Stories of Hope
Jolliby's Story
Jolliby left her family in the Philippines in 2023 to come to Canada and work as a caregiver. She later sponsored her husband and 3 daughters to join her and in 2024 had a little boy. Unfortunately, she has since separated from her husband and now faces the struggle of being a single mom with limited options for work. Although times are tough, Jolliby has plans and is hopeful for the future!
She is very grateful to The Salvation Army for supporting her with emergency food hampers and infant essentials over the last couple of years. Although her English is excellent, being a full-time mom far away from her extended family means that Jolliby is a little isolated and so she also really appreciates how comfortable she feels at our Community Resource Centre. She loves the welcome and encouragement she gets when she visits. For Jolliby, our staff have become like family. She has even applied to be a volunteer to help our team out.
Now working on certification, Jolliby is planning to open a Day Home soon so that she can build some financial stability while continuing to care for her family. She looks forward to being in a position where she can help others the way that The Salvation Army has helped her in the last couple of years.
Shiva's Story
After three months in our Women’s Shelter, Shiva (name changed at request of client) is excited to be moving out into a home of her own.
She came to Canada as a student and worked hard to achieve academic success as she pursued post graduate studies. Unfortunately for Shiva, a variety of things overflowed in her life all at once – exhaustion with related health concerns and issues concerning her family back in India – and it was all suddenly too much. For her own well-being, Shiva left her academic program which meant that she not only had a large amount of student debt, but she also no longer had access to student housing.
Despite this sudden change in circumstances that left Shiva vulnerable, her positive attitude has helped her work towards new goals while managing the challenges of living with a group of women, each with their own difficult stories. She comes from a family that is mostly boys and so she has enjoyed being part of our shelter community; meeting amazing women and offering kind and encouraging support where she can.
Getting healthy and planning a new future has been the focus of Shiva’s work over the last few months. She is looking for a new and simpler career path where she can use her great people skills while also taking care of her own emotional health. She is making new cultural connections in the city and is looking forward to moving out into a community where she can access familiar foods and learn to cook and further build her independence.
We have connected her to practical supports, but Shiva is most grateful for the emotional support she has received. Her time with us has allowed her to rest and listen to what her soul is searching for so that she can move forward with purpose.
Yom's Story
Yom connects frequently with our Central Outreach team and exemplifies generosity and true community. She came to Canada in 2004, fleeing the tribal warfare in South Sudan. Thankfully, Yom is housed in a small room near downtown Calgary, but since she lost her husband and has some health concerns that keep her from working, she finds connection through serving others. Yom relies on the Calgary Food Bank to help ensure she has food to eat, but she also loves to cook and frequently brings homemade treats out onto the street to share with friends experiencing homelessness whom she considers her family. For her (and for us!), caring for others is God’s work. Our team were extra blessed when Yom sang a traditional Beja song in the Bedawiyet language and others soon joined in. Although we were informed that the song talked about gratitude to our team for listening, providing supports, and offering kindness, we did not need to understand the words to see the power of community and generosity as individuals connected through shared experiences. We are glad to work alongside Yom who openly shares her own story bringing joy in the moment and hope for the future! |
Henry Joseph's Story
Henry Joseph (name changed to protect identity) arrived in Canada just 2 months ago, leaving behind his wife and 3 children as he fled dangerous ethnic discrimination in Rwanda. He has declared refugee status and is praying that Canada will allow him to stay. While he waits for government processing, he is working hard to build a new life and to put in place solutions that will hopefully someday allow him to bring his family to Canada too.
Although he misses his family, Henry Joseph is excited to be here. He arrived with very limited resources though and so has been staying in our Men’s Shelter while he diligently looks for work. His education is in IT and he has many years experience teaching computers, but he has not found work in this field. He has secured another part-time job though and is proud to have passed a mathematics and English exam that may soon allow him to participate in a trades training program for newcomers.
Recently our staff connected Henry Joseph with some Ugandan refugees who moved out together from our shelter several months ago but were looking for an additional roommate. Henry Joseph did his degree in Uganda and so this is a great fit for him; an affordable space of his own but also with cultural connection with others on a similar journey.
