Recognizing 50 Years of Haymarket Center

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today when you look at Chicago's West Loop neighborhood, you will see new lofts and condominiums, trendy restaurants, and many people moving in. But 50 years ago, it was one of the poorest parts of Chicago. It used to be called ``Skid Row'' and was crowded with warehouses and boarded-up businesses. Not much of that past is left there today, except for a few brick buildings and Chicago's largest addiction and mental health treatment facility, Haymarket Center, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

When Haymarket Center was founded in 1975, not many people would venture to the West Loop. Many locals were experiencing addiction and alcoholism, and the stigmas surrounding those diseases were devastating. At the time, the sentiment in America was that addiction was a personal failure. Those who suffered from addiction were cast out of society, isolated from their families, and denied the treatment they so desperately needed. Instead of being sent to hospitals, they would be sent to jails.

However, there was one man willing to venture to Skid Row. He had rosy Irish cheeks and a slight limp, and he was committed to helping those who had no one else to care for them. His name was Monsignor Ignatius McDermott, but we all knew him as Father Mac. Father Mac was a friend of mine; he was a model of compassion, commitment, and service.

He began his path to addiction treatment at Maryville Academy, an orphanage in a suburb 25 miles west of Chicago. Father Mac was only 25 when he started working at Maryville, and there, he saw how many children were affected by their parents' addiction. When he had to make a home visit, he often would venture to Skid Row and see the plight of those living there. These experiences drove him to move to Skid Row in 1946 to help people beat their addiction. Almost every night, Father Mac would walk up and down the streets of Skid Row looking for someone to offer encouragement.

That was something I always respected about Father Mac. While so many people would pick up the pace or cross the street to avoid someone who may be sick with addiction, Father Mac would slow down and stop to see what he could do to help.

As Father Mac served Chicago's West Loop, he began to realize that addiction needed to be treated like the disease it was. That realization was shared by a renowned surgeon and psychiatrist Dr. James West, who had his own struggles with addiction. Together, these two men founded Haymarket House, which would go on to become Haymarket Center.

The opening of Haymarket Center was a turning point in Chicago's approach to addiction treatment. In thinking about the mission that inspired these two men, I am reminded of something Father Mac would say. ``The Master is kindness . . . It is the only language in the world that the deaf can hear, the blind can see, that the mute can speak.'' And kindness is embodied throughout Haymarket Center's operations. It was one of the first places in Chicago where people in the throes of addiction could go and be treated with love, not judgement.

Fifty years later, that guiding light has not changed. Haymarket Center still is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is a beacon of hope, ensuring our most vulnerable have access to critical services regardless of their income or background. Haymarket Center has grown to treat more than 12,000 patients a year and offers 30 specialized addiction and recovery programs in support of its mission. These programs also support job training and mental health counseling for patients, helping to address the root causes of suffering and providing patients with a path forward. Haymarket Center continues to push our understanding surrounding addiction into the future, recognizing the role that poverty and trauma play in addiction.

I and so many other of Chicago's representatives have seen the impact Haymarket Center has on our community. That is why, throughout my time in Congress, I have worked to secure resources and change Federal policies to help the healers at Haymarket Center fulfill their mission.

I want to thank Haymarket Center's current CEO Dr. Dan Lustig for his work in ensuring Haymarket continues to live up to Father Mac's vision. Dr. Lustig's leadership has kept Haymarket at the forefront of addiction treatment amidst the opioid epidemic and mental health crisis.

While Father Mac is no longer with us, his legacy lives on through Haymarket Center. I join people across the Chicagoland area in congratulating Haymarket Center for 50 years of incredible work, helping those who had no one else to turn to, and treating everyone who walked through its doors with kindness.

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