Moving Positively Forward on the Pathway of Hope

Jamie admits he would not be alive if he had not met Taia Anderson-McLeod. Since joining The Salvation Army Pathway of Hope program in Wiarton in the Spring of 2021, Jamie, with Taia’s guidance, transformed his life.  Jamie was dealing with homelessness and addiction and is now substance free. His life is filled with promise for a better future. While he still has a way to go on his journey, Jamie now sees happiness in life, the importance of maintaining relationships with others and the need to come to terms with his troubled past.

“Jamie graced us with his presence when he was in a very dark place. We were very concerned for him, and I immediately felt that God was leading me to the place to offer him extra support,” Taia says.

Before joining Pathway of Hope, Jamie was a regular presence at the Salvation Army food bank in Wiarton. It was during one of these visits that Taia encountered him in the hall, and it was obvious to her that Jamie was in serious need of compassion, help and hope.

Jamie says troubles in life started at age 13, following his parent’s separation. He ended up living with his aunt and dropped out of school at age 15. He soon landed a job at a local quarry, but a workplace injury led to an increasing reliance on drugs, and he started drinking.

Between the age of 16 and 26, Jamie received treatment and counselling for his addiction, and there were periods of sobriety when his life was going well. That positive period ended when his best friend was tragically killed in a car accident, pushing Jamie back into substance abuse to work through his anguish and pain.

“That pretty much affected me all my life. He was the closest I have ever been to anybody. I had spoken to him three days prior to that and then suddenly to not have him in my life, it became a big issue for me, so I started drinking and got back into drugs again,” Jamie said.

Unhealthy relationships followed. Jamie ended up in prison for being caught with keys to a stolen truck and he continued to abuse drugs and alcohol. Following his arrest over the stolen truck, Jamie ended up at Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre in Sault Ste. Marie where he got clean and sober, just as the pandemic started to take hold of the world.

When he came to Taia’s attention, he was struggling with addiction and homelessness and lacking direction in life. Given his problems, she was not sure that Jamie was an ideal candidate for Pathway of Hope, but she never gave up on the potential she saw in him.

“For the first three months of knowing him he was heavily into his addiction. It was scary for all of us because we started to feel responsible for Jamie because he was checking in with us every day,” Taia said. “My co-workers and I also felt like we were his family at that time because he was homeless, and he did not have anywhere else to check in. He showed that he was committed to making a change.”

The first step to turning a corner was finding Jamie a place to live. The accommodation was modest, a tent at a campsite in Wiarton , but it was a start; a foundation upon which to build a productive life. Jamie continues to overcome drug addiction with the help of methadone to bring a positive perspective and control needed to move forward with focused intent.

“Addiction grips you in ways that a lot of people do not understand. Once you are addicted, it’s not that you need a drug, but you need something that gives you the same feeling,” Jamie explained.

“You want to be normal and when you are using it is a release from all the stresses of life. But that becomes a normal feeling and you do not realize how hopeless you have become until it is too late.”

It is never too late to make a change, and for Jamie that change means more than year free of drugs and alcohol. It also means a full-time job in maintenance at a local golf club, a subsidized apartment and plans to get a driver’s licence. When the golf season is over, Jamie has a lead on a job with a friend installing insulation this winter.

Jamie says he would recommend Pathway of Hope to anyone living with addiction or homelessness, or for those looking for guidance and a positive life direction.

“I like where I am in my life, and I am proud of the steps I have taken to overcome what I have been through. I would not be here if  it were not for Taia. I appreciate her for everything she has done for me and for my life. There is always someone to talk to,” Jamie says.

Taia says she has discussed with Jamie about imparting some of his knowledge and experiences by starting a local a men’s support group, offering mentorship, strength and guidance for those who are struggling with life and its challenges.

“Working with Jamie has been an absolute blessing and a privilege. It has been great to witness him decide that he was ready to work hard and make a change and to see himself as valuable,” Taia says.

“The hardest part of this was seeing a man with his head down low, and not recognizing that he was worthy of more. All it takes is a little bit of love. If we all looked at each other as valuable and if everyone had someone who believed in them, the world would be a much brighter place.”