Mike Curran is a St. Anthony’s graduate who works full time, coaches high school baseball and speaks in public on recovery. He is writing his story and he’s trying to interest publishers. You can see his sobriety experiences and thoughts on Facebook.

I like reclamation stories. I like seeing people who thought they were nothing contributing to other people’s lives. And I like Mike Curran. So I “liked” his page.

St. Anthony’s doesn’t endorse anything in Mike’s book (which is still being written), except for the part where it’s good to get clean and sober, it’s good to use programs and build a community in order to stay clean and sober and live a better life, and it’s good to help others.

But you couldn’t find a better example of a graduate of the Fr. Alfred drug and alcohol recovery center. A look at his page would reveal a lot about what we hope people will be able to do with their lives after they’ve lived at the Fr. Alfred Center. And if you happen to “like” his page, you know that it does not necessarily reflect the views of St. Anthony Foundation. Except for the part that says that sobriety, self-respect, and service are good.

During this beautiful warm spell in San Francisco, what better way to enjoy the day and get your blood moving than a brisk walk through your neighborhood with friends? That’s exactly what members of the St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic Walking Group have been doing with the help of our fabulous Walking Group Leader and clinic staff.

The Walking Group kicked off this summer with 5 participants and took to the sidewalks of the Tenderloin and beyond. Many of our participants are patients who struggle with diabetes or weight management. Our Walking Group Leader guides patients on walking tours around the area and provides them with helpful tips for exercise, nutrition, and self-management to help patients reach their health goals.

The Walking Group has proven to be a fabulous success for our patients — and because it’s so fun, its popularity has spread throughout the Clinic! Since August, participation has more than doubled. Weekly groups are now up to 13 participants on average. Our group has walked over 500 miles in the Tenderloin community and has lost an impressive combined weight of 50 pounds!

As the group progresses, we hope to coordinate Clinic sponsored “scenic” walks around the city. It is our goal to transport Walking Group members to the lovely forested areas of the Presidio, the unique trails of Golden Gate Park, and the beautiful beach front vistas of the Marina. Many of our low-income families here in the Tenderloin struggle to get out of the neighborhood due to barriers caused by anxiety or lack of resources. By bringing Walking Group patients to experience outside communities not only will the Walking Group provide some exercise variety in life, but a unique opportunity to enjoy beauty of our city on foot!

The Walking Group is open to all patients at The Clinic — come join in at any time! For more information on meeting times and routes ask at the Clinic font desk.

Here’s a simple question with a complicated answer: Why are there so many seniors and people with disabilities who eat at the St. Anthony’s Free Dining Room?

In order to answer that question, you have to talk about SSI/SSP (Supplemental Security Income / State Supplemental Program) benefits and how they relate to hunger and poverty for low-income seniors and people with disabilities.

Here in San Francisco, there are about 45,000 low-income seniors, blind people,  and people with disabilities who receive SSI/SSP benefits.  SSI/SSP provides a very basic standard of living for people who are unable to work because of age, blindness, or disability.  Single SSI/SSP recipients receive $845 per month (93% of the federal poverty level), and couples receive $1,407 per month (115% of the federal poverty level).

SSI/SSP recipients in California are ineligible for the Food Stamp program (which has recently been renamed “Cal Fresh”).  As a result of recent budget cuts, SSI/SSP recipients have seen their benefit levels cut three times over the past two years, have lost their yearly “renters rebate” of $347.50, have had the cost of living adjustment to the state-funded portion of their grant eliminated, and have received no cost of living adjustment to the federally-funded portion of their grant in either 2010 or 2011.

Seniors and people with disabilities who receive SSI/SSP have also seen their out-of-pocket contributions to Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program increase and have lost access to dental benefits altogether.

Here at St. Anthony’s, we see many seniors who are able to afford rent in the small rooms in the single room occupancy hotels of the Tenderloin, but being able to afford food is a struggle. This struggle is explained in more detail in a recent report from San Francisco’s Food Security Task Force.

Unfortunately, Governor Brown has proposed a further reduction ($15 per month) to SSI/SSP benefit levels. If you’d like to speak out against this cut, visit our advocacy alert page.

What’s cooking this week at St. Anthony Dining Room!

Monday, January 24th – Sweet and Sour Chicken
Choice chunks of chicken in a sweet and sour sauce served over rice

Tuesday, January 25th – Navy Beans with Ham
White beans slow-cooked with turkey ham and a side of spicy greens

Wednesday, January 26th – Chef’s Choice
St. Anthony’s Dining Room turns Iron Chef as we churn out dishes made from seasonal ingredients

Thursday, January 27th – Tuna Casserole
Tasty tuna, tossed with noodles, topped with bread crumbs and baked

Friday, January 28th – Chicken Orzo with Rosemary
A dish of chicken, lemon and vegetables cooked with orzo pasta

Saturday, January 29nd – Turkey Tetrazzini
Tender turkey tidbits simmered in a sherry sauce and served over pasta

Sunday, January 30th – Firehouse Chili
Seasoned and spiced ground beef and bean chili topped with cheese

Check back for weekly installments of On The Menu!

In early November, the basement of the Free Clothing Program was empty, down to the bare cement floors. Our donors heard our cries and brought us donations to help us make it through. Then over the holidays their continued generosity, coat drives, clothing drives, and curbside dropoffs filled us to overflowing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

What’s cooking this week at St. Anthony Dining Room!

