“St. Patrick Center has helped me in so many ways… St. Patrick Center is truly a blessing to me.”

Sonja is a recovering addict, and today she knows how her addiction led her down the wrong path. She lost custody of her two daughters; she was homeless and living in transitional recovery housing. Then she learned about St. Patrick Center’s Project Protect.

Project Protect is a regional partnership that provides comprehensive services for homeless and poor families with children in foster care, or at risk of going into foster care, due to parental substance abuse. Sonja started working with three Project Protect counselors – family stability, substance abuse and employment – and her life started to change.

“Project Protect helped me to obtain housing,” Sonja says. “They helped me with legal issues, rent, utilities, and best of all, they helped me get my girls back.” As a St. Patrick Center client, Sonja was also able to participate in food, clothing, Thanksgiving and Christmas giveaways at the agency to help her get back on her feet.

Today, Sonja is clean and sober! She and her daughters have been living in their apartment for more than a year. “St. Patrick Center and Project Protect were there for me on every step of my journey.”