“God and St. Patrick Center have been my strength. I have an apartment and I am clean and sober.”

At 55 years-old, Deborah has experienced many traumas in her life. After her father and brother passed away around the same time, she dealt with her grief by using crack and marijuana. She then entered into a number of bad relationships which led to her to become a victim of domestic violence. Deciding to leave a bad relationship with the boyfriend with whom she was living, she found herself homeless.

“It became natural for me to live on the street,” says Deborah. While staying at a domestic violence shelter, she started going to church. She also started participating in the church’s local outreach ministry that would pass out items to the homeless and sing Christmas carols to them during the holidays. “I never preached or judged the people on the streets because I was homeless.”

Deborah then moved in with her daughter and found St. Patrick Center. She joined the Shamrock Club Day Treatment program which helped her with her substance abuse issues and helped her find an apartment. Deborah also started working during lunchtime in the Shamrock Club. “I am a kitchen aide… I set up for lunch, wipe tables, scrape places and clean up after lunch.”

In addition to her job in the Shamrock Club, Deborah is grateful to have a place to come during the day to meditate, pray and focus on her sobriety. She also states that her apartment helps her stay on track. “My apartment helps me stay clean,” she says. “I don’t want to be homeless again and St. Patrick Center has been there for me.”