Resilience

Yolanda Diaz, 
November 2022

My name is Yolanda Diaz (She/Her/Hers). I am 60 years old, living in the Bronx in New York. I have three children—two girls and one boy. I didn’t raise them because I began using drugs at a young age. I gave my first-born daughter to her father to raise, my second daughter was raised by my mother-in-law and my son was adopted.

A ROUGH START
I sold drugs as a teen, becoming my own best customer. I used drugs until the day I went to prison. My first arrest was in the late 1970s, and my last state bid was in 1994. While in prison, I received training from Adult Continuing Education (ACE) and the Women’s Prisoner Association. I attended workshops on HIV/AIDS, and how it impacts inmates. I also attended Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

The day after I was released from prison I went to the nearest organization and asked to speak to the director. I waited for hours to ask for a job. Of course, I didn’t have any official work experience, but I was very willing to learn. Gratefully, my career journey began at Ms. A’s Place, located in Westchester, a residential neighborhood in the Bronx. I was trained as a receptionist and in community outreach. After this organization’s grant ended, I was devastated, depressed but not defeated.

WORKING AND HELPING OTHERS
I got another job at Body Positive in downtown New York with help from a counselor/friend. I worked there for eight years, receiving additional training at Arrive Exponent, the National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI), the Latino Commission on AIDS and at CAI. CAI is one the of first organizations in the world to offer training in HIV counseling.

I worked with the Sisterhood Mobilized for AIDS/HIV Research & Treatment University (SMART) for eight years, helping women access HIV treatment and other services. At SMART, I started to help other women and advocate for them and myself. I applied to be a part of the Professional Women’s Network (PWN-USA) in 2008 and was accepted with 27 diverse women leaders living with HIV.

LIVING ON PURPOSE
I have a passion to help other women like me. Today, I am a founding member of PWN-USA. I have been advocating for women living with HIV for more than 30 years. I serve as the co-chair for the PWN-Network’s New York chapter. And, I sit on the steering committees for the U.S. PLHIV Caucus and for LatinXPLUS. I received a grant from the U.S. PLHIV Caucus last year. I developed an education project titled Ladies First on the Frontline for Justice to bring awareness about HIV criminalization and women in the PWN-Network.

This year, I was accepted to be a part of 50+Strong and Healthy for the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC). I also work at Iris House, providing much-needed HIV counseling, testing and navigation services.