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The Best Gift for Father’s Day
June 11, 2025
Chris knows he wasn’t always there for his kids; the past isn’t something he can change. But his focus right now is deciding which park he’ll take them to on the weekend. He knows they’re going to demand their own music as soon as they get in the car. Plus, they’ll have ideas about what to eat and what they want dad to grill.
It’s a new routine Chris loves, and a far cry from his former life. For decades, his addiction fueled an endless cycle of car theft, drugs and incarceration that consumed his life. He tried many times to get clean but kept falling backwards despite his best effort. “That lifestyle—it pulls at you,” he says. It was frustrating. And dangerous. And he knew it would end his life if something didn’t change.
Chris was no stranger to St. Anthony’s. He had tried recovery with that support before. But on his third try, he says he realized “…the insanity of doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” This time around when he was accepted into St. Anthony’s residential recovery program at Father Alfred Center (FAC), he made an active commitment to his recovery and promised to take every class, follow every suggestion, and do all the work necessary to stay clean.
It was the classes and the companionship that made the difference. “For the first time, I heard how my mind was working against me,” he says. The workshops and discussions were life-changing as participants dug in to their old behaviors and learned new strategies for responding in a healthier way.
Chris loved comparing notes with Erik, a solid presence at FAC and a mentor in the Companionship Program. The companionship model of care partners a dedicated companion with each person in St. Anthony’s recovery program. Companions like Erik bring their own lived experience, guidance and compassion to the program—something Chris felt immediately.
“Even when I kept trying and messing up again and again, Erik never judged me. He’s like, okay bud, let’s get back to work. They say he’s a Companion, but he goes way above and beyond.”
Now graduated from the recovery program, Chris works a steady job as a Security Safety Monitor at Glide Memorial Church just a few blocks from St. Anthony’s where the faces and the stories are familiar. He and Erik still talk weekly, often about helping another at-risk individual who Chris thinks might benefit from St. Anthony’s recovery program.
“You need to build a life, and it’s not overnight,” Chris says. “The things I’ve learned… about anger management, mental health, staying resilient… I didn’t know any of that. And to bring what I’ve learned in to being a better father… it’s amazing.”
As Father’s Day approaches, Chris smiles thinking about his life today. Although the time he spends with his children always seems too short, he’s happy to be back in their lives. He and his partner are expecting a new child this summer, an exciting event which they’ll celebrate clean, sober and together in the quiet home they share.
From St. Anthony’s residential recovery program to workforce development, the free clothing program, the medical clinic and more, guests like Chris find the integrated care and resources they need to restart their lives. With most of the organization’s services available at the same “one-stop” location in the San Francisco Tenderloin, barriers to critical help are eliminated while whole-person care is possible.
Chris says he’s always paid attention to what his heart tells him, and when he was at his lowest, “…sick and tired of being sick and tired…,” he knew his connection to St. Anthony’s was the way forward. “They understood where I’d been, but they never gave up on me.”
Still a work in progress, Chris’s relationships with his family, his friends and his children continue to heal. The Honda Civic he drives may not be as fast and furious as some other cars he’s known, but it fits his kids and all their stuff just fine.
In the meantime, there’s a menu to plan for Father’s Day. He’ll bring all the ingredients to a park the kids choose and serve up a lunch that he grills on the spot with his special carne asada, corn tortillas, homemade salsa and chips.
“The food makes them happy,” Chris says, “but more than that, we’ll be together. What a gift.”
A special Happy Father’s Day to Chris and all the dads at St. Anthony’s!
Support the services that make hope, stability and renewal possible by joining us at the 75th Anniversary Luncheon on August 21st. Information and tickets here.
