still misconceptions about the disease and how it is spread. Even though this is a medical audience, there may be some of us who need this short refresher: • HIV is NOT spread through touch, tears, sweat or saliva. In addition, you cannot get HIV/AIDS by: • Breathing the same air as someone who is infected • Touching a toilet seat or doorknob • Drinking from a water fountain • Hugging, kissing or shaking hands with someone who is HIV positive (CONTINUED ON PAGE 16)
It’s not what we treat, it’s who.
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