Four years ago, David Sprague was a severe alcoholic who only cared about where his next drink was coming from.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was drinking daily,\u201d Sprague says. \u201cMost of my money went to alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now Sprague, 61, is sober, taking care of himself, working part time and enthusiastically giving back to his community through the Nelson Salvation Army, which receives support from The Province\u2019s Empty Stocking Fund.<\/p>\n
It was the destruction of his apartment building in a January 2011 fire that started Sprague on his current path of recovery. After the fire, his fellow residents chose him to represent them on a number of committees aimed at helping them get back on their feet. The Salvation Army was part of those same committees.<\/p>\n
Sprague was touched that the residents had placed their faith and trust in him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took it on myself to look at my life and I started sobering up. The soberer I got, the more interested I got in getting involved in the committees,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Just over a month after the fire, Sprague quit drinking completely and began volunteering with the Salvation Army. Sprague had used the organization\u2019s services before \u2014 Christmas hampers, the food bank and thrift shop \u2014 but he\u2019d never been on the other side.<\/p>\n
Within a few months, he had a temporary part-time job that has since turned into a long-term, part-time employment as food bank coordinator and community liaison.<\/p>\n
Sprague has also become a Salvation Army soldier, making a commitment to serve his community, something he does through a number of local organizations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a very dramatic change,\u201d says Salvation Army Major Yvonne Borrows. \u201cDavid\u2019s involvement in community life has changed dramatically. He\u2019s not always using the system. He\u2019s now giving back into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sprague has been off work for a number of months due to illness, but plans to return just in time for the Nelson Salvation Army\u2019s busiest season. At the beginning of December he\u2019ll be organizing Christmas hampers, gifts for children and jingling bells next to a Christmas kettle.<\/p>\n
\u201cChristmas sometimes can be a real struggle,\u201d says Sprague. \u201cWhen I think back to how often and how many different ways they helped me before \u2026 it was inspiring to see an organization that wasn\u2019t expecting anything back for all they gave to help us. It was heartwarming to say the least.\u201d<\/p>\n
Borrows says money received through the Empty Stocking Fund helps the Nelson Salvation Army hand out around 400 Christmas hampers and deliver toys to 600 children in the West Kootenay.<\/p>\n
However, she says, it\u2019s about more than just the food and gifts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe kind of use the food as a tool to allow people an opportunity to build a relationship so they can find avenues of hope and success in their own lives,\u201d Borrows says. \u201cEverybody needs a hand up once in a while. That\u2019s what we\u2019re here for.\u201d<\/p>\n
* Story from The Province |\u00a0jensaltman@theprovince.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Four years ago, David Sprague was a severe alcoholic who only cared about where his next drink was coming from. \u201cI was drinking daily,\u201d Sprague says. \u201cMost of my money went to alcohol.\u201d Now Sprague, 61, is sober, taking care of himself, working part time and enthusiastically giving back to his community through the Nelson […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2230,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-2229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n