Welcome
St. John Center is an emergency day shelter and social services center located in Louisville, KY. Its mission is to create an atmosphere that encourages homeless men to envision a life of hope, take shelter, and find rest by treating each person with dignity and respect, and supporting them in addressing the problems that lead them to homelessness. This mission is accomplished by implementing three complementary programs: the day shelter and social services center, a residential recovery program for those with drug and alcohol addictions, and a permanent supportive housing program for the chronically homeless. St. John Center is where homeless men seek help, find hope, and move forward.
St. John Center Saved My Life
By: Brian Hancock
The story of Laurence “Slim” Simmons’ life does not lend itself to a few short paragraphs. The man roamed the streets for over 30 years. He has lived a life that many people would not have survived.
Though born in Louisville, Simmons grew up in Detroit, Michigan. His childhood was far from ordinary. Simmons was 14 in the summer of 1966. That was the year his parents split up. His father moved to Louisville while his mother and six siblings remained in Detroit. “I didn’t have that discipline,” he recalled. Simmons started wandering the mean streets of Motor City.
Despite his fractured family life, the 6-feet, 6-inch Simmons was a star athlete at Detroit’s Chadsey High School where he swam, played basketball and football, and ran track. In 1969 his life took another turn for the worse when his only brother died of leukemia at the age of 16.
Laurence Simmons shares his story
In 1970, Simmons was arrested for assaulting a police officer and spent several months with free room and board, courtesy of the Detroit department of corrections. Once released, Laurence moved back to Louisville looking for a fresh start.
While Laurence has certainly had to overcome a lot of obstacles in his life, he has been lucky on several occasions. For instance, he spent five years in Louisville working at Standard Gravure where he toiled alongside Joseph Wesbecker who wound up killing eight people and wounding 12 at the printing company on Sept. 14, 1989. Simmons, however, was back in Detroit on that awful day. At 17, Laurence was shot in the back just a quarter inch from his spine. He was shot again at 22 when someone put a bullet in his chest. The slug barely missed his heart but punctured a lung.
Simmons moved back to Detroit in 1977 and for the next 30 years made frequent trips back and forth between the two cities, “not working, just gambling, selling marijuana, you name it,” he admitted.
Laurence not only sold drugs but used them as well. Heroin and cocaine were among the substances he abused. There was only one period during those three decades that Simmons was not using drugs. In 1995 Laurence cleaned up his act in order to donate bone marrow to his critically ill sister. “It was the first time I had been clean in 20 or 25 years,” he said. Despite the transplant, his sister eventually succumbed to kidney failure later that year.
In 1997, Simmons moved back to Louisville. He first visited St. John Center on March 3, 1999. “I had hit rock bottom then,” he recalled, “I was sleeping in the shelters and roaming the streets.” At St. John Center, Simmons met executive director Maria Price, who informed him of the drug and alcohol program the Center offered. Simmons expressed interest, and began taking classes.
For 15 months Laurence and nine other individuals were counseled at St. John Center, St. Vincent DePaul, and Volunteers of America. Jay Fornwalt (St. John Center), James Fitzpatrick (St. Vincent DePaul), and Steve Hester (Volunteers of America) were Simmons’ case managers. “They were all pretty big influences in my life,” he said. Simmons also credited Howard Anglin at the Jefferson Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center with playing a major role in his sobriety.
Laurence has made an amazing transformation. A typical day for Simmons is a far cry from living on the streets and peddling drugs. He works the night shift at Volunteers of America, where he has yet to be late or miss a day. Now 58, Laurence has been clean and sober for three years. He is a respected member of the St. John Center Board of Directors and never misses an opportunity to speak to groups of students both at St. John Center and Crossroads Ministries, a retreat ministry of St. William Church.
St. John Center has helped Simmons attain an apartment, where he has lived for two and a half years. “They’ve given me a second chance at life,” he said. As for the future, Simmons plans to continue his new path. Beginning next year, he wants to go back to school to become a substance abuse counselor. Laurence would like to use his experience to provide guidance for others. “I’ve got a new shot at living,” he says. “I just want to help people out like I’ve been helped.”
Simmons is convinced that the day he decided to visit St. John Center was probably the best decision he ever made. “The counselors at St. John Center encouraged me. The never gave up on me. I would go so far as to say that they were responsible for saving my life,” he said.
Thanks, Laurence. That has been our mission from day one.
HATS OFF TO OUR VOLUNTEERS!
St. John Center wants to thank all of our hard working volunteers! The Volunteer Appreciation Party in April is a small way to show you our gratitude. The homeless men in Louisville rely on about 150 of you to provide 9,000 hours of service each year. Simply serving a cup of coffee or signing in a guest with humility and respect can work wonders. Keep up the good work!
Move in Day!
"I feel like I stepped onto a different planet," said Donnie Harmon who moved into his own apartment after being homeless for six years. Donnie joined five other men who jingled their keys with pride. St. John Center Case Manager Vickie Burks said, "It makes me feel good inside that these men are off the streets. What a great way for everyone to come together." The new residents received some "comforts of home" such as food, kitchen towels and blankets from volunteers.
Thomas Harper hasn't had a place of his own in three years. "It's so nice, I can't wait to kick back and enjoy," said Harper. He, like so many of the men served by the St John Center, spent countless nights on the streets or standing in line at area shelters hoping to get a warm bed for the night. All that is in the past. The men have a new way of looking at life. Safety, security, peace and quiet, pride and independence are words that have returned to describe their current life. In fact, Donnie said that his new place is FIT FOR A KING!