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Eleven years ago, after being diagnosed with HIV, Frank was in the thick of one of the biggest life changes he’d ever experienced. Struggling to make ends meet while coping with his new medical needs, Frank opened up to his case manager, unsure of where to turn. “She sent me to Vital Bridges,” he says, thinking back on the day as he walks the pantry aisles. “And, well, here I am eight years later.”
A food pantry dedicated to those living with HIV and AIDS, Heartland Alliance’s Vital Bridges Groceryland tailors its offerings to its participants’ unique medical and nutrition needs. As a result, case managers across Chicago refer their clients to Vital Bridges to ensure they receive nutrition plans and groceries that help them maintain their strength and health – all for free.
With the vast majority of the 21,000 HIV positive Chicagoans living at or below the poverty line in a relentless economy, that’s especially important. Providing more than half a million meals annually, the pantry not only serves as a lifeline for those struggling to make ends meet, it offers a sense of community and spirit. As the newest addition to programming, Vital Bridges’ services also allow Heartland Alliance to close the loop, completing our array of available services.
Today, Frank still visits Groceryland, but he’s no longer shopping for just himself. Three days a week, he visits to volunteer and to help fellow participants who aren’t well enough to collect their groceries. While he’s there, he helps them with household tasks they may be too ill to do, including cleaning, cooking, laundry and managing doctor appointments.
“I know what they like,” says Frank. “It’s not just shopping for them, it’s building a relationship. Everyone deserves respect and care. It doesn’t matter how you got sick, everyone deserves to eat.”