Pass the Mic with Faith Kennedy
Faith Kennedy waited 40 years for a place to call home. Today, she is in recovery, has a home of her own and shares her story to encourage others living with HIV.
I grew up right here in West Baltimore. I'm the youngest of 10—seven sisters and three brothers. My mama raised us by herself. My father passed away, and she worked three jobs to keep us from being on welfare. She was strong. My mom passed away 21 years ago. She died in my arms.
I have four biological children, but I also have a child that I've had since he was 2 weeks old. He's 8 years old now. I'm taking care of this baby off my Social Security, which ain't much. We manage, you know? I know how to make it happen.
I am seriously proud of the woman I've become. Nobody never thought it would be me, but it's me. It's me.
When I was young, I got hooked up with the wrong people. I ended up using drugs for a long time. My children’s father turned me onto it. He took advantage of me. I was 13. He was 17 years older, so you can imagine. I always wanted my kids to be raised by their mother and father, and he held that over my head. My children’s father beat me for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you might as well say. But I survived.
I thought I was in love, but, once I got older, I realized that's not what it was, so I walked away. He had custody of my kids, and that was the hardest thing I ever had to do. But I wouldn't be alive today if I hadn't walked away from them.
I tried to recover so many times. I did it for my mother, I did it for the court, I tried to do it for my kids, but I didn't do it for myself. When I decided to do it for myself, it was over. I was done.
I called a program and I asked if they had any beds available. They told me if I could make it in the morning, they would have a bed waiting. And I never looked back.
I am HIV positive and undetectable. Last year, I joined Positive Circles, which is part of Older Women Embracing Life (OWEL). I'm a peer support facilitator. I love it. I get to meet new and different people, go out and help people and speak to people. I'll do anything I can to help somebody.
I'm trying to reach people, especially young people, to tell them to take PrEP, use condoms. They need to know that this still exists. I'm not ashamed of it. HIV has me. I don't have it. It's just like I had a form of cancer. Would you not love me because I had cancer? Would you not want to be around me? If I had sickle cell or something like that?
I saw people come to Health Care for the Homeless, so I decided to give it a shot. They hooked me up with a case manager. She was my angel, 'cause she got me out of the place I was staying and into a room. Dr. Gray, he's been my doctor since day one. My sister and I both go to him. He's patient, he's understanding. Ebony is my therapist. She listened to me, talked with me, cried with me. When I first got clean, I had trouble dealing with my mother’s death. And I would go back out every time somebody died, until I came to grips with it. She helped me get through it.
It took 40 years almost, for me to get housing. My kids are grown now, but they were babies when I applied for it. Now I got a Section 8 voucher. I've been in my house for five years. Me and my baby and my grandson. We’re the three musketeers. I'm 61, and I thank God that I'm able to provide a home for them.
I am seriously proud of the woman I've become. Nobody never thought it would be me, but it's me. It's me.
“Pass the Mic” is a storytelling space featuring the voices and stories of people with a lived experience of homelessness.
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