A Second Chance: St. Anthony’s Helps Armahn Find His Way Back

November 14, 2024

Armahn knew going to Las Vegas was a bad idea. He’d been in recovery with St. Anthony’s for a while and understood the risks of a trip away from his support team, but after months clean and sober, he thought a change of scene would do him good.

“I got too comfortable,” Armahn says now, looking back. “I had food, clean clothes, a roof over my head… I thought, maybe I don’t need all this program stuff anymore.”

His relapse was rough, he says. But even when things were at their worst, Armahn knew that people at St. Anthony’s were probably going to reach out to him, and when Wayne called, he decided he’d had enough.

Wayne and Armahn met through the St. Anthony’s Companionship Program, a peer-support service that connects guests seeking stability to an experienced staff with lived experience and deep knowledge of available resources both inside and outside of St. Anthony’s.

Wayne and Armahn knew each other well, and Wayne didn’t hesitate to offer support for Armahn’s return to St. Anthony’s where his job—and his friends—would be waiting.

It was a life-changing moment of compassion and understanding, and a far cry from Armahn’s earlier life.

“Since I was 20 years old, I was homeless and addicted,” says Armahn. “I used to sneak onto BART from Oakland and come to St. Anthony’s Dining Room just to get something to eat. My goals in those days were more about where I’d sleep and find food. I’m still an addict, but I’m an addict in recovery, and that’s a world of difference.”

Armahn has taken advantage of all that St. Anthony’s offers to guests, including workforce preparation, recovery services, and health care.

He is a graduate of both Fr. Alfred Center, St. Anthony’s residential recovery program, and St. Anthony’s STEPS (St. Anthony’s Employment Pathways to Stability) program which offers a series of work preparation classes from computer literacy and teamwork to time management and leadership. Building on his first job in Community Safety Services at St. Anthony’s, he’s recently taken on a new job with UPS, becoming a reliable worker who brings value to his job every day.

Among the many goals he and his Companion Wayne work on together is accountability—both personal and financial. Armahn wanted to be more involved in his young son’s life but wasn’t sure how to build a successful relationship with the boy’s mom.

“Every visit was the same struggle; we weren’t getting anywhere,” says Armand.

Together, he and Wayne came up with a plan for paying child support, paving the way for a healthier co-parenting approach that benefits everyone. 

Armahn’s growing financial stability has strengthened his credit score, his bank balance and his ability to help other family members when needed. He’s more aware of the behaviors that can lead to debt and instead he focuses on budgeting and growing the assets that will keep him in control of his future.

For Armahn and many other guests at St. Anthony’s, the journey to stability is slow but steady, built on a solid foundation of determination, companionship and the right mix of services at just the right time.

“I was ready to change,” says Armahn, “and with Wayne and everyone’s help, I’m staying on track to build a life that I can be proud of. At St. Anthony’s, they believe in me, and I believe in myself”

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