Frankie and Laurel’s recent posts have me thinking . People die of curable diseases because they can’t afford the cure. Even in San Francisco they die. I know such a person.

Years ago, when I helped coordinate the adult religious education class in my church, we had to deal every year with the question of theodicy. Why does God let bad things happen to good people? Who is bad enough to deserve death by starvation, plague, earthquake, tsunami?

It’s an old and difficult question. But it gets a lot easier when you eliminate the long list of “natural” disasters that are caused or made much worse by the conscious decisions of human beings.

Examine the list of famines caused by war: burning of fields, mining of rice paddies, troops fighting in large open spaces where the crops are grown.  Study the plagues caused by the intentional contamination of a people’s water supply to force surrender in war or the unconscious contamination by people upstream who have no choice about what they put into the water for the people downstream because they have no other means of washing and dumping. The knowledge and resources exist, but the political will does not.

Earthquakes, of course, are natural. But the disaster is often man made. In Afghanistan, poor neighborhoods were devastated while wealthier neighborhoods incurred very little damage because buildings in poor neighborhoods were flimsy while buildings in other neighborhoods were earthquake resistant.

As Frankie and Laurel point out, it’s not the disease, it’s not even lack of healthcare; it’s lack of access to healthcare.

The United States suffers from the disease of poverty. In our business, we often see the causes of poverty listed as “lack of job skills, lack of work history, physical disability, mental illness, alcoholism and addiction.”

But these are not the causes of poverty. The causes of poverty are lack of job training, lack of job mentorship, lack of accommodation and training for people with disabilities, lack of residential recovery programs, lack of services and supportive housing for people with mental illness, lack of affordable housing for the underemployed.

Why don’t we have enough of these things? Is it because we can’t afford them? In the United States? In CALIFORNIA? As a homeless activist I used to know said, “This is not a poor country. Someone is making a decision.”

We need to re-examine that decision. We need new priorities.

California’s $24 billion budget deficit and the cuts being proposed in by Governor Schwarzenegger are of much concern to the folks at St. Anthony’s. While St. Anthony’s does not accept any government funding for it’s programs and services the impact will be felt hard here. Our guests will have less support in their communities and our programs and their staff will serve even more people to make up for the closure of near by services.

One program we’re already seeing a demand for is Father Alfred Center, our year-long drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. Many of the men who come to Father Alfred Center for help are participating in Proposition 36, the 2001 California voter approved law that defers first time drug offenders to substance abuse treatment instead of prison.

Yesterday the Budget Conference Committee in Sacramento voted to stop funding Prop 36 entirely. If approved by the Assembly and State Senate many programs that are qualified to provide treatment will close.

This does not mean that those first time offenders would go to prison instead as Prop 36 is not a program, but a California law. This prevents judges from placing first time offenders in prison as they must defer to treatment.  If this cut is approved it would mean they would neither receive treatment or prison.

Those unable to pay for treatment themselves will have to wait in even longer lines, longer than the three months many are waiting now. Many will die of addictive illness while waiting to get help.

We’ve recently added more beds to Father Alfred Center in preparation, but it won’t make up for all the other beds in programs that could possibly close.

Today scanning through the weekend’s pile up of emails I came across an interesting article from the Foundation Center’s Philanthropy News Digest reporting on a recent study that reveals America’s poor are the most charitable demographic per capita.

“The poorest one-fifth of American households contributed an average of 4.3 percent of their income to charitable organizations in 2007, while the richest fifth donated 2.1 percent of their income.”  This statistic from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is not terribly shocking.  When someone has personally experienced how valuable each dollar is in making it out of the red that month, or to finding food that day, shelter that week, it is understandable that they would be compelled to in turn help someone else when they are in a position to do so.

Working at St. Anthony Foundation I have seen generosity and compassion in places that I would have never expected it.  Recently our Social Work Center was paid a visit from a former guest, who nine years ago received rental assistance to secure housing.  This time the visit was to repay that amount and hopefully help someone else get on their feet.  There a many other stories like this one, men who have come through the Fr. Alfred Center drug and alcohol recovery program returning to bring food for the Dining Room, or guests from the Dining Room returning to volunteer.

While, yes, there is clearly concern to be raised over the point of the wealthier strata donating less comparatively, it is none the less heartening to read and bear witness to stories of community and compassion especially in these toughest of times.

