1. WE HAVE GOOD NEWS TO SHARE ABOUT GARY!
“My life is wonderful now. The Shamrock Club is very valuable to
saving people’s lives. I’m a living testimony. St. Patrick Center
really did change me for the better.”
Gary never wanted to be like his father, but addiction destroyed his dream of becoming a better father to
his four children and breaking a family cycle of neglect. To escape his heavy drug addiction, he moved
from St. Louis to Omaha, Nebraska, leaving behind his children and a 20-year relationship.
While in Omaha, Gary lived successfully without drugs for five years while working in construction. He
admits that although he was living a drug-free life in Omaha, he was winging it at best and lacked the
proper skills to stay clean. One day, Gary returned to St. Louis to attend a funeral and started taking
drugs again that very night, never returning to Omaha. He soon found himself homeless.
After being arrested for drug possession, Gary was required to attend a treatment facility and was
referred to St. Patrick Center’s Shamrock Club Day Treatment program. Because Gary believed that he
was going to die an addict, he was resistant to the program. Eventually after receiving nothing but
encouragement and reassurance from his Shamrock counselor, Gary finally decided to submit to the
program and keep his appointments. “Ann always gave me inspiration, telling me I can be somebody.”
Today, Gary’s life has completely changed for the better! He has been clean for two and a half years. He
has an apartment with SPC’s assistance, a car and pays his bills on time. His next goal is to go to school!
Gary credits St. Patrick Center for saving his life. “St. Patrick Center means the world to me. It gave me
back my life. It gave me hope. It gave me freedom. I don’t have to die on the street. If I stick with the
program, I will be somebody.”
To view other success stories and videos, visit www.stpatrickcenter.org.
Thanks to Ann Rotermund in the Shamrock Club for contributing to this story!
800 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63101 314.802.0700 www.stpatrickcenter.org
St. Patrick Center provides opportunities for self-sufficiency and dignity to people who are homeless
or at risk of becoming homeless. Individuals and families build permanent, positive change in their
lives through safe and affordable housing, sound mental and physical health, and employment and
financial stability.