Respect

“My name is Karen Parenteau, and I am the mother of a recovering addict, Michael Hendrickson. It was not long ago my son was living on the streets of St. Paul. He has come through a long and dark journey to where he is today. The Listening House was my son’s greatest source of support during his struggle. The staff always treated him with respect, dignity, and encouragement. They were never judgmental, and the hope they instilled to Michael led him to his path of recovery.”

“My name is Michael Hendrickson and I have been sober since September 13, 2003. I want to thank the Listening House so much. They were always there for me and never turned their back on me. The staff always had a clear message for me regardless of my addiction and homelessness, I was still a person who was not disposable. When I was homeless, my only concern was survival. Normal life for me was panhandling for my next fix, starving, looking for food, and at times being dangerously cold. Luxury to me was a warm meal, dry socks, and a place to lay my head on. The Listening House provided these luxuries and so much more. If it were not for their compassion and spirit of hopefulness, I believe I would be on the streets of St. Paul or, perhaps no longer alive.”