Meet Robert
Robert left his hometown of Rodeo, CA to come to San Francisco when he was 15 years old. Knowing he was gay and afraid of his family’s rejection, he became a runaway. Shortly after arriving in San Francisco and living on the streets, Robert discovered that he was HIV-positive. Four years later, he was the victim of a gay bashing and lost all vision in his left eye. The Victims Crime Unit referred him to New Leaf. Now in his mid-20’s, Robert says, “Each time I’ve fallen off track, whether in drug abuse, homelessness, or sero-converting and finding out I was HIV positive, New Leaf has been the one stable force in my life. New Leaf helped me grow from a teenager to a young adult.”

Today, Robert is a Junior Vice-President/Partner for a commercial development firm and supervises a staff of six employees. He lives with his partner and currently spends much of his time on making a home.