This is part 1 of a special series honoring longterm survivors of the HIV/AIDS virus.

It took years for Gregg Cassin, now a health counselor and HIV activist with Shanti Project in San Francisco, to call to get the results of his HIV test. It was the 1980’s and people who tested positive were told by doctors to “get their affairs in order”.

“I was always someone who was looking at the mind-body connection,” says Gregg. “I understood the power of building community. Of having a sense of hope. I knew there was something I could do.”

That something led Gregg to hang fliers around San Francisco’s Castro district, inviting people with HIV to come to his newly created support group. It was a shot in the dark but the only thing he knew to do. He crossed his fingers, rented a space and prayed that 30 people might come. That first night, 36 people filled the small space. A few months later the room was packed with more than a hundred.

Now, a long term survivor himself, he leads Honoring Our Experience, a program he developed to bear witness to the people who have come through that traumatic time. Long term survivors come together at annual retreats and local gatherings to share their stories. To create space to remember and celebrate a life that many thought they would never see.

As you listen to this episode, consider:

• Where can you create community?

• Can you make yourself available to others who are struggling?

• How can you work to deepen the connections in your community?

You can listen to Gregg’s episode here.

Support the work of Honoring Our Experience with long term survivors here.