Former Salvation Army Shelter Resident Finds a Second Chance at Life

Overcoming addiction was the first step Kazumi Shimabukuro took to change his life. After being in and out of recovery and on the streets for some time, he joined a rehabilitation program. After completing the program, Kazumi was set up with transitional housing offered by The Salvation Army’s Belkin House in Vancouver. A place that Kazumi credits with helping to put him on the right path.

“I remember the exact date I arrived, it was Dec. 19, 2021,” Kazumi recalls. “If it weren’t for Belkin House, I would be on the streets again or dead. Or maybe even clean but totally unhappy.”

During his stay at the Belkin House, Kazumi met a couple of staff members with whom he would build trust. With Jenea and Andy’s help, Kazumi took huge leaps in his journey to improve his life. Jenea helped Kazumi find himself by encouraging him to do some reflection and work at his own pace, while Andy helped him find an apartment and explore his relationship with God.

“Thank you for my second chance at life.”

“I was getting curious about my spirituality and because I am gay, I didn’t think there was room for me in this religious community. Andy really helped me work through many barriers that I had around that.

Kazumi is supported by shelter workers Jenea and Andy.

“Jenea and Andy truly saw beauty and ability in me and kept pointing it out until I could see it myself. They supported me in every endeavour I had and celebrated everything with me, no matter how small. They truly do care a lot and want the best for everyone with nothing in return,” Kazumi said.

Since leaving Belkin House on Jan. 1, 2023, Kazumi’s life looks a lot different than when he first arrived. He has been working at a coffee shop for over a year and is now enrolled in a Psychiatric Nursing program.

Kazumi decided to go into psychiatry because he wants to help patients struggling with mental health feel like they are not alone.

“I want to make sure they know that they are safe and that they are going to be OK,” he said.

“They really care about the people that go through their doors.”

Kazumi recently revealed he had passed his first semester of college.

Despite no longer residing at Belkin House, Kazumi still meets Andy a couple times a month to check in.

“The Salvation Army is so invested in me changing my life even after leaving Belkin house. They really care about the people that go through their doors,” Kazumi said.

With things getting back on track, Kazumi now has some personal goals he wants to achieve. He wants to finish school and, down the line, hopes to travel. Being in a better place now, he also hopes to keep rebuilding his relationship with his mom.

“Thank you for the places that you have available, and for finding people like Jenea, Andy and their team that work there. Thank you for my second chance at life. Thank you for getting me to a place where my mom can say she’s proud of me. Thank you for showing me I deserve a good life and it is possible,” Kazumi wrote in a message to The Salvation Army.

By Juan Romero