When Arlene gave birth to her daughter, Lauren, in May 1986, she knew something wasn’t quite right. After a series of tests, Lauren was diagnosed with having partial trisomy 13, a chromosome disorder that causes severe intellectual disability and many physical abnormalities. “We went to her pediatrician who said the best thing you can do  […]

“I want people to know that they’re not powerless when it comes to bipolar disorder,” says Harriet, 53. “I have a strong support system that includes The Salvation Army. But I wasn’t always healthy and happy.” Sixteen years ago Harriet came to The Salvation Army’s Parent Child Resource Centre in Kitchener, Ont. “I was a  […]

When Michelle fled an abusive relationship, she was pregnant with her daughter and hid in a women’s safe house for six months with her toddler son. When she moved into an apartment, she couldn’t afford food and reached out to The Salvation Army for help. “I was beaten down and looking for a place to  […]

Jay Barnard, best known as Chef Recovery, recently returned to the scene of his redemption, the Ottawa Booth Centre. He came to thank The Salvation Army for his recovery and to humbly celebrate 10 years of sobriety. A Life Out of Control Ten years ago, on Feb. 11, 2008, Jay checked into The Salvation Army’s  […]

Thirty-year-old Cory nearly died from a suicide attempt. After weeks in hospital, he googled “recovery centres.” That’s when he came across the website for The Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope in Halifax. “Without The Salvation Army I’d either be in an institution or dead,” says Cory. “I am grateful to everyone who has assisted me.”  […]

Fifty-two-year old Tony was a successful restaurant owner who went from living in a high-end apartment to sleeping in a cardboard box on the streets. Today he has a roof over his head, goals for the future and shares his story to offer hope to others who may be facing their own challenges. “My problems  […]

When Robert, 54, was first released from prison, he had nowhere to go and found himself living on the streets for two years. Now, thanks to support from The Salvation Army’s Booth Centre in Ottawa, he is living in his own apartment, making changes in his life and focusing on his future. “I was sick  […]

Zach Blyth, 19, knows what it means to struggle in school. Feeling like he didn’t belong was always tied to a powerful internal dialogue that said he’d never succeed in life. But The Salvation Army’s Hospitality Program in Wiarton, Ont., changed that by turning his doubts into self-confidence and, today, he has dreams, goals and  […]