Juan, Client Knowing there is always someone there for you even on the bad days – that’s what helps Juan get out of bed each day. Juan describes the personal connection he has with his Canticle Ministries mentor as key to helping him get through his medical, housing and emotional challenges. Through Canticle Ministries housing program, Juan now lives in a first floor apartment – eliminating the painful 41-step climb to his previous residence. Help with transportation, arranging for internet access and personal visits are all ways Canticle has helped Juan stay connected with the outside world. According to Juan, “You need an ear to listen to your problems. That’s what you need most of all.” Canticle Ministries sees that simple gesture of friendship and caring as a life-inspiring gift they give to all their clients. (version 1 from a interviewers persective) “You need an ear to listen to your problems. That’s what you need most of all. I’ve had a hard time with my legs being so sore and swollen. Canticle Ministries helped me find an apartment on the first floor, instead of living in a motel. I had to climb 41 steps every day. It hurt so much. Now when David, my mentor, comes to visit, he makes me feel better. He’s helped me get hooded up to the internet and go to art school. There are many things that haven’t gone the way I wanted. I want to do my art, but right now I can’t get around very well. David understands and listens. Canticle Ministries is such a good place with good people. |
Sister Georgene, Wheaton Franciscan Sister “To know one’s own goodness is a reflection of God and to have the hope to live with whatever has emerged in your own life – that is at the heart of Canticle Ministries.” We want people to praise themselves and all the good in them. When the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters first started Canticle Ministries, it was as a mustard seed. Knowing the need that existed for those with HIV and AIDS in DuPage County, we wanted to make an impact on a few. It has grown to so much more. It is not just a place for housing. It has adapted to fill so many other needs – transportation, counseling, education, obtaining medication, and spiritual comfort. During a time when a person’s life can be filled with so much fear, Canticle Ministries offers them the Spirit of praise and hope” |
Tom Nehring, Board Member “Canticle Ministries’s goal is to bring a person back into the mainstream of their community and society — to continue the healing ministry of Jesus. Canticle Ministries gives people the support to become self-dependent and not dependent. When a person doesn’t have a place to live, they aren’t focusing on their health needs. Canticle Ministries assists them with transitional housing and brings them to a point where they can also benefit from Canticle Ministries’s other services – health referrals, transportation, educational scholarships and counseling. A person is able to look to the future and plan for it. With so many kids living with HIV, the scholarship program allows them to build a reality of what their life can be, not looking at it as having a disease that would end their life. Canticle Ministries helps people to grow to their full potential in context to their relationships with the entire community. “ |
Julie, Mentor “It was a gift that he let me into his life. He just wanted to be accepted and loved, and to live a life of dignity. I received back those same things. He told me that when I came to visit on Wednesdays, that was his day to shower, shave and put on clean clothes. It was important to him that he gave to our friendship as well. I was someone who would listen, especially about things his family didn’t want to talk about – like death. He could share his fears and anger with me. I was able to listen and not be judgmental. I wouldn’t pull away when the tough subjects came up. There was not time for small talk. These were big fears he expressed. It was sad when he died, but he gave so much to me. I was very fortunate to have such a special friend. |
Ellen, scholarship recipient “We are encouraged to think positively about our future – not something people with AIDS were accustomed to doing when it was a death sentence. Through the scholarship program at Canticle Ministries, I will have a future, and one that will include a college education and a celebration of all the dreams I can have. I know that I can be a representation of what can be. I believe that enabling positive individuals to pursue higher education counteracts the dehumanizing effects of HIV and helps create future community leaders. The scholarship has given me hope, and for that more than anything else, I will always be grateful. |