St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco Rosalie House

1. 

   Anne

   Apr 26, 2021Reply

   I contacted the Riley Center seeking shelter from severe domestic abuse in late 2018. It was the worst experience I have ever had with a "charity" and compounded my trauma 10-fold. I was placed in a room with 2 roommates who bullied me relentlessly. Instead of changing me to a different room so I could avoid these two women (who obviously previously knew each other and had ganged up on me as a way to deal with their life's frustrations) the staff told me they couldn't help me and that I had to stay put, even though multiple rooms in a large house were sitting empty and unused. The staff could never be reached by phone, even in case of an emergency. One of the women had locked me out of the bedroom and had refused to let me get my things and proceeded to lock me out of the house in short order (for no other reason than they wanted someone to pick on). My caseworkers remained absent almost entirely, never answered my calls for help when things got out of hand, and when I finally got a supervisor on the phone I was already in tears and on the street with my bags with no employee in sight to help manage the situation. I am currently severely ill and going downhill fast. My doctors have informed me that the my life's traumas greatly contributed to it and the place that promised to help me, but unceremoniously abandoned me to the streets right before nightfall I consider no exception. I attempted suicide 3 times in the few months following my brief stay at Rosalie House. If I could sue your establishment for gross negligence I would. However, the times we are living in and my current state of health make that entirely pointless for me to pursue at this juncture. Just your knowing what happened to me under your "care" and supposed "compassion" will suffice. I will never forget the way your staff treated me and what you did to me when I was at my lowest. Your promises and assurances of safety were worth zilch. You took me in and then exacorbated an already sensitive situation and let the girls who tormented me walk away scott free and justified in their horrid and juvenile behavior. I will never forget it. And I hope this serves as a reminder so you never do either. Thank you.

Rate this Shelter