How Amber Locklear and St. Joseph Access Center Helped Marc Thrive
When Marc walked into St. Joseph Center’s Access Center, he was searching for a reason to keep going. Through trust, persistence, and trauma-informed care, he found stability, healing, and a place to call home.
For Amber Locklear, this story is personal.
After nearly 20 years of sobriety and a journey shaped by lived experience, she now helps people find stability through St. Joseph Center’s Access Center. Her work is rooted in the belief that recovery, housing, and healing begin when people are met with dignity and support.
Meeting Marc Where He Was
When Marc Royston walked into the Access Center in 2019, he was at one of the lowest points of his life. He was recovering from a suicide attempt and struggling to survive on the streets.
Marc began receiving meals through Bread & Roses Café and gradually connected with additional services. Like many people entering the Access Center, he needed more than housing. He needed trust, consistency, and someone willing to walk alongside him.
The Work Behind the Success
People often see the outcome and assume the journey was straightforward. Amber remembers it differently.
“People see us now, laughing and celebrating his permanent housing, and they think it was easy. It wasn’t. It was a battlefield.”
She recalls going home worried about Marc, praying for guidance, and working alongside colleagues to help him move forward one step at a time. Her own experiences helped her understand the fear, vulnerability, and exhaustion he carried.
The Access Center’s approach is simple but powerful: meet people where they are, respect their autonomy, and help them build trust in themselves again.
Choosing Joy
Today, Marc has maintained his housing, worked through trauma, and embraced a new outlook on life.
“When I look at him now, I don’t see that terrified knight looking for an attack from every angle. I see a man who has finally taken off the armor.”
Amber credits Marc’s commitment to the process. He kept showing up, even when progress felt slow.
At the same time, she worries about the future. Mental health services, housing support, and front-door resources like the Access Center remain essential for people navigating crisis, trauma, and recovery.
As St. Joseph Center marks 50 years of impact, Amber’s story is a reminder that transformation rarely happens overnight. It happens through trust, persistence, and people who refuse to give up on one another.
Note: This post has been edited for length, clarity, and narrative flow.
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