Giving back: Author will donate book proceeds to The Salvation Army

After moving to Canada from Nigeria for a fresh start 13 years ago, a Winnipeg businessman and author is giving back to the city after establishing a life for himself and his family.

Ré Peters will launch his book, titled Your House, Your Choice, on October 1, 2016 at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson. All proceeds from the first half million copies sold will go directly to The Salvation Army.

“Growing up, my dad would tell me, ‘Ré, if a person comes to you hungry, and you give him a fish, tomorrow he’s going to come back to you, still hungry. But if you teach him to fish, he becomes self-sustaining,’” Peters says, explaining why he chose The Salvation Army as the recipient of his donation. “I wanted an organization that does more than just feed people, but helps people get back on their feet.”

Upon his arrival in Winnipeg in 2003, Peters relied on social services for nearly a year – including some shopping at The Salvation Army’s Thrift Stores – working multiple entry-level jobs while attending classes at The University of Winnipeg, ultimately graduating with a degree in Business and Administration.

“It felt more limiting than anything,” Peters says of living primarily on social services. “I just felt like there was so much more that I could do. One of my mantras that I would tell myself is, ‘Whatever is happening right now, I’m just passing through.’”

Today, he runs Alpha Properties Inc., exploring the dangers of owning an older home, offering owners anything from advice to a purchase of the home if they are in the market to sell.

“Lack of knowledge,” Peters says is the greatest danger facing home owners today. “Many times, things are happening right in front of their eyes and they don’t even know.”

Responsible for a family of his own now, Peters looks at this donation to The Salvation Army as an example his three sons can aspire to when they grow up.

“I’m trying to set a bar for my kids. To create that legacy. It’s something they can look up to, and strive for themselves.”

For more information on Peters, visit re-peters.com. Full details on the book launch are available on McNally Robinson's website.