Lori Creates a Brighter Future on the Pathway of Hope

With the compassionate support and guidance from The Salvation Army, Lori says she’s been saved from a life of homelessness and despair.

Lori’s challenges started at a young age when she moved with her mother to escape her abusive father. In Grade 11, she had to leave high school after becoming pregnant with her daughter, Ashley, leaving her without a high school diploma.

Lori spent the next years solo-raising her daughter, and worked diligently to ensure that all her needs were met, even above her own.

“Those were kind of rough periods when I was pregnant,” says Lori. “My mother was disappointed in me. I didn’t have a job and there was no future with the father of my daughter.”

For many years before moving to Wiarton, Lori was plagued by housing security concerns, having moved several times before eventually finding refuge at the Top Notch motel. While there, she continued to struggle with food affordability, while managing high stress levels and low self-esteem.

“I called up The Salvation Army and said I had just moved here with no money, no food and three dogs,” she says. “Before I knew it, they pulled up with food for me and for my dogs.”

When Lori learned of The Salvation Army’s services in 2020, her connection to Wiarton Community Church marked the beginning of a transformation, and the impact was immediate.

This connection would also lead her to The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope, a framework that helps participants identify priority goals while coming up with a step-by-step plan to successfully meet them and overcome individual life challenges. Lori’s caseworker, Taia Anderson-McLeod, remembers the first time she spoke to Lori and recalls this meeting being a turning point.

“Her head was hung low, and she looked very sad,” Taia says. “Lori shared some of the challenges that she’s experienced, and I felt compelled to offer my services. I could tell she needed a friend.”

To move forward, Lori set a number of goals to change her life, including finding a job, learning how to positively cope with her emotions, and exploring educational opportunities and other ways to ensure her long-term stability. Thanks to an employment readiness training program, she secured jobs at a local grocery store and as a housekeeper at a local motel, where she still lives with her three beloved dogs.

“The Salvation Army and Taia have given me back my hope, my future, and my self-esteem,” Lori says.

“They have made sure I have a roof over my head, and they have always given me moral, financial and basic needs support. They have helped me to be kinder to people, and if I have any issues going on, the minute I open that door at The Salvation Army, there’s peace and serenity.”

Lori’s recent graduation from Pathway of Hope filled her with confidence, determination, and a commitment to create a better future for herself and her daughter, including buying a house together. In a speech at the graduation ceremony, Lori says Salvation Army programs in Wiarton provide essential hope in the community, while reserving her kindest words for Taia.

“What I admire about you is that no matter what you have going on, you always listen to me, and offer an open heart,” Lori says. “It takes a strong person to look in the mirror and I admire that you held that mirror up for me. You have challenged me to look at the ugly parts of myself, but what I love about you is you never thought they were ugly.”

Lori’s journey from despair to confidence is a testament to the transformative power of support and compassion. To support initiatives like Pathway of Hope in Wiarton and across Ontario please visit www.salvationarmy.ca or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.