Recognizing A Teacher

The first Wednesday of each month is a special day at St. Anthony’s : it is the day that our drug and alcohol rehab program, the Father Alfred Center, celebrates graduation. After spending 12 months of hard work to get and stay clean, graduation allows us to recognize the accomplishments of our Fr. Alfred Center participants while acknowledging that their recovery will continue after they leave.

Each of the St. Anthony Foundation departments who work with the Father Alfred Center participants makes a brief presentation as a part of the graduation ceremony. This month, it was my turn to speak for my department, the Justice Education, Volunteer, and Advocacy program, also known as JEVA.

I used my presentation as an opportunity to acknowledge how important the Father Alfred Center participants are to JEVA. Father Alfred Center participants speak with each of our student volunteer groups, sharing their personal stories about addiction and recovery. By sharing their stories with our volunteers, our Father Alfred Center participants are educators. Their stories are often painful; however, one person’s story of addiction and recovery, painful as it may be, is a great gift to our volunteers.

Hearing a personal story gives our student volunteers a chance to understand some of the social, economic, emotional, and spiritual factors that shape the experience of the disease of addiction. The stories of any of our St. Anthony Foundation guests, though very personal, underscore our common humanity; that is why they are so powerful at breaking stereotypes and at helping people understand a complex social problem.

This month’s graduate did more than just educate our volunteers. He also participated in Hunger Action Day in Sacramento this past spring. In fact, a group of folks from Father Alfred Center joined St. Anthony Foundation staff, volunteers, guests, and other community members for this statewide lobby day aimed at ending hunger.  I reminded our graduate that not only did he use his story to educate our student volunteers, he also educated our elected officials and policy makers in Sacramento.  Father Alfred Center participants described how hunger issues affect people recovering from addiction and called on our lawmakers to support legislation that would allow people in recovery to be able to access anti-hunger programs like Food Stamps.  By being storytellers, our Father Alfred Center participants were teachers and advocates.

Everyone’s story is important because everyone’s life is important.  Sharing our stories with others helps us transcend the sadness, pain and suffering that we have experienced.  But sharing our stories is more than just a cathartic experience:  sharing our stories can help us move toward a more just society!