Chicago House Welcomes Armando Garcia as New Director of HOPE

After four years spent working for the Health, Outreach, Prevention, and Education (HOPE) department in various roles, Armando Garcia (he/they) has accepted a new role as our Director of HOPE. We recently asked Armando to reflect on his time at Chicago House. Here’s what they had to say:

What has your journey at Chicago House looked like?

I joined the agency in August of 2017, in the capacity of a Care Coordinator. My role was to connect people affected by HIV to medical care. I took great joy in focusing on global health dimensions of HIV prevention, developing specialized knowledge concerning working with immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking populations. In December of 2020, I was promoted to Linkage to Care Program Manager, and I had the opportunity to advance the linkage goals of the department during the global COVID-19 pandemic. It is a charge that continues to challenge me and forces me to come to grasp with new areas for professional and personal growth.

 What are you most excited for in your new role?

I am most excited to continue to advance our efforts to Get to Zero by 2030. We have a couple of new projects in the works, concerning emergency departments, community/mobile outreach in the far South side of Chicago, increased partnership with trans-led organizations, and increased engagement with Black and Brown folks in the West and South sides.

 What is the most rewarding part of your work?

I have made it my mission to advance racial justice and health equity in my work. Throughout my time working with people one-on-one, I have been humbled to see how participants have managed to surpass societally imposed barriers and complete their life goals (retention in care, housing, employment, purchasing a car, etc.). They are amazing, and I thank them for the lessons and skills they continue to teach me to this day.

 Where have you found the most joy and inspiration recently?

I am inspired by my coworkers at Chicago House. I am proud to be part of a close-knit team and larger organization that is able to advance the quality of life of so many people disproportionately impacted by HIV and health injustices. We continue to do difficult and good work here. Remarkably, we have continued to advance our practice during a time when addressing HIV/health, housing, and employment stability has become increasingly challenging due to COVID-19. My team and agency have given me the strength to continue the work.