Breeze’s Home Away from Home

“Home is what you make it”. This is a famous saying you might have heard before. It implies that a home is not necessarily tied to a location, but rather to the people around you. For Breeze Mitchell, home is The Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope in Port Hardy, B.C.

Breeze was introduced to the Army in 2019. She and her fiancé Marlin were struggling with addiction at the time and as a result, they ended up homeless. Every day Marlin would walk kilometers to receive assistance at the Centre of Hope.

“I was introduced to The Salvation Army on a different level, hot lunches, we would come down for food vouchers or our clothes vouchers, food hampers, stuff like that to help us when we were extensively into our addictions,” Breeze said.

Aside from the basic assistance, Breeze also got a chance to get acquainted with the Centre of Hope’s Executive Director, Michael Winter. Breeze credits Michael with always being there for them to talk and to teach them about God.

“I kept coming back to The Salvation Army and I sought out the people that I knew I was safe with.”

As time went on things improved a bit temporarily. Breeze left her addiction behind and got a job to try to get back on her feet. Breeze and Marlin were planning to get married and get joint bank accounts. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a new beginning, ended in loss. In March 2022, Marlin passed away due to complications with COVID-19.

“It devastated me, it took me out of my element. I was suicidal,” Breeze shared.

After Marlin’s passing, things were difficult for Breeze. She once again struggled with addiction, but now she also had the added weight of grief. For the next few months, Breeze would constantly visit The Salvation Army. Michael would pray with Breeze, something she says helped her control her sorrow. She is grateful for the emotional support she received from the Army.

“I kept coming back to The Salvation Army and I sought out the people that I knew I was safe with, the people that would pray for me and with me. Michael was instrumental in so many ways he was like an older brother,” Breeze said.

Thanks to her caseworker, Breeze was able to get housed at he Centre of Hope, and she also received assistance to overcome her addiction. She is currently three months sober. She credits her faith in God as a great tool to help her remain clean.

“This is a home away from home for me, and it is for a lot of other people as well.”

In the coming weeks, Breeze will have ankle surgery. Although she is anxious, she at least has the confidence of knowing the staff at the Centre of Hope will be there to assist her in her recovery.

“This is a home away from home for me, and it is for a lot of other people as well,” Breeze said.

Although she plans to patiently recover, Breeze is also already planning her future. When she feels ready to leave the Centre of Hope, she plans to spread the word of God across the province.

“I want to go to other Salvation Army locations, I want to preach the Word of God, and I want to be able to volunteer.”

The Centre of Hope in Port Hardy in partnership with Island Health offers mental health and addiction services to their guests.

By Juan Romero