testimonials
Names are being withheld in utmost respect of confidentiality.
I just wanted to take this opportunity while it was fresh in my mind to thank you for an incredible weekend of knowledge, empowerment, and creating new friendships. I didn't want today to end. I also had a great group and the two facilitators, Gary & Heather were a very important part of this process. I saw positive changes in most of the people in our group and that process came from Gary & Heather who allowed us to get comfortable with each other and them.
Thank you again for the blessings that I received this weekend it was all because of you and the group of speakers & volunteers you put together for the LGBTQ community. We need more people like you in this world.
Love always,
-E.D.
I was able to attend the Life Group out here in the Desert, last year, and hey — it was very informative, fun, social, and helped me become confident in who I am as a gay man with HIV+... thank you Sunnie, and all the cast, crew, volunteers — wonderful experience.
-R.I.
I just wanted to take a few minutes to express my gratitude for providing such a great service to us who are hiv+., and I absolutely had such an incredible weekend — What a blessing you are to me, and all the volunteers, leaders, I had not realized how much i give and give to others in my life, and it was nice to have a week-end about and for myself... cudos and many blessings and thank you's to all who participated this weekend on such a beautiful journey.
-A.I.
Sunnie, thanks to you and the board, so many of us have purpose, and it extends way after we leave the weekends. We are empowered knowing that the LG is there for all of us when we are weak and we can be there for others when we are strong.
Thank you for the Blessing. JT
I am so grateful for you all so very much. I am who I am today because of the healing that took place at a weekend seminar 5 years ago this January. I then was blessed to be able to give back to this great organization and become a volunteer. Nothing has been more transformative for me and my psyche. You all show me incredible love and honor me by allowing me to participate. I so adore, love and respect each and everyone of you so very much. The love of this group of people is unparalleled. Many thanks to you all for all you do and give. You are all incredible, amazing, and wonderful human beings. My love for you knows no bounds...especially you MMM, and Sunnie. Thank you for believing in yourself and this cause. Your enormous capacity to love is something I have never encountered before. It not only inspires others to action but lights the path for them to follow.
I am so grateful for you all so very much. I am who I am today because of the healing that took place at a weekend seminar 5 years ago this January. I then was blessed to be able to give back to this great organization and become a volunteer. Nothing has been more transformative for me and my psyche. You all show me incredible love and honor me by allowing me to participate. I so adore, love and respect each and everyone of you so very much. The love of this group of people is unparalleled. Many thanks to you all for all you do and give. You are all incredible, amazing, and wonderful human beings. My love for you knows no bounds...especially you MMM, and Sunnie. Thank you for believing in yourself and this cause. Your enormous capacity to love is something I have never encountered before. It not only inspires others to action but lights the path for them to follow.
The POZ Life Seminar weekend was “life-changing” for me in many ways. Although I am 60 years old and have been HIV+ since 1984 and blessed with good health for the most part; I found myself jumping back into denial.
One would think that after living with HIV for more than 25 years, denial would be a unlikely place for me to land. For the 18 months immediately proceeding the January, 2010 POZ Weekend, I had been isolating and even stopped going to therapy. I had been laid-off from my job and felt my life had no purpose and I was lost and floundering — Not to mention depressed too.
I left the weekend energized and filled with love overflowing. The first thing I did Sunday night at 10:00 PM when I got home was call and leave my therapist a voice mail to set-up an appointment. Monday morning I called and set up an appointment to have my labs done and see my doctor again.
But getting out of denial and taking responsibility for my own health is only one of the things I got out of this weekend. The amount of love and non-judgmental support was amazing. The connections I made with the other participants I feel will be with people I can call friends for the rest of my life.
I gathered over a dozen phone numbers and have called all of them and spoken with 10 of them this week. I plan on joining a new support group that will be forming for “long-term survivors” and/or seniors.
I am so filled with inspiration that I plan on attending the support group facilitator training in March of this year so I can give back that which was given so freely and lovingly to me. I had no purpose and was filled with isolation and now I feel I am inspired to become a volunteer for The LifeGroup, LA and now, I have new friends and I have a purpose. I am so blessed to have attended this weekend and I have been promoting the next one all week.
I have called all the case managers of Common Ground and Jeffrey Goodman to tell them how wonderful this weekend was for me and how I recommend it for all their clients and staff as well.
Thank you so much, Sunnie, Chris, Nurse Jim and everyone else for filling me with love, and getting me “back -on-track” and armed with the most up-to-date information about HIV and it's treatment options. I love you all and so blessed to have taken part in this most loving empowering weekend.
I love you a lot and am honored to know you.
-RG
When asked: How do you feel this weekend will, or has inspired your approach to living...
• Feel Alive
• To be more positive in my thinking and how it affects my physical self well being
• That everyone's experience is individual to them
• I know how to resist embarrassment
• I feel I am not alone/ I feel being HIV+ is manageable
• Will help me a lot to give more information for my community and for myself
• It will make me more willing to reach out to people and not fear rejection as much
• Reinforce my belief that people are loving
• Positive Living loving embracing of all others helping others to live positively
• I feel I may be able to share more around people
• I'm calmer now, thanks
• I will fight to live
• Has given me inspiration
• Keeps me knowing I will live a long life and there are people who love me
• Opened new windows
• It has shown me that I am not alone and that life is still worth living. It has given me a foundation of knowledge in which to further my understanding of the elements that come into my life with HIV
• I am more open now about HIV and meeting all the different people
• To take steps to relive some of my goals and confidence to do so
• It will help every part of my life. I cant list all.
• The Heart to Heart process will allow me to look my friends in the eyes and let go for good
• I feel honestly like I will be okay and that I am worthy of love and that in and of itself astounds me
• A better outlook and approach to life in a positive way
• I am recently diagnosed and a little overwhelmed so I need to process more
• More aware how many different types of folks in the world. Inspiration for more positive approach to life
• You have supplied me with good tools and good support
• Gave some great tools to live on
• Wellness!!! Not Illness!!!
• I know that they are people who really care and love me who don't even know me.
• The love from The Life Group is incredible
• To cause me to connect better with my community
I am feeling great as a result of last weekend. It was very helpful info-wise, but more than that, gave me a sense of togetherness that is propelling me forward.
Emotionally I feel a lot stronger after this weekend. Thank you so much for this experience. It was a blessing for me.
This weekend has brought me back to the "Good" space that I want to live in!
I don't want it to end! I never felt so safe! So free to speak what was on my mind.
Newly diagnosed, this workshop really gave me a set of tools and a wealth of info to move forward into this next phase of life. Truly a blessing. It wasn't easy at times, but so worth it! I can only see it getting better.
Great information, Inspiring volunteers! Thank you!
It made a huge and lasting impression.
It was a life-changing event!
This workshop gave me knowledge and security in myself.
I was able to do the healing work I came to do. Healing shame, and find connections and tools to build the life I claimed before I came.
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