By combining affordable housing with services, supportive housing allows low-income and formerly homeless people to live stable, dignified lives. Supportive housing is especially beneficial for people with serious health issues that may contribute to chronic homelessness: issues like substance abuse, mental illness, or HIV.

It is very important to remember, especially in difficult budget times, is that the support service component in supportive housing is just as important as the housing component. Unfortunately, one of the budget balancing strategies that San Francisco is considering this year is to remove some of the supportive services from supportive housing programs. On April 22,  St. Anthony Foundation joined together with agencies who provide supportive housing to speak to the Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee about the importance of supportive services in supportive housing.

St. Anthony’s was glad to support our friends in the supportive housing community as they pointed out that supportive housing saves money by helping formerly homeless people avoid evictions, shelters and expensive emergency services. The employment, money management, counseling, and health services provided in supportive housing help keep people housed while promoting dignity and respect and preventing unnecessary spending on emergency services.

A cost-saving program that helps promote dignity and respect while allowing some of San Francisco’s most vulnerable residents a safe secure place to live and receive services? That should be something that everyone should agree is a good investment!

Personal And Economic Recovery

Larry’s hand moves over the men’s coat rack with the same articulation he uses in conversation– thoughtful, astute, measured, and gentle.

“Nice fabric. A little big, I can tell already,” he notes, as his hand pauses on one crisply hung jacket before making its way to the next. The afternoon light spills across racks of clean, well cared for trousers, shirts, jackets, and shoes in St. Anthony’s Clothing and Housewares’ bright retail-like store, where no money is exchanged but where thoughtfully donated clothing is made available for free to those in need of an interview outfit, a warm coat, or just a clean set of clothing. Our program supplies free clothing, appliances, and linens to thousands of people each year. In 2008 alone we provided more than 29,000 guests like Larry with a wardrobe to suit the paths they are forging.

Larry’s story is one of the many of those who are trying to piece their lives together in a difficult economy with the overlapping challenges of unemployment, addiction, and affordable housing shortages. Many city services vital to help people get back on track have been reduced or made unavailable altogether as a result of federal, state, and city budget cuts. For those whose challenges have frayed their lines of familial support, the integrated service-sites that address these compounded obstacles are more needed than ever.

Six months ago, Larry was sleeping in the bus terminal at night and making his way to the St. Anthony Dining Room in the day for what was often his only meal. A veteran of the hotel catering business, he had worked at the same hotel for ten years, beginning with waiting tables, and progressing to convention show management, planning, and setup. While his professional career flourished, his personal life became more challenging. As his 15 year relationship dissolved, he fell into a spiral of drinking binges and a deep depression. Soon he was unable to maintain employment, friendships, or hope.

The day he saw a sign at St. Anthony’s for a program that could help him with his drinking, he had a glimmer of hope. He enrolled in the Father Alfred Center for recovery from alcohol addiction, started volunteering in the Dining Room, and was able to contribute his hospitality industry experience to the St. Anthony Dining Room meal service. Six months later, he is ready to re-enter the job market.

“I immediately started feeling more like my own self, like I could do something. Sleeping at the bus station wasn’t OK, and I had something to offer.”

This is Larry’s second week in his job search after spending a month preparing resumes and honing his interview skills at the Employment Program and Technology Lab (a partnership with Network Ministries) and six months in St. Anthony’s Father Alfred Center drug and alcohol recovery program. While the Father Alfred Center helps men in recovery develop life and employment skills, at three times the drug and alcohol recovery success rate of other city recovery programs, available jobs in the San Francisco metroarea are down by 3,000 since last year. Unemployment in San Francisco is nearly double what it was in 2008 making the competition for jobs tighter than ever. While lining up the steps to regain employment, low- and no-income jobseekers have an additional obstacle: obtaining “hire me” clothes on a strict budget. With the help of the Clothing and Housewares Program Larry now has in his possession an interview outfit that will signal to a prospective employer his readiness to be a reliable, valued employee.

As he selects a camel-colored jacket and tan trousers, Larry reflects on the feeling of hope that he has for his job search. He eyes the subtle pattern in a dress shirt, pressing it against the jacket before folding a tie across the top of both.

“I’m really hopeful and encouraged with what I’ve seen so far. It’s only been a week, but right now I’m OK. I’m taking it slow, I’m out there every day, either online or knocking on doors or printing resumes.”

