Home will house those with HIV, AIDS

A LaPorte County church is ready to take its next big step -- filling a critical gap for area AIDS patients.

The Rev. Randy Duncan says his New Life Community Church of Hope is nearing its goal of converting a vacant house on its property between Michigan City and LaPorte into a transitional facility for people with HIV.

"We'd been trying to figure out what to do with it," he said. "A lady friend of the church suggested using the house as a transitional facility for people with HIV."
Duncan said the congregation already had turned a pizza-delivery business that came with the land into an Italian eatery called Holy Macaroni Cafe, with profits going to the church. The cafe led to what Linda Morris called "kind of a fluke." She works with offenders with HIV and AIDS at the Indiana State Prison,

"My husband and I go out to dine (at the cafe)," she said. "The pastor said he had been praying for guidance for what to do with the house."

Morris told him the church should do something with it for people with HIV and AIDS who are often left homeless when they are turned away by family or lose their jobs.

"It will be called New Lifehouse, with rooms for six men to begin with," Duncan said. "I wanted it to be for women, but was told the real need is for males because of the greater stigma on HIV men. It should be ready for its first clients this fall."

Duncan said the church is exploring fund-raising, including grants to operate the center. A private donor removed a hurdle by paying off the house's mortgage.

Associate pastor Dan Wright said the church has submitted an application for the center as a separate entity to receive tax-free donations as a not-for-profit organization. He said the LaPorte County Board of Zoning Appeals has set May 15 for a public hearing on a variance to use the building as a halfway house with independent living for those who don't require constant attention.

"When it's been brought up in the restaurant, people are for it," he said. "A lot of them know someone with HIV. It means people are being affected."

Morris, who has worked with HIV-AIDS patients for 18 years, said she's agreed to serve on the board of directors and has begun writing policies and procedures for the center. Meanwhile, Wright said, the church secretary is taking a course in Indianapolis to learn how to write grant requests.

Duncan said the congregation of about 50 has members from as far away as Chicago. The church began in a Michigan City basement in 1997 and conducted services in a local Holiday Inn and a Michigan City storefront before moving to its current location.