Jade’s life changed in 2017 with an HIV positive diagnosis she never expected. What once felt like a stable life began to unravel. After years of working as a home health aide and managing group homes, she found herself facing a painful divorce and the aftermath of a relationship that left her with nothing. Her apartment was gone. Her car was gone. Stability had slipped through her fingers.
At her lowest point, searching online in desperation, Jade found House of Ruth. She arrived in crisis, unsure of what would come next. The weight of her diagnosis made her feel like she had lost not only her health, but her identity. It was as if she was no longer just Jade—she was “Jade with HIV.”
But House of Ruth saw more.
“They stepped in when I couldn’t stand on my own,” Jade said. “They helped me secure housing, paid my rent, and made sure I had access to the care and medication I needed to stay healthy.”
House of Ruth also gave Jade something she hadn’t felt in a long time: stability. For the first time in a long while, Jade had a roof over her head. She had a place to call home—and even a cat she adored. Slowly, the pieces of her life began to come back together. With that stability came something even more powerful: confidence.
“I no longer felt invisible or like a burden,” she said. “Everyone at House of Ruth restored my sense of security and self-worth. I no longer saw myself as defined by my HIV diagnosis.”
Looking ahead, she feels something she once thought was out of reach: excitement for the future. For Jade, House of Ruth wasn’t just a resource. It was a turning point—a place that gave her not only a second chance, but a new life.