Subscribe to the St. Anthony Foundation YouTube Channel and watch more first hand the stories from St. Anthony’s guests and clients.

Many people think of poverty programs as schools or hospitals. Poor people come to the program, they use the tools they are given, they graduate from poverty. They find the cause of their poverty, they are cured.  The next group comes in.

At St. Anthony’s we have thousands of guests who do graduate. They learn new skills or they learn to speak English. They get clean and sober or they get health insurance. They find a job that will allow them to live independently.

But many of our guests face multiple barriers to participating in society. They live with both physical disabilities and mental health problems. They struggle with an addiction and they struggle with illiteracy. They are elderly, which is not a disease and has no cure.

These are the guests we hope to keep connected to our programs, not to graduate. If they keep coming back to St. Anthony Social Work Center, they can access benefits and keep the stable housing we’ve helped them find and get help managing their limited incomes. If they keep coming to the Free Medical Clinic, they can get help managing a chronic illness and get medication on the spot, so they don’t forget to take it. If they remain in the Madonna Senior Residence, they can built strong relationships with other residents and blossom anew by aging in place.

These are the guests we hope will stay in community with St. Anthony Foundation. Their lives will become more stable; they may even become more self-sufficient. But their strength lies in staying together, not in “graduating.” And by remaining in community here, they make our community strong.

Former San Francisco Giants pitcher Frank Williams died last week at the age of 50 from a heart attack.

In his prime Williams appeared in 333 games in the majors. He was 24-14 and 3.00 ERA during the span of his career.

In the later part of his life Frank, a man suffering with the disease of alcoholism, was appearing in homeless shelters and detox centers across the the United States and Canada.

A sad reminder that not even our heroes are immune to homelessness.

Reality Is That Donation Are Still Needed

SAN FRANCISCO, CA December 18th, 2008 St. Anthony’s is still glowing from the gift of $35,000 and set of new Technology Lab computer monitors from Gurbaksh Chahal, “secret millionaire”, as recently featured on Fox network’s new reality show by the same name. But with December marking the highest one-week filing rate of unemployment claims in the last 26-years, and the temperature dropping daily, St. Anthony’s is still stretching to meet the demand of those seeking food, warm clothing, and medical care.

To help meet the need, St. Anthony’s is preparing for its 21st anniversary of St. Anthony’s Curbside Holiday Drive. St. Anthony Foundation staff and volunteers, wearing easily identifiable red jackets, will take delivery of food, clothing, and monetary donations at curbside, so donors won’t even have to leave their cars. Donated items are distributed free of charge to San Francisco’s most needy residents.

“Whether you drive a Lamborghini or a Toyota, donations are critical to meeting the need this holiday season. In November we served 14% more meals in our Dining Room than November of  last year. We have 40% more people coming to our Free Medical Clinic than this time last year. And our Clothing Program has been unable to serve all the families that are coming to us for warm clothing,” noted St. Anthony Foundation Executive Director Fr. John Hardin.

St. Anthony Foundation’s programs help heal individuals and families by providing a gateway for solutions to poverty, including a Dining Room which serves 2600 meals every day, a free Clothing and Housewares program, an Employment Program/ Technology Lab,  Residential Drug and Alcohol Recovery Program, and a Free Medical Clinic. St. Anthony Foundation does not accept any federal, state, or local government money for its programs, and is entirely funded by private donations.

Last Wednesday David Sheff, author of “Beautiful Boy” came down to St. Anthony Foundation’s new home at 150 Golden Gate Avenue to talk to staff and residents of The Father Alfred Treatment Center. David shared his experience, strength and hope with the St. Anthony community in his son’s trials and triumphs in dealing with the disease of alcoholism and addiction.

He brought up a many valid points that got me to thinking: We’ve known addiction is a clinical disease since 1935. For 65 years, prior to the passage of Proposition 36 in 2000, California imprisoned people for having a chronic and debilitating disease that has no known cure without an alternate option for treatment. California currently spends approximately $80 per person per day on incarcerating inmates. St. Anthony Foundation’s Rehabilitation Programs are $25 a day. Untold billions of dollars have been spent giving sick individuals extended “time outs” that have done nothing to address their illness.

The disease of addiction can, however, be arrested and go into remission. We’ve been helping people along their path in recovery since 1951, allowing participants up to a year to learn, grow, and heal in a safe and supportive environment.