Salvation Army Shelter Provides Healing and Hope
Louise Victor Hanne worked for many years as a law clerk, dabbled in local politics and is a published writer. She had a full life before unfortunate circumstances led to housing instability.
“I was forced by life’s issues to be at different shelters—about 20 different ones per year. With that reality, I was not thinking about planning a decent future. I just wanted to simply learn how to survive,” she says.
Louise Victor went to The Salvation Army’s L’Abri d’espoir in Montreal after living on the streets and relying on shelter call lists to find a place to sleep each night.
Most of these shelters had limited stays, so when she found L’Abri, she also found a space that gave her time to heal and find more stability.
“Being at L’Abri d’espoir was impressive,” Louise Victor said. “The place was clean, there were no problems with drugs or alcohol. I felt safe and willing to plan for a better future there.”
“I felt safe and willing to plan for a better future there.”
L’abri d’espoir is a shelter operated by The Salvation Army that offers support to adult women in vulnerable situations. It provides a safe, supportive environment that promotes independence and well-being.
For Louise Victor, the opportunity to stay here has been life-changing.
“I enjoy so much that the environment here is filled with many possibilities,” Louise shares. “I can play music, dance, paint, write and worship God. I now have my hopes up again about having an apartment in the future.”
In the three months Louise Victor has been staying at L’Abri, she has brought joy and connection to other residents. Since March, she has organized weekly dancing classes at the shelter, which have become a highlight for the participants. It also allows Louise Victor to stay active and motivated through her passion for dance.
“I now have my hopes up again about having an apartment in the future.”
“I am grateful that the director approved the program. It enables us to express our emotions through the art of dance,” she says.
The good relationship she has with the staff has motivated her to look forward to the future and has helped her healing process.
“The staff I’ve interacted with are really nice. They take time to evaluate our goals so that we can come up with good solutions to get there. They take care of us emotionally and spiritually,” Louise Victor adds.
By Juan Romero
