This is your chance to cheer on the Billikens and help people experiencing homelessness stay warm this winter. Bring new or gently used cold weather gear—like coats, hats, scarves, gloves, or blankets—and you’ll receive FREE entry to the game as a thank you.

On February 28, 2024 we celebrated the life and legacy of our friend and co-worker Lana Watson. Beyond the walls of St. Patrick Center, she was a guiding light, leaving and indelible mark on the lives she touched. Her journey was one of dedication, resilience, and a commitment to creating a better world for those experiencing homelessness.

Lana’s friends and colleagues describe profound moments and simple pleasures.

St. Patrick Center Opens St. Louis City’s First, Comprehensive 24-hour Safe Haven, Grace House Grace House, the city’s first, comprehensive, low-barrier, 24-hour Safe Haven, provides safety, security, and wrap-around services for those who may struggle to be successful in a traditional shelter environment.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. This proverb embodies the work St. Patrick Center does for their clients”, says Brian, Co-Chair of St. Patrick Center’s Board of Ambassadors.

The City of St. Louis is changing strategies to open more beds than last winter though they will not be available until Dec. 1.

"We need to do better as a community. We just do," St. Patrick Center CEO Anthony D'Agostino said. Standing among small pockets of melting snow, D'Agostino said this is a particularly crucial time of year for the unhoused. "I'm very concerned for the people who are literally outside because this is when it gets scary, it gets dangerous," he said.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - For days now, the St. Louis region has seen freezing temperatures and many are left out on the streets without shelter. For years, the St. Patrick Center has been vying for money to open a more permanent home for the unhoused. Now, they’ve got it and are opening apartments for the homeless to transition back to everyday life.

Both City Hope St. Louis and the St. Patrick Center are in desperate need of food and winter clothes.

"The cold really affects our clients. I mean, obviously, if you're unhoused, and you're outside, it is more difficult, and it can be more challenging," she said. While that's the case every year, Laumeyer said, this winter is different. "I've been at St. Patrick Center for seven years, and this is the first time that we are seeing that our supplies, such as our pantry or those winter weather items, are going so quickly," she said.

One of St. Patrick Center’s longest-running programs, Women’s Night Program, provides emergency shelter, daily meals, and access to shower and laundry services to women experiencing homelessness.

St. Louis real estate agent, Dan Brassil, is on a mission to help St. Patrick Center provide stable housing opportunities to more people in our community.

On Thanksgiving, as many eat around a table or hang out with family, others don't have the same opportunity on their own. Thanks to volunteers and generous organizations, they could still have a holiday to remember.

Benz leaves plenty of time and energy for St. Patrick Center, where she has volunteered for more than 20 years. She serves on the board of directors, chaired the 30th anniversary Casserole Mass and has helped in many other ways, including as Gala chair for the Irish Open fundraiser.

Photo by Colter Peterson, cpeterson@postdispatch.com

St. Patrick Center runs clean, safe indoor encampment for people who are unhoused.

“Essential asset for the safety and protection of women in the city of St. Louis.”–Mayor Tishaura Jones

St. Louis Public Radio features Women’s Night Program.