HOW ACT MAKES A DIFFERENCE: KYLE'S STORY

Kyle has been an ACT client for several years. He recalls the early days before he found ACT. "I was scared, confused and didn’t know where to turn to," he said.

"I had lost my health after several years of living with HIV. My friends had deserted me, and I faced losing my job and my home. In desperation, I turned to ACT for counselling."

ACT referred Kyle to the Meet and Eat Hot Lunch, a weekly program that offers a nutritious meal and peer support to those living with HIV/AIDS. "I met others and we talked freely about our experiences without being judged or questioned. I gained a new family of people who had good values and a heartening outlook on life."

The program helped Kyle realize that he was not alone in this struggle. The simple act of sharing a meal with others who understood what he was going through helped restore his sense of self and well-being.

Kyle has been attending the Meet and Eat program every Friday for three years now. "It is something I look forward to. It gives me an opportunity to be myself and to be happy and eat healthy."