Agape Home

Clare Housing currently manages six foster care homes for persons with HIV/AIDS in the Twin Cities.

Agape Home was the third HIV/AIDS foster care home opened in the Twin Cities. Vicki McMullen, an active member of Metropolitan Community Church's (MCC's) AIDS Task Force, birthed the idea of Agape Home in 1991 after being inspired by her good friend living with AIDS, Kelly Singleton. In 1992, Vicki started writing grant applications and eventually received a start-up grant from the McKnight Foundation, but only if it could be matched. Miraculously, an anonymous donor heard about this challenge and called Vicki several weeks later and donated $50,000, the entire match amount! Soon following, a turn-of-the-century Victorian home was purchased and church members began renovations. They opened their doors in 1993.

Once open, the real work began. Agape Home staff and volunteers delivered end of life care with dignity and compassion. Most residents were there only three or four short months before passing away.

Kelly Singleton, one of Agape's co-founders, served on the first board of directors. Although he was living with HIV, he volunteered tirelessly during those early months to get Agape Home up and running. After a long battle with the disease, Kelly Singleton passed away from complications of AIDS a year after the home opened. He was 32 years old. Vicki McMullen passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack just five months later.

The entire organization was grieving, but the needs of the residents kept staff members and volunteers going. Board chair Dann Peterson stepped in as interim executive director with the help of Terry McEowen. Through this leadership and the commitment of staff and volunteers, Agape Home stabilized and began looking forward once again.

In 1998 the board recognized the growing need for more AIDS housing and began planning for an additional house. Brian Lundequam (current property manager for the Clare Apartments) was hired during this period as the care director of Agape Home. Talks of a merger between Agape Home and Grace House began. It was proposed, as an experiment, to see whether one executive director (John Whalen) could serve as executive director of both agencies. The experiment worked and the two agencies (Grace House and Agape Homes) formally merged in 2001, creating "AIDS Care Partners."

Since November of 1993, Agape Home has served over 90 men and women living with AIDS, including 39 persons that have passed away from the disease. Today residents live more independently yet still need the support of 24-hour care-giving staff that assists with their health management and personal care. Currently, Angela Maki Jones works as the Unit Manager of both Agape and Agape Dos. Long-time staff members Mary Boll and Gretchen Briggs still work as HIV/AIDS caregivers at Agape Home.