World Homeless Day – Gateway Linens and Disposal Services

by chrismcgregor
Categories: Divisional News
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The Salvation Army Gateway Linens and Disposal Services in Toronto is more than just a laundry, it is a way back to a normal life, one sheet at a time.

After four homeless years on the street, Leif Michaels knows the transformative power of being part of the commercial laundry and employee retraining program at Gateway Linens.

“The challenges with homelessness are food, shelter and safety – safety because you never knew when laying outside what is going to happen. The challenges are coming back to what is classified as a normal society,” Leif says.

When Leif entered The Salvation Army Gateway Shelter after those four years on the street came the realization that he needed something more to turn his life around. That something turned out to be Gateway Linens.

“Gateway Linens is about providing opportunity. So many people are so capable and have so much to offer, yet they are trapped in their circumstance of homelessness,” says Stewart King, General Manager of Gateway Linens.

“It’s important that we never lose sight of the fact that it is about people, this it is about people’s stories, their experiences and most of all, their potential. That is why Gateway Linens exists – to help people to reach their potential.”

For Leif, regardless of what happens in his life, he knows there is always a place for him at Gateway Linens.

“The message that’s always been conveyed through The Salvation Army is the sense of hope. It is about taking something that has gone awry and astray and pulling yourself back up again,” he says. “They take people at their very worse and bring them back to where they can actually walk out the door again.”

The Salvation Army and Gateway Linens is ‘More Than a Shelter.’