At St. Anthony Foundation we see successes every day, in many forms. A senior who otherwise would not be able to eat that day will leave with a full stomach and leftovers for later. A low-income family without extra money will get clothes for their children to return to school with their heads held high. A man struggling with addiction will come through our doors ready to seek change. Another will leave with stable employment and housing, passing that image of his former self one year earlier.

Here are other stories of guests who have built success at St. Anthony Foundation:

Leroy - Leroy could not read, did not have a home and struggled with mental illness. Leroy found St. Anthony’s Dining Room and found nourishment. He learned about the Social Work Center and received counseling and secured medical benefits with the help of a case manager. Leroy gained control of his mental health. He read his first book, cover to cover, and was able to find supportive housing. The stability and support provided in follow-up visits to his case manager ensure that these problems would not compound themselves into larger issues again.

Patricia - Patricia’s husband was laid off from his job. He picked up part-time work but the hours were not enough to provide for his family. The day-to-day struggles of taking care of the children and putting food on the table got more and more difficult, and they were soon unable to afford rent. Through the pediatric care her children receive at St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic, Patricia was referred to the Social Work Center to seek rental assistance and keep her family housed during their rough patch; the Clothing Program provided school clothes for her children, and they continue to visit The Clinic to keep their children healthy.

Dudley- Dudley spent more than a year in critical condition in hospital and hospice care then was discharged on to the street. Dudley went from homeless and vulnerable with only the clothes on his back, to finding nourishment in the Dining Room, securing housing and benefits with the help of the Social Work Center, and clothes from the Clothing Program.

Pam – Pam, a senior woman, fled an abusive relationship with nothing, and no where to go. She found St. Anthony Dining Room and a community of support to offer stability beyond the shelter she was staying in. As Pam spent more time focusing in on the immediate needs of the day, she became more and more introverted, detached from her former life. Through the Tenderloin Tech Lab Pam reestablished connections to family, to friends, and to her life beyond the isolation that poverty creates. Pam now has a place to live, and returns to St. Anthony’s to keep her connections alive.