From the August 2010 edition of Chronicles

From our humble beginnings in 1983 to our five-story Partnership Center today, St. Patrick Center is a Force for Change in our community!

When a homeless family moves into housing, there is a Force for Change. When unemployed clients find jobs, there is a Force for Change. When addicted clients find sobriety and mentally ill clients find stability, there is a Force for Change.

Our donors and supporters are a Force for Change as they generously give and collect what they can to help our agency operate programs and services. Our volunteers are a Force for Change as they graciously offer their time and talent to do whatever is asked of them to further our mission. Our staff is a Force for Change as they empower clients to make decisions and help them realize their potential to change their lives. Our partners are a Force for Change as they willingly collaborate to offer more innovative, comprehensive programs and services.

When a community comes together to prevent and end homelessness, there is a Force for Change! Here is a look at the numbers of people we assisted in FY2010:

St. Patrick Center placed and maintained 422 clients and their dependent children into permanent housing. We placed 645 clients into full-time and part-time jobs. We provided services to 3108 clients dealing with mental illness and/or substance abuse.

• Independent Living Skills/ABE & GED: 215 graduates learned parenting and living skills that support their move to permanent housing and self-sufficiency. We taught reading, writing and math skills, and tutored 47 clients in Adult Basic Education (ABE) and General Education Development (GED).
• Neighborhood Support: Agency-wide, 702 poverty-level families in existing housing received utility or rent payment assistance to overcome housing crises.
• Project Protect: We assisted 202 families with children affected by parental substance abuse.
• Rosati Apartments: We provided case management services and housing to 13 chronically homeless men and women in our permanent, supportive housing complex for a year or more. In addition to the 13 residents, we provided case management to two more clients and placed one new client in Rosati Apartments.
• Rosati Assertive Community Treatment (ACT): We provided permanent housing, mental health and substance abuse counseling, employment and financial guidance services to 13 Rosati Apartments ACT residents and up to 52 chronically homeless individuals who were living at other sites in the community.
• Rosati Group Home: We provided counseling, daily living skills instruction and 24-hour protective oversight to 43 mentally ill clients. 17 moved into more independent living quarters after acquiring daily living skills and stability. 
• The BEGIN New Venture Center: 9 new companies signed on with the BNVC small business incubator for a total of 17 companies.
• The BEGIN Training & Education Center: 72 clients graduated from BTEC employment programs.  
• Building Employment Skills for Tomorrow (BEST): 22 men and women earned part-time wages and completed on-the-job training. 15 were placed into jobs and 16 were housed.
• General Employment: We assisted 1045 individuals with job training, employment readiness, transportation and work uniforms.
• Homeless Employment Program (HEP): We helped 192 clients find and retain full-time employment in this program that works as an employment agency, with no fee to the employer or to the applicant. 88 were placed into housing.
• Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP): We placed 132 veterans into full-time jobs and 77 veterans were placed into housing. 28 received advanced employment training.
• Job Experience Training (JET): 18 active clients participated in this intense computer skills training program that includes an eight-week training class with stipend followed by a four-week paid internship with a local employer. 
• McMurphy’s Grill: 53 clients participated in the first restaurant training program in the nation for homeless, mentally ill clients. 28 clients found employment.
• Project HERO: We placed 30 honorably discharged veterans in housing, ending more than 131 years of homelessness.
• Project REACH: We placed 162 ex-offenders into full-time jobs after their release from prison.
• Assertive Community Treatment (ACT): We provided mental health, psychiatric, employment and financial guidance services to 54 clients, ending 125 years of homelessness.
• Casserole Program: 87 church and community groups (2000+ volunteers) provided 156,937 hot, nutritious meals covering every day of the year for our Shamrock Club Day Treatment Program, Rosati Group Home and Shamrock Club Evening Program (Alumni Club).
• City Seeds Urban Farm: 18 clients participate in this hands-on job training program led by Gateway Greening. 9 graduated and 9 found jobs.
• Mobile Outreach: 2 full-time counselors, using bikes or vans, developed trusting relationships with 311 homeless mentally ill people living on the streets and engaged 211 individuals to agency programs and services.
• Shamrock Club Day Treatment Program: We assisted 1212 homeless clients experiencing mental illness and/or substance abuse issues with making a commitment to work on personal goals, benefits assistance, psychiatric assessment, job training, employment and housing.
• Shamrock Club Evening Program (Alumni Club): We provided employment training, financial counseling and substance abuse counseling in a safe, supportive environment to an annual membership of 168.
• Shamrock Club Intensive Case Management (ICM): We helped 315 clients dealing with substance abuse and mental illness.
• Shamrock Club Women’s Night Program: We provided a safe place to sleep at night to 93 mentally ill and/or chemically dependent women. We assisted 11 with their move to permanent housing.
• Celtic Creative: We worked with 37 non-profit organizations to build capacity and improve outcomes. 960 newly unemployed professionals joined the new Celtic-managed GO! Network for growth and opportunities. We hosted 99 community meetings and non-profit conferences. 
• Child Drop-In Center: 780 children, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, were cared for during 1040 visits to our safe, educational and nurturing environment while their parents received services.
• Client Intake, Assessment & Tracking Program: Counselors completed 4583 new, comprehensive assessments of clients’ needs, capturing vital information regarding income, education, children, etc.
• Healthcare Wing: This collaborative effort of Grace Hill Health Services, Logan Chiropractic Clinic and the St. Louis Dental Society provided comprehensive health services to nearly 1304 clients.