A new beginning

Leah and Kimberly clearly remember the first time they came to St. Anthony’s Dining Room. It was October 2011 and they needed something to eat. “People kept telling us to ‘go to St. Anthony’s’,” Kimberly says, “but no one would tell us how to find it.”

“A lady from a shelter printed out the directions on how to get here and we’ve been coming ever since.” The ladies met on the streets, having both experienced traumatic family breakdowns, and have supported each other ever since. They describe each other as ‘sisters’, are firm friends, and have been a cheerful and very recognizable fixture of St. Anthony’s since they arrived.

“Here we can come and relax,” says Leah. “The stress just washes away and we don’t have to worry about anything or deal with the craziness.” The Dining Room is not the only place that has been a help over the years. Kimberly obtained fresh sets of clothes from St. Anthony’s Free Clothing Program after hers were stolen at a shelter. The food pantry has provided food to take away and, Leah remembers, “social workers helped us get our birth certificates.”

This is the type of help St. Anthony’s social workers are used to providing. Something as simple as obtaining a birth certificate can be extremely difficult for homeless or marginally-housed guests. But, without them, it can be impossible to access other public services.

After five grueling years – in which they have faced significant hardship – Leah and Kimberly have found housing in the Central Valley and are about to take the bus to their new home. They talk excitedly about finally having a permanent place to live but will miss their friends.

What do they like most about St. Anthony’s? Leah says it is the sense of community. “I just love the fact that St. Anthony’s makes everyone feel like part of the family instead of ‘oh, you’re just a number.’”

And, in San Francisco, that can be especially important because, she says, “most of the homeless have it in their heads that they’re just another number and that nobody cares.”

“We tell them that St. Anthony’s cares.”