Monday, January 17th – Georgia Brunswick Stew
A delicious stew of beef, pork and turkey

Tuesday, January 18th – BBQ Beef
Ground beef simmered with a tangy BBQ sauce

Wednesday, January 19th – Arroz con Pollo
A saffron-scented Spanish spread of rice simmered with chicken

Thursday, January 20th – Black Bean Tostada
Black beans piled high with rice, slaw and cheese on a tortilla

Friday, January 21st – Chicken Tikka
An aromatic Indian recipe made with masala and vegetables

Saturday, January 22nd – Beef Tagine
Braised beef in a Moroccan menu medley with a couscous complement

Sunday, January 23rd – Chili Chipotle
Pork simmered with tomatoes, mild chilies and Mexican spices

Check back for weekly installments of On The Menu!

As the rush of the holidays grows smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror, I’d like to take this opportunity to focus on our clients this month. St. Anthony Foundation sees people from all walks of life come through out doors, and this is no less true at the Father Alfred Center (St. Anthony’s Recovery Center for Chemical dependency). Our residence come from a wide variety of backgrounds, occupations, creeds and communities. They also come with a diversity of talents. Some like to sing, some play guitar or draw pictures, and others like to write poetry.

One of our current residents has found that his love of writing has been a key component to his recovery.

“Poetry reaffirms my connection with God, I see it as a talent and a gift. Writing helps me reconnect to the person I was before my addiction. Back then I was humble, polite and creative. In addiction I was the exact opposite, always focused on getting more drugs, manipulative, and greedy. Getting back in touch with my creative side not only helps me to reaffirm the person I am, but it’s also relaxing and helps build self esteem”

Here’s a poem he wrote about his son.

He has skin the color of sand in the Sahara desert
A light caramel hue, that rises and curves around flawless bone structure,
Bright highlights of yellow and taupe
Taughtly hug bulbous cheekbones and a high Ethiopian sloped forehead
Shadows from his square jaw bones
Stretch a canvas of silk alternating with colors from burnt sienna to cocoa brown
Across his thin long neck
His lips are small wedges of ripe plums
Pale pink and purple ridges of pulp that drip sweet words and sugary laughter
That stick to and stain your heart with joy
His teeth are the white picket fence surrounding the home of his voice
Straight with small gaps between them,
Freshly painted white enamel blocks
Absorbed and securely fastened by healthy pink gums
His mouth an oral pack of Bubblelicious Bubble Gum
The soft supple skin of his cherub cheeks is velvety smooth and glistens like
Butter on a hot summer’s day,
One touch and you would mar perfection
His eyes are a divine shade of brown that are reminiscent of nutmeg mixed with
Dark Chocolate, with flecks of gold and copper lighting the brown expanse of his iris
Like stars illuminate dark matter
His eye brows are midnight black in contrast to the facial palette of earth tones
Stretching across his ocular region like a suspension bridge
Connecting vision and perception,
Like two strong black arms reaching out to cradle his view of the world
These two dark follicle lightning bolts stream boldly across a countenance
Brewing with emotions like a pre tornado sky
His hair is thick and dense like a rain forest jungle
Yet edged and neatly manicured like the edges of a mansion’s lawn

I asked the author what he felt was his favorite thing about writing,

“I like the challenge of giving my feelings and experiences form. I grew up in a family of artists. I’m very at home with creativity.”

Creativity is one of the many tools residents at The Father Alfred Center use in their journey to recovery.

Yesterday the Tech Lab was bestowed 4 volunteers from the AALS. These volunteers helped individuals in our Basic Computer Skills Class and in our Job Search Workshop. A number of our regular clients were able to create e-mail accounts and resumes, edit cover letters, and enhance their computer skills.

They may not have won the Kraft Hunger Bowl (Saturday, January 8th, 2011), but Boston College Football Team sure did win the hearts of St. Anthony Foundation guests and staff! 100 + Team members and staff poured into our doors to help serve food to hungry people. Kraft sponsors this post season game, helping to draw attention to the very serious and very real issue of hunger in our country, and to do something about it! Kraft “teamed up” with St. Anthony’s and other social services programs … sending the opposing teams – Boston College Eagles and University of Nevada Wolfpack to volunteer the day before they faced off with each other in the actual game.

Yes, the BC Eagles poured in early Saturday morning: “Little guys in front!” one of the coaching staff called out as they gathered for a photo. “Little guys?” Not!! Big & Bigger, with hearts to match! After an abbreviated orientation given to prepare the team to serve our guests with dignity and respect…the BC players donned our burgundy aprons (looking more like bibs on most of them!!!) and got to work. Coming down the ramp entrance of 45 Jones into the Dining Room—greeted this time not by a stadium of fans but by the community of our Tenderloin brothers and sisters who dine at St. Anthony’s. Like I said, they won our hearts– these gentle giants who served our guests with grace and joy! There were so many wonderful moments, but one of my favorites was when I heard the recognizable and hearty blues of one of our talented diner musicians sailing into the Dining Room from the lobby piano… I went out to look and what do I see but one of the jerseyed players pounding out the soulful jam from the keys with our guest clapping along beside! Back and forth they took turns jammin’…as smiles spread and dancing feet of guests filing in for lunch, kept time…

Two teams: one People, hungry for food, hungry for justice. No spectator sport, this cause: this “Bowl” needs and welcomes all to the table. Our appreciation to Kraft and the teams for fielding the message so beautifully!

While thousands were waiting in anticipation for Sunday’s Kraft Hunger Bowl game at AT&T park, a special pre-game huddle was taking place at St. Anthony Dining Room in San Francisco’s Tenderloin with players from Boston College.