Thanks to support from our Shelter Diversion Program, Henry Joseph moves out this week. In partnership with the Alberta Government and the Calgary Homeless Foundation, our Shelter Diversion Program provides resources to help our shelter residents find suitable and affordable housing solutions and also offers some financial support to help with the various costs of moving out into a home of their own, so that when appropriate housing is found they can take the next step.
Henry Joseph puts his trust in God’s grace and we are happy that God has brought him to us to help him on this part of his journey.
Austin's Story
Austin is half Ojibway and half Cree, and officially part of the Longlac First Nation in Ontario, but he grew up here in Alberta in the High Prairie area. At 35, Austin has already lived through a lifetime of struggles.
Although he was fortunate to know both his birth parents and to have spent most of his life with one brother, Austin was first placed in foster care (with his brother) at the age of 3. After years of being in and out of the system and dealing with a variety of trauma and abuse, Austin found himself in some real trouble just shy of his 18th birthday and ended up serving a 6 year prison sentence.
While inside, Austin decided to do something better with his life so after his release he got married and had 2 kids – the joys of his life! – and worked hard to build that better life. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go as planned and after his marriage failed, Austin’s life became pretty messy which eventually meant living on the street with substance use issues. On top of this, he was hit by a vehicle that has left him with physical challenges and he was recently diagnosed with, and is being treater for, congestive heart failure.
Austin’s life has lots of brokenness, but he hates that sometimes that seems to be all people see. There are things he regrets, but he also remembers that he was a hard worker – gas jockey, restaurants, logging, and more; that he was (and is still trying to be!) a good dad; that he had at one time built himself a good life.
Staying in our Men’s Emergency Shelter, Austin is working on recovery and healing, and on staying busy even though he has to be cautious with physical activity. He has written a book and is doing some programming work. Austin looks forward to finding some stability in his life and being more involved with his kids.
Jeremiah's Story
Sometimes it takes courage to step into homelessness! At 35, Jeremiah was renting a room and partying with roommates when he realized the environment was no longer safe and he needed to make some changes. On Christmas Eve he decided he had to leave.
He found shelter at the Calgary Drop-In Centre and also began connecting with our staff and others at our Mobile Warming Station. With this network of support and his own hard work, Jeremiah found housing and is now looking for work.
Jeremiah is proud that he has been sober for over two months. He knew he needed to make this change because it was taking a toll on his health, was limiting his experiences, and was affecting his relationships in a negative way.
And Jeremiah is a people person! He enjoys walking along the river and he loves meeting new people and hearing their stories. He has recently been doing some writing too and entered The Salvation Army Community Services (Calgary) Poetry Contest.
We are excited for Jeremiah and the changes he his making in his life and happy to be supporting him with connection and encouragement as works towards his goals.
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Salvation Army helps more than 2.1 million vulnerable and marginalized people each year in 400 communities across Canada. With over 130 years of service in the country, The Salvation Army provides practical assistance for children and families, shelter for people experiencing homelessness and rehabilitation for those who have lost control of their lives due to an addiction.
The Salvation Army does not discriminate in the delivery of our community and social services. Anyone who comes to The Salvation Army will receive assistance based solely on their need and our capacity to help, regardless of race, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or religion. We uphold the dignity of all people, believe that all are equal in the eyes of God, and firmly oppose the mistreatment of any person.
The Salvation Army does not discriminate in our hiring process. Our hiring policy respects the non-discrimination principles of the Human Rights Codes across Canada. In addition, we adhere to all relevant employment laws, providing domestic partner benefits accordingly. Through Pathway of Hope intensive individualized supports are given for participants to achieve short and long-term goals. The approach has been designed for The Salvation Army and is suitable for use in several different service contexts. It is rooted in an integrated mission using partnership and intentional care to build and transform a community. Through dedication and focus Pathway of Hope allows The Salvation Army to increase our impact with existing resources.
We take allegations of discrimination very seriously. If you are aware of a specific situation where a person has been the target of discrimination, please let us know because this is contrary to our mission to “share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world.”