“With Struggle Comes Strength.”

September 1 marked the graduation of Andre, Jeffrey, Derek, Robert, and Robert from our Fr. Alfred Center addiction recovery program. This month’s ceremony was filled to capacity with family, friends, and staff who gathered to show support and congratulate the men.

Fr. Alfred Center holds graduation celebrations to acknowledge men who’ve completed the addiction recovery program. Our program is favored among men seeking recovery because it provides a variety of resources including, but not limited to: a safe place to live, job training resources, and a tight-knit community of men in recovery, alumni, and counselors. Adding to that, the requirements to join are minimal and the program is free, making it ideal for low-income and homeless individuals.

The year-long program is work-structured and divided into multiple phases to ensure men have access to all of the resources they need to achieve healthy lifestyles. In the first part of the program, men work in our Dining Room to get back into the groove of working a regular job. In the next phase, the men visit our Tenderloin Technology Lab to learn computer skills, build their resumes, and gain job-training advice. Residents also have access to counselors, many of whom are recovering addicts themselves, as well as support groups consisting of graduates of the program. Investing a full year into their recovery helps our graduates find long-term paths to stability.

Even though many of this month’s graduates have had tough life experiences, they’ve successfully persevered to the finish line of full recovery. As one of our graduates said, “With struggle comes strength.” Congratulations, September graduates – you did it!