Our Stories

Kristi has been journaling for over three decades and moved into Clare Housing with her huge duffle bag full of journals. She rifles through them and shows their varied papers, designs, and writing. She doesn’t…

Foxie, Kelly, Bud, and Bear approach the park with the biggest smiles – if you believe dogs can smile. They are being led by their owner, Tyrie.  Along with charming humans, Tyrie also has the…

Damon is a tall, bearded man who likes to relax in his new apartment catching up on sports. He speaks poetically and deliberately, each word a tile he’s carefully setting down. When asked about how…

Imagine you’re in a nursing home. Your body is in pain because of a foot injury and you can’t walk. You must walk again, but physical therapy is excruciating. And there’s a deadline. If you…

Robert is a man with salt and pepper hair and mirthful sparkle in his eye. He moves resolutely but slowly with the aide of his cane to the conference room where we sat down to…

Think of the last time you went to the grocery store or the mall. Remember the cashiers, the food servers, the security guards. As you passed them by, did the thought ever occur to you that…

“I can remember the first time Deb visited,” Luann smiled. “We sat on the love seat in the living room and held hands. That’s the first time we ever felt comfortable enough to hold hands…

“Living at Clare Housing is not only a comfort to me but to my family.  I am very thankful that I have a home and a place that has given me the ability to be…

When people meet Michael they are instantly drawn to his positive outlook on life. Michael has had low points in his life but he accepts them for what they are, does not look back and…

Gayle loves languages, flowers, volunteering and helping others. She smiles easily, and has a flair for style and color (especially purple!). And her family. When she talks about her three daughters and her 8-year old…

Preston and Cornell met six years ago. For the first two years of their relationship they lived apart and struggled with drug addictions. Neither had a place to call home. Preston lived with friends in…

Mary was in a place in her life where she needed to take a stand and put herself first. Due to a divorce that left her unable to afford her rent she was asked by…

Jose’s story is the story of an HIV positive individual who successfully experienced the continuum of affordable housing and supportive services that Clare Housing provides to those in need. Jose has always lived with family…

Larry’s journey with HIV/AIDS began as the disease was being discovered. His story is a tribute to his strength and courage. Twenty-six years ago, HIV and AIDS were discovered and labeled a death sentence. Then…

Jon grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and began his career there after graduating from Christ Hospital School of Nursing. He was working at a nursing facility in suburban Minneapolis when he first learned he was…

Jimmy grew up in Chicago and is no stranger to adversity. He fled an abusive and impoverished home life as a teenager in the 1980’s and had been living on the streets for many years…

Carmen was born in Leech Lake, Minnesota. Of Ojibwe heritage, she and her younger brother were adopted by a Quaker family and raised in Lake Elmo. While her adoptive parents provided a stable and happy…

The week Kevin graduated from Iowa State University; he flew to the West Coast to begin a career in design. This is where he first learned he was HIV positive. It was 1988. The design…

Residents at Agape Dos enjoy spoiling Flash, the gentle beagle that lives with them. Flash can often be found curled up at the foot of a resident’s bed when someone isn’t feeling well. He also…