Lewis’ Story

I’ll embrace the fall of 1999 throughout the years. It would come to be the second occasion where my life was drastically altered. The later time, however, I was able to have hope, a choice, and an opportunity to travel through the corridor that would transform my existence into a meaningful lifestyle. I was given the opportunity to experience how it feels to be as close to normal as I could envision. The decision was placed before me and I gratefully accepted.

In the fall of 1993 my life was impacted to the point where I was affected emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. I served my country on a tour of duty in Mogadishu, Somalia. I have no regrets for serving God, country, and fellow man, but I never knew the sacrifice I would have to make at the young age of 18 to acquire money for college.

My treatment for post traumatic stress disorder was ending and I had nowhere to live. I had been in the VA hospital for six months and refused to return to the same environment of dysfunction that prolonged my alcoholism and cannabis addiction. If need be I was willing to sleep on the street at night and go to school in the day time. Then I learned about the St. Vincent DePaul Center.

I started off going to school in the day and cleaning office buildings at night while staying at the DePaul Center. It worked out perfectly for me because I was able to attain the life skills I needed for career employment and permanent housing through the case management and counseling that was provided. It was not easy because I had to learn how to function within the norms of society while leaving behind the behaviors which had kept me stuck in a less that desirable lifestyle.

The staff at DePaul Center was there in my times of crisis and always provided the direction that I needed. After one and a half years, I had worked way to the point where I was living in my own apartment, going to school full time, while working 40 hours a week. Shortly there after I had obtained an associate degree and was working in social services. A position on staff was offered that I filled for a while before moving on in the field.

Today my blessings are too abundant to count. Just five years after leaving DePaul Center as a consumer I have completed a bachelors degree, have been married for three years, working for the state, living in my own house (not paid off but another day closer), started working towards my first graduate degree, and looking towards advancing at the state level or moving on to be a federal employee. There is even an interest by a couple of police departments that I may pursue. The best part for me is that I have a choice today in which ever way that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, leads me.

Thanks, DePaul Center for all that you have done for me. I would also like to thank all the people who donated to make my success possible.

Jessica’s Story

My name is Jessica. I am 31 years old. I have used drugs for most of my life and I was miserable. I have lost everything that I ever had due to my using drugs. I lost my daughter, my possessions and I quit going to college because of getting high.

At this moment in my life I have been clean and sober for 23 months, the longest ever. I feel good about myself and I am happy. I have been working at Frisch’s for over a year now and I get to see my daughter again. I have a sponsor in AA who I call on a daily basis; I go to AA meetings on a regular basis. I went to the Monday program for behavior modification and then I went to a halfway house for 6 months. I heard about the St. Vincent Supportive Housing program for women and I really wanted to be accepted. Luckily I was.

I have been living here in my apartment in the Supportive Housing program since May 2006. I am very lucky to be here. It is a great privilege. St. Vincent Supportive Housing has helped me in so many ways. This is a great program. I follow all of the rules and the staff here makes me feel good about myself and they make me feel so loved. I have never been late paying my program fees. Honestly I am very grateful that the fees are only 30% of my income because I wouldn’t be able to afford it if it wasn’t. I have a lot of bills, paying on fines, child support, school loans, a car payment and insurance. I just recently got a car and I am so glad because I get to see my daughter now more often.

I have worked all 12 Steps in AA and I continue to work on them every day. It is a spiritual program and I am very grateful for it. I’m also grateful for St. Vincent Supportive Housing and all the wonderful people who work here. May God continue to bless us all.

Andrea’s Story

I remember it like it was yesterday, the first day I walked into our new home. It was June 10, 2005 and it was a Friday. I walked into a beautiful 3 bedroom house fully furnished that was waiting for me and my children. I knew from the first appointment with the staff at St. Vincent Supportive Housing that this was the program for me. I was new to the city, no family except my children, and the only people I knew were ones I met in my sobriety going to meetings and to other AA and NA functions.

From the very beginning I knew I had made the right choice and God had put me where I needed to be. Not only has the program helped me to get back on track in the real world, but the staff has become like family to us. We laugh or cry together through the good and bad times. One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most is the sincerity of the staff and how they give 110 % of themselves and whenever a question might arise or I just need to take, it’s like I have four sponsors instead of one. The different things I’ve had to do as part of the program not only helped my family as a whole, but it has given extra comfort to know that anything can be accomplished with the Lord and his good people. I am now able to balance my life a lot easier in sobriety than ever before.

One of the most memorable things with the program is that I always dreamed of going to college and before I turned my life around I never thought I would accomplish that. I enrolled in Sinclair Community College and I am now in my second year. I know I have to acknowledge my God, St. Vincent staff, my support system, and myself for these achievements. I’m living the dream some might say. Since I’ve been in the program, I had my second birthday (2 yrs. clean). If asked three years ago I would have said that it was impossible to stop doing what I was doing and change my life. St. Vincent Supportive Housing helped me to get my life stabilized and helped me build a foundation to grow on. I am majoring in the Mental Health program at Sinclair for my Associate’s degree so that I might be able to give back some of what the program has given to me.

It has been 1 ½ years now for us in the program and it’s a wonderful feeling to know that another accomplishment is right around the corner. With the continued help of my sponsor and friends in sobriety, I know my family’s journey will continue to grow and we will continue to give as the Lord has made it possible for us to receive. I would like to give a special thanks to my family’s case manager, Miss Pat and to let the remainder of the staff at Supportive Housing know that they are very much appreciated as well.