St. Ignatius Immersion Group: A New Adventure

Full of anticipation and uncertainty, our immersion group met our hostess, Celina, last month at the St. Anthony Foundation. Although we didn’t know what to expect, we were excited to assist the residents of the Tenderloin and the St. Anthony’s community.

We learned that the TL, although only 25 square blocks, is densely populated by about 20,000 people, many of whom struggle with addictions and mental illnesses. We first headed to the Free Clothing Program, where we hung and organized clothing before meeting up with Celina to collect our lunch tickets and line up with the rest of the guests on Golden Gate Ave for lunch. We waited until they called our number, proceeded to the Dining Room, and then enjoyed a delicious meal of orange ginger chicken and yellow rice.

While dining, we met some wonderful guests.  Steve, who actually grew up near SI, counseled us to stay in school while Luis, a resident of the Father Alfred Center, spoke about his addiction and recovery process.

Celina’s parting advice at the end of the day was, “We may not know what it’s like to be homeless or addicted, but we do know what it means to be human.”  Perfect words to close the first day of a new adventure.

Each summer St. Ignatius High School spends a two week immersion with St. Anthony’s, serving our guests and learning about the issues they face.  This blog series will continue with reflections that SI students and their leaders shared on the last day of their immersion adventure.