Welcome to Jo-Ray House online

The Jo-Ray House, Inc. (JRH) was founded in 2003, and has been incorporated as a 501c(3) not-for profit organization since April 2004.

Ida Byther-Smith, Founder and CEO, named the organization after her mother, Josephine, and her brother, Ray Paul, who both died at a very young age. Ida was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 41 after being infected by her own husband, who she later cared for until his death. After being released to hospice care, and nearly dying from the disease, Ida now uses her story to inspire resilience and hope in others living with HIV/AIDS.

Our Mission is to empower people and communities impacted by HIV/AIDS in the urban inner-city to live safe, healthy and resilient lives. Since 2003, JRH has fought the devastation of HIV/AIDS through community-based prevention and intervention services.

Our primary target for intervention services are men impacted by HIV/AIDS in the south Chicago area who meet the following characteristics:

• are most marginalized, e.g., HIV/AIDS infected men who are in need of permanent housing, mentally ill and reentry populations;
• are most vulnerable, e.g., those with multiple diagnoses (substance use, mental illness, etc.) or lack social supports ;
• encounter barriers that limit access to resources such as housing and health care.