“Without St. Patrick Center, I’d probably be in the same situation… nothing to do and nothing to care about.”

Tairon struggled to hold his life together. Drug and alcohol abuse left him jobless and uncertain living conditions forced him to bounce between living with his girlfriend and with his mother and grandmother. Tairon’s problems escalated when his son was taken by child services. “One day I got a phone call saying my son was taken into foster care,” Tairon says. “Everything immediately changed.”

Introduced to St. Patrick Center by a caseworker, Tairon enrolled in the Project Protect program which helps re-connect families separated due to parental substance abuse. “Project Protect helped me get sober; it helped me better my finances. The people here are so wonderful; they give you encouragement and help boost your self esteem.” While working toward getting his son back through Project Protect, Tairon entered SPC’s Fast Track GED program. Now he has his GED and is enrolled in classes to further his career in heating and cooling.

In addition, Tairon lives with is girlfriend and his two children and enjoys spending time with his family. “We sit at home and play Monopoly or go bowling and go out to eat,” Tairon smiles. “We do fun family things.” When he reflects about where he used to be in his life, he is thankful for all of the change that has occurred. “Now that I’ve done it, I know that I can accomplish things. There’s nothing that can’t be accomplished.”